Community support

The lead editorial last Saturday concerned chronic absenteeism in Little Rock district schools. The editorial was written in response to a press conference announcing a program to combat absenteeism where the initiative “Feet to the Seat” was introduced. The writer asks: Where was the community support for this initiative? Where were the community leaders, politicians, and businessmen?

Follow the story, writer, and see that the program was created in partnership with Heart of Arkansas United Way, ARKids Read, and the Optimist Club of Greater Little Rock. Also, the ViPS (volunteers in public schools) Board supports this initiative. ViPS is made up of organizations including the PTA Council, American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, 100 Black Men of Greater Little Rock, Little Rock Workforce Development Board, Junior League, Little Rock Realtors Association, and many other community organizations and businesses.

It would be helpful if the state’s largest newspaper would also support the children, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and volunteers of this district. That the Little Rock School District is no longer the largest district is undoubtedly due, in part, to the relentless attack on public education by the rich and powerful who see this as the last big opportunity to access public money by taking over school districts, developing so-called public charter schools run by private corporations, and setting up parallel school districts.