Within the last couple of weeks, Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson has released a real good, soft, warm and fuzzy TV commercial involving his granddaughter and a part of his educational platform.
The television commercial features a charming Miss Ella Beth Wingle, candidate Hutchinson's granddaughter. She is playing basketball, swimming, studying, and giving her papaw a "high five" at the conclusion of the 30-second spot.
She is, in Hutchinson's own words on the commercial, "my inspiration," to place computer science and especially "coding skills" in every Arkansas High School.
One gets the idea she is a public school student -- but she is not.
Miss Wingle, who is a middle school age student, taught herself computer coding and computer skills, without any formal classroom instruction. She learned enough coding skills, the candidate says to develop an App for a smart phone for his campaign.
She really is Asa's granddaughter. She also really plays basketball, swims and is a self-taught computer coder and she developed an app the candidate uses in his campaign. She is a charming young lady. The camera is her friend.
When asked, she is, according to Hutchinson's press secretary, a student at Little Rock Christian Academy in Little Rock.
LRCA is a private, independent school with an $8,482 annual tuition and with fees that jumps to $9,417 a year.
That is more than the state spends to educate each child in public school child.
His granddaughter, the one he features on his TV ad, attends a tony private school -- not an Arkansas public school.
Her grandfather, the candidate, however is an Arkansas public school graduate, from Springdale High.
Asa's family, according to his website, is an example of choice in education. "Susan and Asa sent their children to public schools, private schools, parochial schools and they home schooled for a time as well. That is choice in education at work and the choices Asa and Susan made reflect the needs and interests of each child."
Does your middle class family have such choices?
Asa for college attended a private, independent college for an undergraduate degree in accounting from Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., and he came back to Arkansas to fetch a law degree from the public University of Arkansas Law School.
Asa's website proudly touts that all four of his children graduated from public high schools after some time in private schools, even home schooling.
One of candidate Asa's education planks, driven home by the 30-second ad, is that the GOP nominee wants to have computer science be counted as a math or science credit in Arkansas' requirements for public high school graduation.
Asa says this is only a change on paper and can easily be implemented with little or no extra state funds. He also wants more courses like computer coding or code writing to be taught at the high school level.
While we, at first blush, think this is perhaps doable -- we have to stop and wonder how much expansion of existing computer labs in schools will be needed? Is there enough "broad-band width" systems to accomplish this goal? Are there quality computer teachers/instructors trained and in place?
This past week, it seems an out-of-state consultant says connecting all Arkansas public schools to the broad-band width needed will cost, well, millions.
Maybe Asa and his advertising think-tank may have hit a home run on this issue -- there is no mention of needing additional tax monies to implement this academic change.
The commercial is of course 30-seconds long, a snippet of our viewing time. Much like the outline of this part of his education plan it is brief, sounds great, but sadly void of much needed details.
The devil, you see, is always in the details.
MAYLON RICE, A FORMER JOURNALIST, HAS WRITTEN NEWS AND COLUMNS FOR SEVERAL NWA PUBLICATIONS. HE HAS BEEN WRITING FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
Editorial on 09/17/2014