CAPES stands firm in its commitment to public education and the rights of students therein. While many of CAPES volunteers are actively engaged in gathering signatures for the Educational Rights Amendment Coalition's petition, CAPES as an organization remains neutral on this matter.
It has come to our attention that there may be some confusion regarding CAPES's involvement in the current education petition process. CAPES has opted not to take a public stance on the petition collection organization, ForARKids, and its efforts. This decision was made in light of the CAPES's commitment to remain non-partisan and to ensure fair representation for all stakeholders. CAPES no longer had representation on the BQC when Steve Grappe left the organization. Because transparency and accountability are important, the board members voted to remain neutral and let ForARKids coalition continue the work.
Furthermore, CAPES would like to address two recent misrepresentations in an article published April 3, 2024. First, the term “liberal” does not apply to CAPES. Second,
CAPES unequivocally asserts its neutral stance for this particular petition collection organization and reaffirms its support for all volunteers involved in collecting signatures for the Educational Rights Amendment Coalition, both of which were conveyed during the interview.
In addition to clarifying its position on the petition process, CAPES is pleased to announce that it is in the process of becoming a 501(c)3 organization in order to better meet the needs of both the organization and public education support. This transition will further solidify CAPES's commitment to advocating for public education and serving the needs of students across our state. CAPES is not aligned politically in any manner, its mission being pro-public education and pro-students.
About Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES): CAPES is a non-partisan, grassroots movement committed to the preservation and advancement of public education in Arkansas. Our organization recognizes that the local public school is often the heart of each community and recognizes the impact community members can have on policy development. Therefore, we will provide policy and advocacy education to Arkansas citizens to inspire and empower them to advocate for sound policy in their local public schools and beyond. This partnership will ensure that public schools meet the needs of students from a wide variety of social, geographic, and racial/cultural backgrounds.