Little Rock, AR—May 15, 2025—Teach Plus Arkansas invites education stakeholders, policymakers, and community partners to its 2024–25 End-of-Year Virtual Showcase on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. CT. This event will spotlight the achievements of Policy Fellows—dedicated classroom teacher leaders who have leveraged their expertise to drive policy changes aimed at improving student outcomes across Arkansas.
“Teach Plus Arkansas is the leading organization for elevating teacher voice in education policy—cultivating an influential and well-equipped statewide network of classroom leaders who shape decisions, shift power, and drive student success across the state,” said Teach Plus Arkansas Executive Director Stacey McAdoo.
“As both a Fellow and Senior Fellow, I’ve worked to develop statewide recommendations, engaged directly with legislators, and learned to advocate to shape conversations around education policy that impact students and teachers across Arkansas. This experience has empowered me to use my voice beyond the classroom to drive meaningful change for my students and community,” said 2024-25 Teach Plus Arkansas Senior Fellow Tiffaney Lewis, who teaches at Forest Heights S.T.E.M. Academy in Little Rock.
Throughout the fellowship year, 31 teacher leaders:
- Published 14 op-eds in prominent outlets, amplifying teacher perspectives on issues such as literacy, student mental health, chronic absenteeism, equitable access to technology, and school meals.
- Developed comprehensive policy memos and letters addressing key challenges in education, including teacher recruitment and retention, early literacy, and chronic absenteeism.
- Presented their research on chronic absenteeism to the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus, contributing valuable insights to legislative discussions.
- Collaborated with the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy to design and implement student surveys aimed at understanding the root causes of absenteeism, beginning in middle school. Recommendations will be presented to the State Board of Education and the Arkansas Legislature later this year after results are analyzed.
- Delivered presentations to local school boards, advocating for policies that support student-centered learning environments.
- Participated in Capitol Day in more than 20 meetings with Arkansas legislators, discussing topics such as teacher workforce sustainability, literacy initiatives, and whole-child education approaches.
The Virtual Showcase will feature presentations from Policy Fellows, highlighting their projects, policy recommendations, and the impact of their advocacy efforts. Attendees will gain insight into how teacher leadership is shaping education policy in Arkansas and have the opportunity to engage with the fellows during a Q&A session.
To attend, register here.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. https://teachplus.org/ar
For media inquiries or more information, please contact Teach Plus Arkansas Executive Director Stacey McAdoo at smcadoo@teachplus.org or 617-947-8233.
