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Sen. Brianne Davis pitches LEARNS Act as Arkansas’ biggest K–12 investment; committee probes costs and implementation
Summary
Senator Brianne Davis presented Senate Bill 294, the LEARNS Act, which promises a $50,000 starting teacher salary, the largest teacher raises in state history, literacy coaching, paid maternity leave (district opt‑in, state 50/50 match), and Educational Freedom Accounts phased in across three years; committee members pressed on costs, accountability and rulemaking.
Senator Brianne Davis, sponsor of Senate Bill 294, told the Senate Education Committee that the LEARNS Act represents "the single largest investment in public schools that Arkansas has ever seen." She said the package guarantees a $50,000 minimum starting salary for teachers, a $2,000 guaranteed raise for every teacher, bonuses up to $10,000 for highly effective teachers and expanded loan‑repayment supports and scholarships for teachers in shortage areas.
The bill would also create an Office of Early Childhood inside the Department of Education, deploy literacy coaches statewide, fund high‑impact tutoring, and allow districts to opt into a paid maternity‑leave program the state will match 50/50.…
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