Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dionne Jackson, the executive director of AR Kids Read, for striving to improve the literacy of Arkansas children. Ms. Jackson recognized the importance of literacy very young, after realizing that a family member could not read or write when they signed a document with an X rather than sign their name. This experience inspires her work daily at AR Kids Read. Dionne grew up in the Western Hills neighborhood of Little Rock and attended Hendrix College in Conway. After earning her degree, she became a science teacher at her alma mater, Horace Mann High School. She earned her master's from the University of Central Arkansas and went on to earn a Doctorate in Education from Baylor University, then becoming a tenured professor at Hendrix. As the executive director of AR Kids Read, she works every day to further their mission to advance the literacy education of Arkansas children and families with the aim of having students read proficiently by the third grade. Our community is so grateful to her dedication for this essential need in our area. Recognizing Darrell Walker”