LREA announces one day strike for Thursday pic.twitter.com/FGQv1N5Qva — Lindsey Millar (@Lindsey_millar) November 11, 2019

The Little Rock Education Association announced a one-day strike Thursday to underscore its press for local control of the Little Rock School District and equal treatment of all students and employees.

Lindsey Millar is on hand and there’s more to come.

UPDATE FROM LINDSEY: At the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, under the awning of the restored Magnolia/Mobil service station, Teresa Knapp Gordon, president of the Little Rock Education Association, said the teachers union was fighting for the children of the LRSD:


“As educators, we would rather be in the classroom with our students — not on a picket line,” she said. “However, this community and the passionate, dedicated educators of this district will do what is necessary to protect the futures of our students.”

Gordon said teachers hope that community members join teachers on picket lines at schools throughout the district on Thursday and then follow teachers as they convene on the State Capitol grounds while the State Board of Education is meeting. Gordon said she expected all of the LREA’s nearly 1,800 members, including teachers and support staff, to participate in the strike.


“In addition to educating the students, it is our moral imperative to protect those students from those who seek to use them as pawns in privatization schemes to destroy public education in our city, our state and in our country,” Gordon said. “Governor Hutchinson, Secretary Key and the State Board of Education have failed our students. They have not listened to the students, the educators, the parents and the community of the Little Rock School District. We stated unequivocally that it is time for the LRSD to be returned to full local control with an elected school board in place that has full decision-making authority. Their paternalistic response is to try and retain control of our district until they are able to destroy it: limiting when an election will occur place, limiting decision-making authority of a new school board, limiting control of the district and seeking to re-segregate our schools because they believe they know what’s best for us.

“When Governor Hutchinson and his appointed state board of education announced their plans to re-segregate our schools last month, this community joined with us and together we blocked their plans. We must now come together again.

“For more than six decades, the LREA has stood up for children in the little Rock School District. This is a crucial moment in our history. The governor is trying to silence our voices, to prevent us from advocating for the best policy and practices for our students. He will not win.”

Asked whether the strike might stretch into more than one day, Gordon said all options were on the table.


I’ve asked Governor Hutchinson and Secretary Johnny Key for comment. LRSD Superintendent Mike Poore has scheduled media availability for 2 p.m.

UPDATE II: Key provided the following statement:

I want to reassure students and parents that the district is prepared for Thursday’s work stoppage. More than enough substitutes, Little Rock School District staff, and ADE staff have passed background checks and are prepared to step in to ensure students receive a quality education. Every school in the district will remain open, buses will run, lunch will be served, and a safe learning environment will be provided. At the end of the day, the students in the Little Rock School District deserve a proper education, and we will be ready to ensure that occurs.