Week 25: Choice and Opportunity

Happy Friday!

It has been another steady and productive week at Mena Public Schools. I continue to see focused instruction, collaborative planning, thoughtful feedback to students, and disciplined attention to our performance targets. Growth does not occur by accident. It occurs because adults make intentional decisions every day that place students first. Thank you for that commitment.

This week, I want to focus on a theme that is shaping education across our state, and that is choice. In many ways, the decisions families make during School Choice season reflect the kind of opportunity, challenge, and growth they want for their children.

The School Choice Window Is Open

The School Choice window is now open across Arkansas. Families are making decisions about where their children will attend school next year. That decision is not simply about geography. It is about opportunity.

In today’s educational landscape, education is increasingly defined by choice. Families are evaluating programs, culture, academic rigor, extracurricular depth, and long-term outcomes. They are asking where their children will be challenged, supported, and prepared for life beyond graduation.

In this environment, public schools do not assume enrollment. We earn it.

Every day, families choose Mena Public Schools. They choose our teachers. They choose our programs. They choose our expectations. They choose a system that is accountable to the public, transparent in reporting, and aligned to state standards.

When families choose a public school, they are choosing an institution that is open to all students, governed by an elected board, funded publicly, audited transparently, and measured consistently. That level of accountability is foundational.

School Choice is ultimately not about paperwork or deadlines. It is about the kind of developmental environment families want for their children. When families choose a school, they are choosing the opportunities their children will experience, the level of challenge they will encounter, and the expectations that will shape their growth.

Opportunity Is a Choice

If education today is shaped by choice, then the most important question becomes this: What kind of opportunity will that choice provide?

Education, at its core, is about opportunity that leads to application. Public schools offer a breadth of opportunity that few institutions can match. Advanced coursework. Career and technical pathways. Fine arts. Athletics. Writing across the curriculum. Leadership organizations. Clubs are embedded within the school day. Service projects. Academic competitions. These experiences are structured developmental opportunities.

Opportunity leads to exploration.Exploration leads to application.Application leads to self-efficacy.Self-efficacy leads to purpose.And purpose leads to success in life.

The choice of school determines the range of opportunities that fuel that entire progression.

Choosing Courage Over Comfort

I often say, “Ideas are more valuable than degrees, and skills are more valuable than credits.”

Degrees matter. Transcripts matter. Scholarships matter. But ideas drive innovation, and skills sustain opportunity. A student who can think clearly, write effectively, solve problems, collaborate with others, and persist through setbacks will always be positioned for long-term success.

School Choice is also a choice about rigor. Students sometimes hesitate to enroll in challenging coursework because they fear that a lower grade may affect their GPA or scholarship opportunities. When numerical preservation becomes the primary goal, exploration narrows. Safety replaces courage.

Public schools must be environments where students dare to fail. Failure, when guided properly, is formative. It strengthens resilience. It builds adaptability. It produces disciplined confidence. If we want students to develop purpose, we must encourage depth over appearance, mastery over protection, and courage over calculation.

Opportunity without risk does not produce efficacy. Efficacy without challenge does not produce purpose. The right choice stretches students toward growth.

Choosing Facts Over Perception

School Choice season also invites conversation about school quality. Thanks to an analysis provided by Mr. Harvey Nichols, a retired superintendent from Arkansas, I learned some things about our academic position in the region and the nation.

Arkansas education is often portrayed negatively. However, when context is applied to the data, the picture becomes more balanced.

Arkansas tests nearly all graduating students on the ACT. When compared to other states with similar participation rates, Arkansas performs competitively. In reading performance on NAEP assessments, Arkansas compares favorably to surrounding states when examining statistically significant differences rather than surface averages.

Mathematics remains an area of focus, and improvement is always our goal. But perception should be shaped by context, not headlines.

Public schools educate all students. We test broadly. We report publicly. We hold ourselves accountable.

Families deserve accurate information when making their choice. Public schools in Arkansas, especially Mena Public Schools, are a great choice!

Closing Celebrations

Our Ladycat and Bearcat basketball teams concluded their seasons this week at the 4-4A District Tournament. We are grateful for the dedication and representation shown throughout the season and thank our coaches and sponsors for investing in these student-athletes.

Our wrestling program represented Mena with strength at the Arkansas State Wrestling Tournament, earning multiple podium finishes and finishing fourth as a team out of twenty-three schools. That is a significant accomplishment and a testament to preparation and perseverance.

Track and field athletes recently received All-State recognition from last outdoor season, and we look forward to an exciting spring ahead.

Our 3rd and 4th-grade Gifted and Talented chess teams competed in the DMESC Chess Tournament, demonstrating sportsmanship and strategic growth while gaining valuable competitive experience.

This week, our principals, teachers, testing coordinators, and support staff also successfully administered ATLAS interim assessments across the district. Thank you for the professionalism and organization that made the process smooth. These interim results help us adjust instruction before the upcoming summative assessment, which carries important weight for accountability and school performance. As we move toward that window, our focus remains clear: preparation, discipline, and helping students demonstrate what they have learned.

Thank you to all of the principals, teachers, coaches, sponsors, and support staff who make these aforementioned opportunities possible.

It was a good week of choices at Mena Public Schools.

At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming, and have a nice weekend!

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