“She went out of her way to coach me through new teacher struggles—taking time out of her busy day to Zoom with me one-on-one and offering practical classroom solutions.”
ROLC’s Pastor Kristy Thomas shared meaningful insight on managing burnout in helping professions 🧠, and Alyssa Dean from Chenal Family Therapy guided open conversations where educators could share challenges, gain perspective, and leave feeling encouraged and energized s 💬. OUR’s Emilee Tucker provided a home-cooked lunch 🍲 plus sessions on cooking and AI-powered meal planning 🤖, OUR's Anne Cowie led a light outdoor yoga session 🧘♀️. Deanna Franks with CarClay Creations/Cotter High School guided a painting session🎨.
Participants left feeling supported, motivated, and ready to return to their schools with renewed energy and perspective. 🌿✨
#OURCoop #TeacherRetention #SchoolCulture #YourBESTSolution
#OURCoOp #YourBESTSolution #DESE #SchoolImprovement #DataDriven
We’re Hiring: Early Childhood Special Education Teacher! 🌟
Do you love helping young children grow, learn, and thrive? We’re looking for a Certified Early Childhood Special Education Teacher to join our amazing team!
What You’ll Do:
✅ Create and implement IEPs for children ages 3–5
✅ Support learning in communication, social-emotional, cognitive, and self-help skills
✅ Track progress and celebrate every success
You Should Have:
🎓 ECSE Certification
💡 Experience working with young children with developmental delays or disabilities
🤝 Strong communication & teamwork skills
💛 Passion for making a difference in children’s lives
Why Join Us?
✨ Supportive, fun, and collaborative team
✨ Opportunities for professional growth
✨ Competitive salary & benefits
📩 Apply today! Send your resume & cover letter to lannab@oursc.k12.ar.us or complete application online and send via email.
On Monday, the OUR Education Service Co-op hosted a training session for school board members. Presented by staff from the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, the session addressed topics including legislative changes from the 2025 General Session, school finance and budgeting, and interpreting audit reports.
Last week, Dr. Candra Brasel, Mentoring Program Specialist, facilitated the first Principals’ Meeting of the year for OUR Education Service Co-op leaders. The agenda included building support systems, interpreting test data, ethics, professional growth plans (PGPs), the Start-Stop-Continue Reflection Tool, and strategies for relationship building. In addition, Dr. Gwen Rains, Science Specialist, and Stephanie Huddleston, Math Specialist, shared information on the Classroom Walkthrough Tools for Math and Science. Principals also engaged in grade-level collaboration to address current issues and priorities.
It was inspiring to see so many new educators eager to learn, grow, and pour into their students. These new CTE teachers spent the day gaining classroom strategies, curriculum tools, and CTSO advising tips to help them start strong.
We are grateful for their energy and commitment—and excited to see the impact they’ll make this year. 👏💡🔧💻✂️
#OURCoop #OURcte #yourBESTsolution #CTE #ARcte #TeacherSuccess #NewTeachers
This study is designed to give educators a safe, supportive space to explore realistic strategies that strengthen both personal well-being and professional growth.
👉 Register here: http://bit.ly/4gSYsUK
📧 Questions? Contact Emilee Tucker at etucker@oursc.k12.ar.us or 870-302-3093
A special shoutout to Bytespeed, iboss, and Cisco for sponsoring our Fall '25 event! Together, we're enhancing our cyber readiness!
#yourBESTsolution
DESE has been working with Pearson to transition our state from the Foundations of Reading 190 to the Foundations of Reading 890 so we can take advantage of opportunities like Free-After-Three. The change from Foundations of Reading 190 to Foundations of Reading 890 is a change in test code only. No changes have been made to the test framework or content.
Effective immediately, all candidates can register for and take Foundations of Reading 890, as this test version allows Arkansas candidates the benefits of the Free-After-Three retake policy.
The Free-After-Three Retake Policy provides candidates who have taken Foundations of Reading 890 three times and have not yet passed to reregister for 890 at no cost.
Please note the following regarding the Series Free-After-Three retake policy:
Any test registration or administration of the 890 prior to December 5, 2023, will not count toward a free retake.
You do not need to use a voucher or any special code; the system will automatically allow eligible candidates to register for their retake for free.
You may register for free up to 12 months after the release of your most recent score report for the test.
If you are absent from your test appointment, the absence will not count toward one of the three attempts.
Candidates who are currently registered for Foundations of Reading 190 should schedule and complete their exam prior to August 31, 2025.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Candra Brasel, cbrasel@oursc.k12.ar.us.
Candidates can register for the 890 by clicking the test name under the heading “Series Test Name and Code” here: https://www.nestest.com/state/ar.
For additional information, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Candra Brasel, cbrasel@oursc.k12.ar.us.
On Tuesday, O.U.R. Co-op welcomed around 650 educators from seven member districts for a full day of professional development. Led by Nicole Sweeney, the session focused on recognizing when our mindset is Above the Line or Below the Line, responding to Below the Line moments with grace and dignity, and strategies for returning to an Above the Line perspective. This impactful event was made possible through a collaboration with Arkansas AWARE, and we’re especially grateful to the Harrison School District for generously hosting us at their Performing Arts Center.
A team from OUR Co-op recently attended the AAEA Summer Conference. Pictured are some of the attendees as the conference was concluding.
Our early childhood directors gathered for a magical morning of connection, creativity, and professional growth—Mary Poppins style! From yoga breaks to show & tell on the carpet, from sticky notes of intention to a magical “tool bag” full of strategies for boosting Instructional Support, this session brought heart and purpose to the work we do.
🎭 Special thanks to The Lyric's cast of Mary Poppins for sprinkling in joy, song, and a reminder of the power of arts in education!
Here’s to unleashing the joy of learning and leading—together. 💜
#EarlyEdMagic #InstructionalSupport #MaryPoppinsMoment #ProfessionalDevelopment #JoyfulLearning #OURLeads #ARLEARNS #yourBESTsolution
👏 Tayler Lynch led an outstanding session that encouraged teachers to reflect on strengths, challenges, solutions, and collaboration to elevate their programs.
🤝 North Arkansas College also joined to share updates and promote partnerships.
A great day of connection, strategy, and fresh ideas for business education!
#OURCoop #OURcte #youBESTsolution #BusinessEd #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherCollaboration #CareerReady
🎤 Dr. Tyler Tarver, National Speaker & Founder of Tarver Academy — delivered practical strategies on Google tools, ChatGPT, classroom management, and ready-to-use templates.
🤖 Dr. Robin Finley — shared advanced AI insights and a moving session on Keeping Kids Safe in a Cyberworld, covering cyber threats, teen brain development, and digital safety.
Thanks to both presenters for delivering unforgettable professional development!
#OURCoop #OURcte #yourBESTsolution #AIinEducation #OnlineSafety
