Arkansas bets on school choice: Can the LEARNS act lift all boats in education?

Arkansas has emerged as a laboratory for one of America’s boldest education experiments, with the 2023 LEARNS Act redefining reform through school choice, teacher pay hikes, literacy initiatives, and charter expansion. Rooted in Kennedy’s “rising tide” metaphor, the legislation wagers that competition will strengthen all schools—though critics warn it could widen inequities and erode public education’s civic mission.