Arkansas House approves Sanders’ education overhaul proposal

— Some parents in Arkansas could get access to school vouchers that would help pay for private school tuition and home schooling as soon as this fall under a bill the state House approved Thursday as part of a massive education overhaul, The majority-Republican House voted 78-21 to approve the measure, which also would raise minimum teacher salaries and place new restrictions on classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation. “It is time for something that can give us a lift.” The proposal would phase in over three years an “education freedom account” to pay for private and home schooling equal to 90% of the state’s per-student funding for public schools, which is currently $7,413. Rep. Jim Wooten, one of three Republicans to vote against the legislation, warned his colleagues that “this bill will come back to haunt you.” “Through this bill we have managed to insult, alienate, dislike, show disdain for every single person in this state that has anything to do with public education,” Wooten said. “These sweeping changes will address teachers’ needs, defend parents’ rights, and, most importantly, give our kids the quality education they deserve,” Sanders said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.