Restoring our rights

This is to address just one of the assertions by Gary Newton in his April 5 guest column. He states that the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment takes away rights. I find the opposite to be true. The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment reinstates historic rights for taxpayers by restoring the principle of one education accreditation standard for public dollars.

Arkansas public school education accreditation standards are the product of our Legislature and state executive leadership, both Republican. Logically it follows that both branches agree these standards have value and meet the state responsibility to provide both an adequate education and a standard of accountability for taxpayer dollar investment. The current document is 20 pages.

By comparison, the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, just one of the approved accreditation sources for non-public schools, has its own accreditation standards document. The current document is six pages.

Before parsing these, one thing is clear. Either the current public accreditation standard is bloated with unnecessary requirements which our lawmakers and leadership have been remiss in editing, or the non-public school accreditation standard is missing elements our lawmakers and leadership believe are important.

Where in life, or in business, or in a taxpayer’s right to accountability for spending does this make sense? How is it that taxpayers do not have the right to expect one consistent, efficient set of standards for public money intended to deliver an educational outcome? Proliferation of standards is not responsible stewardship. And yet, here we are.

In addition to rights restored, this amendment offers provisions which are complementary to the highest educational aspirations of the LEARNS Act.

I signed the petition because voters are capable of making a thoughtful decision on this amendment at the ballot box. I can’t fathom why our state leadership and two well-financed and organized ballot question committees are afraid we might. JANICE HUGHES

Bella Vista