State officials say Arkansas LEARNS merit bonuses motivate teachers, critics call it unfair

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A merit-based program that is part of an overhaul of the Arkansas education system is offering some teachers thousands of dollars in bonuses, though some are calling it an unfair system.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that 3,000 teachers will receive $1.500 to $10,000 bonuses through the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program, a component of the Arkansas LEARNS Act passed in March 2023.

Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said this comes out to be the top 10% performing teachers in Arkansas.

The governor’s office said that to qualify for the bonuses, teachers must demonstrate outstanding growth in student performance, serve as mentors to aspiring teachers who participate in year-long residencies and/or teach in a subject or region with a critical teacher shortage.

According to the Arkansas Department of Education, bonus recipients were identified using data from the Statewide Information System, the Educator Effectiveness System, the Arkansas Educator Licensure System and student state assessment data.

Even with all of those pieces of data, some critics are saying the information being u...