CITIZENS OF ARKANSAS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STUDENTS (CAPES) SAYS NO TO MAGA LEARNS NOTHING ACT
In a stunning turn of events, the Citizens of Arkansas for Public Education and Students (CAPES) have launched a petition to let the people decide on the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act. Yes, you read that right, the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act.
Now, you might be wondering, what is the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act? Well, let me break it down for you. It's an education reform law passed by the Arkansas legislature in 2022 that promises to do absolutely nothing. That's right, nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Despite its lack of substance, the law has caused quite a stir among education advocates. CAPES, a nonpartisan movement of teachers, parents, students, and community members, is leading the charge against the law.
Their petition calls for the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act to be put on the ballot for a statewide vote. Supporters argue that the law is too radical and will harm public education. Opponents argue that it's unnecessary and will only delay the implementation of the law. But let's be real, who cares about their arguments when the law itself is a joke?
In fact, CAPES has taken to calling it the "MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act" because, well, it does exactly what it says on the tin. It's like buying a bag of chips that's half full and calling it the "Air and Crumbs Snack Pack."
But that hasn't stopped the MAGA opponents from using their favorite tactics of lies and conspiracy theories to object to the petition. They claim that the petition is being funded by out-of-state groups who are trying to interfere in Arkansas's education system. Because clearly, it's not like the people of Arkansas could have come up with this idea on their own.
The petition is still in its early stages, but if successful, it would put the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act on the ballot for a statewide vote in 2024. If voters approve the law, it would go into effect. If voters reject the law, it would be repealed.
Now, you might be thinking, "But wait, if the law does nothing, why bother putting it on the ballot?" And to that, I say, exactly. Why bother? But hey, at least we'll get a good laugh out of it.
In all seriousness though, education reform is no laughing matter. It's a complex issue that requires thoughtful consideration and meaningful action. So let's hope that Arkansas lawmakers can do better than the MAGA Learns (Nothing) Act. Because if they can't, we might as well just pack up our bags and head back to school with Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star.
Arkansas grassroots group now says they have enough signatures to put education reform law | KATV https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-grassroots-group-now-says-they-have-enough-signatures-to-put-education-awaits-official-verification-little-rock-ark-teachers-learns-act-signatures-reached-last-minute-capes-leaders-of-the-citizens-of-arkansas-for-public-education-and-students
CAPES believes they have enough signatures for cure period in LEARNS Act referendum | KARK https://www.kark.com/news/politics/capes-believes-they-have-enough-signatures-for-cure-period-in-learns-act-referendum/?ipid=promo-link-block1
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BARD AI
Citizens of Arkansas for Public Education and Students (CAPES) petition to put the LEARNS Act on the ballot:
* **What is the LEARNS Act?**
The LEARNS Act is an education reform law that was passed by the Arkansas legislature in 2022. The law makes a number of changes to the state's education system, including increasing starting pay for teachers, expanding school choice options, and changing the way that schools are evaluated.
* **What is the CAPES petition?**
The CAPES petition is a request to put the LEARNS Act on the ballot for a statewide vote. The petition was started by a group of parents, teachers, and education advocates who are concerned about the impact of the law on public education.
* **What are the arguments for and against the petition?**
Supporters of the petition argue that it is important to give voters a say in the LEARNS Act. They argue that the law is too radical and that it will harm public education. They also argue that the law was passed in a rushed and secretive manner.
Opponents of the petition argue that it is unnecessary and that it will only delay the implementation of the LEARNS Act. They argue that the law has already been vetted by the legislature and that it is a good thing for public education. They also argue that the petition is being funded by out-of-state groups who are trying to interfere in Arkansas's education system.
* **What is the status of the petition?**
The CAPES petition was due to be submitted to the Arkansas Secretary of State's office on July 31, 2023. The group turned in over 50,000 signatures, but they were still short of the required 55,422 signatures. The Secretary of State's office is currently reviewing the signatures.
* **What is the potential impact of the petition?**
If the petition is successful, it would put the LEARNS Act on the ballot for a statewide vote in 2024. If voters approve the law, it would go into effect. If voters reject the law, it would be repealed.
The outcome of the petition could have a significant impact on Arkansas's education system. If the law is approved, it would make a number of changes to the way that schools are run. If the law is rejected, it would prevent the changes from taking effect.
The petition is still in its early stages, so it is too early to say what the ultimate outcome will be. However, it is clear that the petition has generated a lot of debate about the future of education in Arkansas.
FROM BING AI
Citizens of Arkansas for Public Education and Students (CAPES) and the LEARNS Act petition on ballot.
- - CAPES is a nonpartisan movement of teachers, parents, students, and community members who oppose the LEARNS Act, a law that overhauls public education in Arkansas¹.
- - The LEARNS Act, which stands for Leading Education and Accountability Reform Now in Schools, was passed by the Arkansas Legislature and signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April 2023². It aims to improve student achievement, teacher quality, school accountability, and parental choice³.
- - Some of the main provisions of the LEARNS Act are³:
- - Creating a statewide student assessment system that aligns with national standards and measures college and career readiness.
- - Establishing a teacher evaluation system that is based on multiple measures, including student growth, classroom observations, and student surveys.
- - Requiring all public schools to adopt an evidence-based curriculum and instructional materials that are aligned with the state standards and assessments.
- - Expanding school choice options by allowing open enrollment across district boundaries, creating a statewide charter school authorizer, and providing scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools.
- - Creating a school grading system that assigns A-F letter grades to schools based on student performance, growth, and other indicators.
- - Implementing a school improvement process that identifies low-performing schools and provides them with interventions and supports.
- - CAPES argues that the LEARNS Act is an attack on public education that will harm students, teachers, and communities¹. They claim that the law will⁴:
- - Undermine local control and democracy by taking away the power of elected school boards and giving it to unelected bureaucrats and private entities.
- - Reduce funding and resources for public schools by diverting public money to private schools and charter schools that are not accountable to the public.
- - Increase standardized testing and teaching to the test by imposing a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the diversity and needs of students and teachers.
- - Lower the quality and professionalism of teachers by eliminating due process rights, collective bargaining rights, and salary schedules.
- - Create a system of winners and losers by labeling schools with letter grades that do not reflect the true quality of education or the challenges faced by students and teachers.
- - CAPES launched a petition campaign to put the LEARNS Act on the ballot for a referendum in November 2024⁵. They need to collect at least 54,422 signatures from registered voters by July 31, 2023 to qualify for the ballot⁶. They also need to meet a new requirement that mandates signatures from at least 50 counties across the state⁷.
- - On August 1, 2023, CAPES officials said they were 747 signatures short of the required number, according to their own count². However, on August 2, 2023, they reversed course and claimed they had enough signatures after conducting a digital audit of their petitions⁵. They expect to get a cure period of 30 days to collect more signatures if at least 75% of their signatures are valid².
- - The Arkansas Secretary of State's Office has not yet released an official count of the signatures turned in by CAPES². If CAPES succeeds in getting their petition on the ballot, it will be the first referendum on a state law since 1994⁷.
Bing, 8/3/2023
(1) Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students - Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/people/Citizens-for-Arkansas-Public-Education-and-Students/100091848698112/.
(2) CAPES officials come up short in effort to put LEARNS Act to referendum. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/aug/01/capes-officials-come-up-short-in-effort-to-put/.
(3) A Citizen’s guide to ArkAnsAs publiC sChool finAnCing. http://www.aradvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/Citizens-Guide-to-Public-Education-Press-Quality.pdf.
(4) Citizens for Arkansas Public Education & Students on Twitter. https://twitter.com/arkcapes/status/1647087018281672709.
(5) Arkansas LEARNS repeal group, in reversal, claims it gathered enough .... https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-08-02/arkansas-learns-repeal-group-in-reversal-claims-it-gathered-enough-signatures-for-ballot-effort.
(6) Group says it fell short of signatures needed to get LEARNS Act on 2024 ballot. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/only-hours-away-from-deadline-group-pushing-to-get-learns-act-on-ballot-short-of-number-of-signatures-needed/.
(7) In bid to put LEARNS Act on ballot, petition gatherers face uphill climb. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/23/in-bid-to-put-learns-act-on-ballot-petition/.
(8) CAPES claims enough signatures for Arkansas LEARNS Act referendum. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/capes-claims-enough-signatures-for-arkansas-learns-act-referendum/ar-AA1eEt0l.
(9) Ballot language for a proposed referendum to repeal the LEARNS Act .... https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/may/12/ballot-language-for-a-proposed-referendum-to/.
