Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise today to honor Dr. Jim Rollins, an Arkansan who has dedicated his life to public education. Dr. Rollins is the superintendent of the Springdale, AR, public schools, where he has served since 1980. Dr. Rollins started his career in the classroom as a science teacher in North Little Rock. Since that time, he has consistently sought to provide students with a quality education. The work he has done leading Springdale's public schools speaks for itself. Dr. Rollins' motto when it comes to education is ``Teach them all.'' This worthy goal has been especially important in Springdale, where enrollment has grown from 5,000 students when Dr. Rollins arrived in 1980 to nearly 23,000 students today. Many of these students are part of immigrant families where English is not their first language. More than 55 percent of the district's students are not proficient in English, and around 75 percent qualify for free and reduced lunches. As you might imagine, this has presented unique challenges to educators in Springdale. In order to meet these challenges and ensure that the school system is doing everything it can to provide these students with a great education, Dr. Rollins has introduced innovative programs that cater to immigrant families, including the unique Marshallese population in Springdale. As superintendent, Dr.…”