Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders introduced and championed the Arkansas LEARNS plan, which led to the introduction and adoption of the most far-reaching and comprehensive education package in the nation this year. The Arkansas LEARNS Act, which was signed into law in March 2023, addresses a broad suite of K-12 education policies. Key elements include: a focus on early literacy to ensure students are reading proficiently by the end of third grade; strategies to expand and replicate effective public charter schools; a universal education scholarship account program that allows parents to customize their child’s education; performance-based pay raises for teachers; and stronger education and career training programs to ensure students are prepared for in-demand jobs. This comprehensive plan for K-12 education promises to give hundreds of thousands of students across Arkansas the quality education all kids deserve. The impact of the LEARNS Act’s comprehensive approach—both in the near term and the future—cannot be understated. Approximately 144,000 students in grades K-3 will benefit from the bold early literacy policies designed to support struggling students. The LEARNS Act will require classroom teachers to be paid a minimum base salary of $50,000 beginning in 2023-24, with teachers who were making above $50,000 in 2022-23 receiving a minimum salary increase of $2,000 in 2023-24. It also creates a Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program that will offer up to $10,000 bonuses for teachers who demonstrate outstanding growth in student performance, with the goal of retaining the state’s best and brightest educators. To support student success beyond K-12, the LEARNS Act requires students to develop individualized career plans in preparation for graduation, creates a Career-Ready Pathway High School Diploma and expands education-to-workforce pathway offerings for students.