By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Gov. Mike Huckabee was in Forrest City this morning, talking briefly to students and then meeting with teachers to talk about his "Next Step" approach to education.
"We want to make sure that every student in Arkansas gets the best possible education," he said, addressing a student assembly at Central Elementary. "But there are some people who don't realize there are a lot of good things going on in our schools. Our teachers are working very, very hard. They are trying their very, very best. And some folks may think we need to take a whole new step. Nothing is working right, everything is wrong. I just don't happen to believe that."
He continued, "What I'd like to say is not that we take a 'no step' approach, which means we don't do anything different, or that we take a 'new step' which means that we don't accept that we've done a lot of good things already. But we take the 'next step.' We build upon the success that we've already seen in our reading and math programs. And we try to make sure that for every student in every grade in every school, all over Arkansas, that you have the best education you can have."
He said not all the responsibility for education should be put on teachers, who he said are overworked and underpaid.
"The truth is, real education and the results of it come not just from what happens here in the classroom. It happens at home, it happens in the community. We have to get everyone involved in sharing the responsibility," he said.
Huckabee also told the children the arts should also be considered important in education.
After speaking to the students, he met in the school library with teachers and administrators. He said many of the same things he said to the children, in more detail.
He said his "Next Step" program consisted of standards, measuring and accountability. General plans were handed out.
"Standards simply means that we will have consistency from school to school and from district to district," he said. "An 'A' in ninth grade algebra in Forrest City ought to mean the same thing as an 'A' in algebra in Fayetteville, or Judsonia or Jonesboro."
He said it would be unrealistic to say every student should make an 'A.'
"What is important, is that we don't have kids graduating with a 4.0 grade average, who end up only making a 16 on the ACT and has to be remediated in three classes."
He said measuring helps to see how students are doing at any given time. He said he wants an annual benchmark exam in the spring, "With one big difference from the current benchmark. The results would come back in the spring, rather than half way through the fall semester of the next year. One of the real failures of the current system is, if yo don't get the test scores back in time to do something about it...then there's really no point in having them, other than for statistical purposes."
Accountability, he said, means everyone accepting responsibility. He said holding teachers solely responsible is not right. He said parental responsibility should not be ignored.
He also said he didn't want the courts "telling us what education ought to look like in Arkansas. "I think that it's far better governed by those out there laboring in the classroom and in the hallways.
During his visit, Huckabee also presented the Governor's Award for Musical Excellence to Tyler Findley. One senior student from each school district in the state will receive the new award.
Huckabee had several other stops to in eastern Arkansas today.
The St. Francis County Farm Bureau Women's Committee announced today that the 2002-03 Miss St. Francis County Rice contest will be Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. at the St. Francis County Farm Bureau office in Forrest City.
The contest, which is open to any person enrolled in school between the ages of 16 and 19, or who turns 16-years old during the 2001-02 school year, is held to promote interest in rice cookery and promotion among the youth and to focus the attention of the general public on the importance of the rice industry to the economy of the country.
Contestants are required to present a three to five minute oral presentation on rice and must bring a prepared rice dish, which is to contain at least three cups of cooked rice; three typed copies of their recipe, one copy with their name on it and the other two without and an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper with name, address, school and list of activities involved with. Recipes cannot be prepared with uncooked eggs.
The deadline for entry is Thursday, March 28, and entry forms must be turned in to the Farm Bureau office by 4:30 p.m. on March 28.
A cash prize of $250 will be awarded to the winner and the winner will be required to promote rice at various functions involving a cross-section of civic, social, school and church groups.
Entry sheets may be picked up at the Farm Bureau office, Monday - Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For more information contact Judy Jayroe at 581-2459 or Denelda Michaelis at 581-2277.
The Forrest City City Council will meet Tuesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in city hall.
One of the agenda items will be a continued discussion on Downs Village. The city council at its last meeting voted down a preliminary plat approval for the proposed subdivision.
Also on the agenda is Joe King, with King Disposal Inc. Other items include bid openings for a traffic signal at Division and Buford and for baseball uniforms.
Three ordinances will be read. Third reading will be held on an ordinance to rezone 851 N. Izard from residential to commercial. Third reading will be held on an ordinance to establish a fine for not removing garbage carts from the curb. An ordinance on second reading proposes to change the effective date for licensing dogs.
Also addressing the council will be Jimmy King with the Water Utility Commission and Jean Guarr of the Humane Shelter.
There will also be an executive session, set for 6 p.m.
There are several other meetings also planned for Tuesday.
The Forrest City Water Commission is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at the water department, and the St. Francis County Museum board will meet at 5 p.m. at the museum.
At 5:30 p.m., the Forrest City School Board is scheduled to meet in the administration building.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court will meet at 6 p.m. at the courthouse.
The filing period for the May primaries begins at noon Tuesday in the St. Francis County Clerk's office.
Candidates for offices in the county should file before the filing period ends at noon on Tuesday, April 2.
The primaries will be held on Tuesday, May 21.