Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

AEA on Huckabee's education bandwagon

Several groups and organizations have jumped on the bandwagon with Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and his new school plan.

On March 4, the Arkansas Education Association (AEA) and Huckabee announced the teachers union's support of Huckabee's plan along with Ron Russell, president of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas.

According to the Arkansas Democrate-Gazzette, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas is the state's most powerful business group. The group also states the Chamber having 1,200 member companies and the teacher's union membership being 20,000.

However, Gurdon School District Superintendent Bobby Smithson said at Thursday's Rotary Club meeting, he felt the joining of the afore mentioned parties was not a major threat.

Smithson said, "I am not anti- Ray Simon or anyone else for that matter. I am strictly on the other side of the fence from these guys. We have the right to believe what we want and I believe we can save our high school."

Smithson said he had been attending meetings and talked to Percy Malone, who said he was with the Gurdon School District and he also spoke with Tommy Roebuck who also pledged his support.