Henderson, ForwARd Arkansas host Pre-K panel 
— State Rep. Les Warren of Hot Springs
Henderson State University and ForwARd Arkansas hosted a panel on campus March 10 to discuss high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. Participants included legislative members and key stakeholders in public education and policy in Arkansas.
Following the discussion, participants observed students at Henderson’s Baker-Davis Preschool and met with teachers and students. The Baker-Davis Preschool is a high-quality center demonstrating best practices for pre-K programs across the state. It is housed in Henderson’s Education Building.
Speakers included:
• Dr. Glen Jones, Henderson State president
• David Rainey, former superintendent of the Dumas School District and member of the University of Arkansas’s Office of Education Policy
• Dr. Donnie Whitten, superintendent of the Arkadelphia School District
• Dr. Celya Taylor, dean of Teachers College, Henderson
• Rachel Pierce, a childcare management major at Henderson
ForwARd Arkansas, established through a partnership between the Arkansas Board of Education, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, is committed to helping every Arkansas student graduate prepared for success in college and the workplace.
To realize this vision, the ForwARd steering committee has developed recommendations aimed at dramatically improving student achievement, closing the achievement gap and making Arkansas a leading state in education.