Local Leads
In spring 2023, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Arkansas LEARNS Act into law. The LEARNS Act is comprehensive, creating a suite of changes that affect the state’s education system. One of the requirements within the LEARNS Act is to improve the experience of families and providers by establishing local early childhood lead organizations. LEARNS calls for local early childhood leads for each locality in Arkansas who is funded to make and execute the plan for their area on how to use available resources to best prepare Arkansas children for Kindergarten. These organizations are charged to:
- Support access to early childhood programs
- Identify gaps in services
- Foster local partnerships
- Create alignment among public and private providers and agencies within the community
- Establish a comprehensive, locally supported plan for providing early childhood programs and services.
The second cohort of local early childhood leads has been selected! The Office of Early Childhood in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Education selected 13 organizations to represent an additional 36 counties across the state. Alongside cohort 1, local leads now cover 65 of the 75 counties in Arkansas. These organizations will be responsible for establishing a comprehensive, localized plan to ensure children and families can access high-quality early childhood education in their communities. Please see below for which organization covers your county! If you do not fall within a county selected for Cohort 1 or 2, a final cohort will be selected by the fall. That means every county will have a local lead by October 2024.
The 21organizations will cover the following catchment areas:
Local Early Childhood Lead Organization | Counties Served | Contact | |
Arkansas River Education Cooperative | Jefferson, Arkansas, Cleveland, and Lincoln | Cathi Swan | swanc@aresc.k12.ar.us |
Arkansas State University, Child Care Aware | Chicot, Desha, Woodruff, Saint Francis, and Lee | Elizabeth Coakley | ecoakley@astate.edu |
Child Care Aware of Northwest Arkansas | Benton | Destiney Baxter | dbaxter@nwachildcare.org |
City of Little Rock | Little Rock | Jennifer Glasgow | jglasgow@littlerock.gov |
Conway School District | Faulkner | Keisha Jefferson | jeffersonk@conwayschools.info |
Crowley’s Ridge Education Cooperative | Craighead, Poinsett, Crittenden, Cross, and Jackson | Wendy Green | wgreen@crmail.k12.ar.us |
Dawson Education Cooperative | Clark, Pike, Hot Spring, and Grant | Shasta Pentecost | shasta.pentecost@dawsonesc.com |
DeQueen Mena Education Service Cooperative | Montgomery, Polk, Howard, Sevier, and Little River | Karen Garner | karen.garner@dmesc.org |
Guy Fenter Education Cooperative | Crawford, Franklin, and Logan | Gwen Couthren | gwen.couthren@wscstarfish.com |
IMPACT Independence County Foundation's Excel by Eight Collaborative | Independence | Jamie Rayford | jamie.rayford@batesvilleareachamber.com |
Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunities Commission, Inc. | Mississippi | Shirley Pulliam | shirley.pulliam@sbcglobal.net |
National Park College, Child Care Aware | Dallas, Garland, Perry, and Saline | Brandon Massey | brandon.massey@np.edu |
Northcentral Arkansas Education Cooperative | Fulton, Sharp, Izard, and Stone | Sandy Massey | sandy.massey@northcentralcoop.org |
Northeast Arkansas Education Cooperative | Lawrence, Randolph, Clay, and Greene | Chrissy Sain | csain@nea.k12.ar.us |
Ozarks Unlimited Resources Education Service Cooperative | Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Johnson, Newton, and Searcy | Anne Cowie | acowie@oursc.k12.ar.us |
Russellville School District | Pope | Jenny Barber | jenny.barber@rsdk12.net |
South Central Arkansas Education Cooperative | Calhoun, Ouachita, and Union | Zephonia Avant | zephonia.avant@scscoop.org |
Southwest Arkansas Education Cooperative | Hempstead, Nevada, Miller, and Lafayette | Katlin Niemeyer | katlin.niemeyer@swaec.org |
Washington County Collaborative | Washington | Brandy Wolfenbarger | bwolfenbarger@washcolocalleads.com |
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith | Sebastian and Scott | Shelli Henehan | shelli.henehan@uafs.edu |
White River Planning and Development District, Child Care Aware | Conway, Cleburne, and White | Debbie Mize | dmize@wrpdd.org |
Resources for local leads:https://ardoe-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/jennifer_douglas_ade_arkansas_gov/EXe3UaA8iItHulnOwsMdyd0BlLSXCpsYT5emjV8EEB1zgg?referrer=Outlook.Web&referrerScenario=email-linkwithembed
- Budget and Staffing Information
- Sample GMS Budget
- Phases of Responsibility Resource
- 2024-2025 Milestones Calendar
- Resources Landing Page
- Cohort 2 Templates:
- Cohort 1 Webinar Slides:
- Cohort 2 Webinar Slides:
- Commissioner's Memo RFA Local Leads Cohort 3
- August 29, 2024 at 10:00 am Informational webinar for interested applicants
- Cohort 3 Local Leads Application
- Cohort 3 Local Leads RFA Release Informational (PDF) (Video)
For more information, please contact:
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of Early Childhood
700 Main Street, Slot 140
Little Rock, AR 72203
Phone: 501-712-6398
Email: Jennifer.Douglas@ade.arkansas.gov