U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) today recognized Dr. Jim Rollins, Superintendent of Springdale Public Schools, in a speech on the Senate floor.
Rollins was named one of Education Week’s 2017 “Leaders to Learn From.” This is the latest among many awards and distinctions that he has earned over his exemplary career.
Dr. Rollins will travel to Washington, D.C. later this month where he will join other influential education leaders to discuss how to create success in public education.
In his speech on the Senate floor, Boozman highlighted the innovative approaches and collaborative initiatives undertaken by Rollins to accommodate the changing population in Springdale.
The following are Boozman’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. 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 Springdale, Arkansas 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 five thousand students when Dr. Rollins arrived in 1980 to nearly 23 thousand 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 70 percent qualify for free or 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. Rollins has fostered an atmosphere where families feel welcome and understood so that parents, students, teachers and administrators are working together to create a supportive environment that leads to growth in the classroom.
In the spirit of engaging the entire family in the education of every child, Rollins has helped lead an effort in Springdale’s schools to promote English as a Second Language instruction for students and parents.
This year, Dr. Rollins is once again being recognized for his outstanding efforts and the achievements that Springdale Public Schools has enjoyed under his leadership.
Dr. Rollins is a being recognized as one of Education Week’s 2017 Leaders to Learn From, which highlights “forward-thinking district leaders who are working to enact and inspire change in our nation’s public schools.”
Dr. Rollins is very deserving of this honor. You only need to look at the work he’s done over several decades to understand that he has dedicated his professional life to improving public education outcomes for every child in the Springdale school district.
The teachers and parents in his district have also had wonderful things to say about Dr. Rollins and his leadership in their community.
I am so pleased that his trail-blazing work among Springdale’s public schools has been noticed by national education organizations.
Dr. Rollins has made Arkansas very proud and we are so grateful for his leadership and commitment to educating children no matter where they come from or their station in life.
I am honored to know Dr. Rollins and look forward to his continued stewardship of the public school system in Springdale and the positive influence he has on education throughout Arkansas.
Congratulations, Dr. Rollins, on a job well done.
