Business and Manufacturing Academy OKd

"I hope you're recording your journey," Deborah Coffman, professional development coordinator of the Arkansas Department of Education, said to Rick Neal, Pea Ridge School superintendent, Thursday as she prepared to vote approval of Pea Ridge Business and Manufacturing Academy.

Neal, along with school officials Keith Martin, assistant superintendent; Jon Laffoon, high school principal; Matt Wood, assistant principal; and Sarah Stokes, Intermediate School principal, were assisted in the 20-minuted presentation by Dr. Alan Wimberley of ResponsiveEd from Lewisville, Texas, in explaining the vision for the charter school to be within Pea Ridge High School.

State Senator Cecile Bledsoe and State Representative Sue Scott expressed approve of the school.

"They have my full support," Bledsoe said. "I'm very excited about this."

"Pea Ridge is very lucky to have Rick Neal," Scott said.

"I encourage you to document your journey, not just the finish, so it can be replicated," Coffman said. "What is your plan to really engage the parents so they have a really thorough understanding?"

"I would once again encourage you to document that pathway first, so it can be replicated and secondly, so we can repeat process with every new group that comes through. I'm very interested in what parent-process looks like," she said.

Pea Ridge school officials were the second of four school districts to appear before the Arkansas Department of Education Charter Authorizing Panel in the Arch-Ford Auditorium in Little Rock, Thursday, Jan. 16. Others on the panel were John Hoy, assistant commissioner; Dr. Tom Kimbrell, commissioner; and Dr. Megan Witonski, Mike Hernandez and Dr. Karen Walters, assistant commissioner.

Martin presented the numerous academic achievement awards earned by Pea Ridge schools.

"We have successes, but we don't want to be complacent. Sixty percent will go to college. That means 40 percent won't," Martin said.

Neal said: "There some things that we're not doing that mean a lot to me, especially when I have to look at a kid still 18- to 19-years-old working at Sonic, still making the wage of a high school kid who just graduated."

Laffoon explained that school officials have been working with business leaders in the region to identify pathways for specific employment needs and training and certifications are required.

"We feel like we've taken a very innovative approach in partnering with businesses while also providing our regional business with certified workers. We believe it will bolster our economy and increase the quality of life in the region," Laffoon said.

"This will give our kids skills that are not emphasized in our current setting as well as meet the common core criteria, partnerships with business pathways and concurrent college hours," Laffoon said.

Kim Davis, with the Northwest Arkansas Economic Council, said northwest Arkansas has a growing economy but needs growth in the workforce. "We're hearing from some that they have to go elsewhere to find employees ... We've very lucky to have this. I hope you approve the application."

Dr. Kimbrell appreciated the innovation and asked about a level of assurance that success is possible.

"I understand what you're trying to do ... remove barriers and let people be successful," Kimbrell said.

In addition to the 20-minute presentation, school officials as well as attorneys answered questions from the panel. Coffman asked Neal if he had any other mentors other than Wimberley and ResponsiveEd in the project.

"This model is unique," Neal said. "I thought I invented it, but came to find out I didn't."

Neal explained that he learned a great deal from Donna McKethan, director of Career and Technical Education, Waco, Texas.

"She's led me through a lot of the pieces and this process. It was definitely a dream of hers and mine. It hurt my feelings because she did it first," he said.

Neal said the academy will also partner with NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Arkansas Tech.

"When a student leaves our campus, he or she will have three opportunities -- dual credit with colleges, work skills that will allow them to continue their education, certification that business and industry is asking for and the capacity to immediately enter in the job force and, if they want, continue to college and pay as they go avoiding the huge debt so many incur."

In the week following the application approval, Neal and school officials are working on the next step in order to have the academy operative by the fall.

"We have created a Business and Education Advisory Board. Our board will assemble on Jan. 31 and begin the process of finding the leader for the program. In the charter application we also requested a career coach," Neal said. "We will be working on a job description this week and then posting the position."

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," Neal said.

"The hard work and the many conversations over the last six months have paid off. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this opportunity for kids. I'm extremely proud of our administrative team -- Keith Martin, Sarah Stokes, Jon Laffoon, Matt Wood. We did a great job of demonstrating our vision of what this Conversion Charter School will look like and how it will change lives."