It’s not a well-kept secret that some in the business class and the old guard don’t like Little Rock School District Superintendent Jermall Wright. He doesn’t play the good old boy game, and that makes the ruling class nervous.
But I continue to support him and his team. Dr. Wright is focused on helping all our kids in ways I’ve never seen an LRSD superintendent do in almost 25 years of watching. Little Rock has a reputation for chewing up and spitting out superintendents. Wright is making exciting and important changes to help African American, Latino and special needs children, and I hope he keeps at it. He’s made some mistakes, but he’s owned them, made changes, and remains focused on helping our kids.
In response, Wright and his team reworked the organization and support structures of our district. The new network structure, launched in 2023-2024, included secondary schools in network 1, elementary schools in network 2, and elementary schools labeled “priority” in network 3. Along with the reorganization of schools, each network will have a dedicated math and literacy support team, pluscounseling and technology support. This week’s school boardupdate focused on what the administration had learned in year one of these changes. Some mistakes were made, followed by necessary adjustments.
The old guard does not like change, but if we are honest we will have to admit what the data shows — we have been great at educating some kids, but we have failed most of our African-American, Latino and special education kids for decades. That means we have to make massive changes to how we do things. The lone ranger educator sitting in a room and pontificating has to go.
By grouping all of our schools into smaller communities, Wright said he believes we will be creating new structures that will last long after he’s gone. Wright will be decreasing the number of direct reports to his office from 10 to seven. He will be sharing supervisory duties of the assistant superintendents with Chief Academic Officer Melissa Gude. They will now be reporting directly to her. Wright has also renamed several departments to reflect an updated long-term vision. He has renamed the Department of Communications as the Department of Communications, Strategy, & External Affairs. He has combined two departments to create the Division of Teaching, Learning & Leading. Human Resources will now be called the Department of Human Resources, Culture, & Compliance.
The Department of Communications, Strategy & External Affairs has been added to the superintendent’s office. External is a new section. Right now, Linda Young is the only person in this area, but the district is still seeking to create a LRSD Foundation, which will be a part of the external affairs section. Any personnel added for the purposes of the LRSD Foundation will pay for itself through philanthropic fundraising. Recommendations will be brought to the board for discussion and approval.
Wright next discussed the Department of Family and Student Services. Special Education was moved from the Division of Teaching, Learning and Leading to Family and Student Services. As I have argued repeatedly, we elect a board to represent our views, the board hires a superintendent to implement the community values and goals, and then the superintendent is tasked with making changes to make sure every child in our district is getting a proper education. Wright believes these changes will help in that goal, and I believe he should be supported in making them.
The board next heard a report on the local homeless student population. The federal McKinney-Vento Act provides rights and services to students experiencing homelessness. Our district is using its Title 1 funds to help these families get access to and cover the costs of school supplies, transportation, school meals, uniforms, clothing, fees for school events and hygiene products.
It is mind-boggling that we live in a society that allows these conditions to exist, but the Little Rock School District cannot change economic and social realities. The districtis doing the best it can to help these kids. But it can not be denied that we need a larger conversation about the type of
society in which we want to live. Surely, it is not one where kids live like this. Last school year, 726 LRSD families experienced homelessness.
The board then heard an update on exciting changes happening at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School (MLK). In the fall of 2023, Wright and his
team began to reimagine the focus and programming for Martin Luther King Elementary School. In an effort to re-establish the school within the community, a working group identified two areas of enhancement- Language development in Chinese, Spanish, and American Sign Language and a focus on leadership and public service. Students will have access to all of these languages in the early grades, and in the upper grades, they will focus on one language. The leadership component will be in partnership with the Clinton School.
The administration hopes that both of these focus areas will prepare students to live in a diverse world and to be able to engage with all the changing situations of the 21st century. The new focus is already paying off. The school has increased its student population by over 40 students and is quickly approaching building capacity. If you work downtown or live downtown, this is a school you want to explore to see if it fits the need for your kids. Contact the school directly if you have any questions at (501) 447-5100.
Next, the chief financial officer, Kelsey Bailey, made his monthly financial report. Tax revenue continues to be up, and the Little Rock School District continues to be in a strong place financially. This is the kind of good report we like to see.