Arkansas Republicans on March 17 abandoned their push for a bill that would have allowed the privatization of school districts deemed academically distressed.

Rep. Bruce Cozart, the bill’s sponsor, said he had deferred action on the bill after receiving more than 3,000 emails and countless calls opposing it.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt teachers or do anything against schools ... that was not my intention,” Cozart said. “My intention was to try to help failing schools in academic distress.”

The bill would allow private nonprofits to take over school districts, including in Little Rock, the state’s largest city, which the State Board of Education said are in academic distress. The legislation was supported by lobbyists with ties to the Walton Family Foundation. Lawmakers, however, ultimately bowed to pressure from the public and school leaders opposed to the dissolution of locally elected school boards.

“I’m really excited that our message that privatization is a failed strategy got through,” said Bill Kopsky, the executive director of the Arkansas Citizens First Congress, part of the coalition opposing the bill. “This is bad for public education, bad for kids and has failed to show results every other place it has been tried.”

Arkansas Times, March 17
Associated Press, March 17