LR superintendent luncheon speaker

Little Rock School District Superintendent Mike Poore will speak at the Political Animals Club on Wednesday.

His appearance comes at a time when the state Board of Education, education secretary, Little Rock Education Association and community leaders have squared off over control of the state’s second-largest school district.

The state board voted 5-4 in January 2015 to take control of the district — dismissing the Little Rock School Board and putting the superintendent under state supervision — when six of its then-48 schools, at the time, had chronically low math and English/language arts results on state exams.

On Oct. 10, the state education board decided to return limited local control to the district under a locally elected school board after November 2020 elections. At the same meeting, the state education board directed the Little Rock district to end its long-standing recognition of the Little Rock Education Association employee union as the exclusive contract bargaining agent, effective Oct. 31.

The association and community leaders say they want a locally elected board to have full control, not limited control.

Since then, the association — with help from district parents and community leaders in Little Rock — staged a oneday employee strike on Thursday in which more than a third of the teachers and more than 56% of the students were absent from work and school.

Poore’s speech at the Political Animals Club luncheon is scheduled from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, 1800 Center St., Little Rock. The mansion’s gates will open at 11:15 a.m.

Seating is limited. Registration is required. Information about the event, including the fee for lunch, is available at https://conta.cc/2Of4guQ.