State awards $343,000 to Maryland firm for early childhood literacy

School choice event held in Jonesboro after winter storm cancellation

Mar. 3, 2026 at 1:47am

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The Arkansas Department of Education has awarded $343,000 to a Maryland-based firm, Really Great Reading, to provide early childhood professional services to pre-K teachers in the state. The firm will focus on strengthening foundational literacy instruction through coaching, training, and technical assistance. Meanwhile, a rescheduled school choice event took place in Jonesboro after a previous event was canceled due to a winter storm, drawing around 90 attendees.

Why it matters

Improving early literacy skills is crucial for students' future academic success, and the state's investment in professional development for pre-K teachers aims to address this. The school choice event also highlights the demand for educational options among Arkansas families.

The details

Really Great Reading was selected to work with pre-K educators in Arkansas to develop their students' ability to recognize letters and grasp phonics through interactive, play-based learning. The $343,000 award will fund this work from July 2026 to June 2027. The school choice event in Jonesboro was rescheduled after being canceled due to a winter storm, drawing around 90 attendees out of the 200 who had originally registered.

  • The Arkansas Department of Education awarded the $343,000 contract to Really Great Reading for the period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
  • The rescheduled school choice event in Jonesboro took place on Thursday, after the original event was canceled due to a winter storm.

The players

Really Great Reading

A Maryland-based firm hired by the Arkansas Department of Education to provide early childhood professional services to pre-K teachers, focusing on strengthening foundational literacy instruction.

Arkansas Department of Education

The state agency that awarded the $343,000 contract to Really Great Reading to work with pre-K educators on early literacy development.

Spencer Watson

Spokesman for the Reform Alliance, the school choice advocacy organization that hosted the rescheduled event in Jonesboro.

Arey Montefort

A Brookland resident who attended the rescheduled school choice event in Jonesboro, considering homeschooling her 4-year-old son.

Andrew Campanella

CEO of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, who commented on the high demand for school choice options among Arkansas families.

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What they’re saying

“When students show up to kindergarten with experience in pre-K and early literacy with exposure to letters and graphemes and phonemes, they learn to read more effectively.”

— Karl Rectanus, CEO, Really Great Reading

“He's just young, and I think the classroom isn't really 100% set up for young kids.”

— Arey Montefort

“Arkansas families have more choices for their kids' education than in most states across the country.”

— Andrew Campanella, CEO, National School Choice Awareness Foundation

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This investment in early childhood literacy development and the demand for school choice options highlight Arkansas' efforts to provide students with the best possible educational opportunities from an early age, setting them up for future academic success.