Craighead County is a leader in the local area, with 29% of its population having a bachelor's degree or higher, as illustrated in Figure 4.When Arkansas became a state, the federal government gave it seventy-two sections of land to start a higher education seminar. Governor James Sevier Conway declared that establishing a university was one of his important functions, but nothing was done until Reconstruction. The money from the sale of these lands was used for other purposes. Governor John Selden Roane addressed the lack of regular schools and teacher training in 1853. Caleb Lindsey is credited as the first American teacher in Arkansas, who taught in a cave in Ravenden Springs (Randolph County). Washburn was associated with Dwight Mission, a school created near Russellville (Pope County) in 1822 to serve the Cherokees of Arkansas.
However, it only remained in operation until the Treaty of 1828 when the Cherokees were driven further west. When French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet arrived in 1673, the eastern Arkansas was practically abandoned, except for the Quapaw tribe near the mouth of the Arkansas River. Pre-European exploration education began with the arrival of nomadic hunter-gatherers. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed her hope that Arkansas will soon lead the nation in elementary and secondary education. The progressive era, a time of radical transformation in American education, began in Arkansas only after Governor Jeff Davis passed to the United States. The Slater fund, the oldest, began distributing money in 1882; the General Education Fund, with Rockefeller's support, began in 1902 and helped with libraries and teacher training.
Anna T. Merchant Franí§ois Ménard sent her illegitimate daughter to Ursuline Convent school in New Orleans, Louisiana and at least one other girl from Arkansas was educated there. The state purchased a collection of antiquated textbooks and established a state education commissioner in 1853. Most states had normal schools, but Arkansas lacked them until 1907 when a two-year institution, the Arkansas State Normal School (now University of Central Arkansas), was established in Conway (Faulkner County).When Paleo-Indians arrived in Arkansas they had a level of education that allowed them to identify and use edible and medicinal plants, and to use stone age technology for hunting. Brookland school superintendent Brent Bunch said that this year he already created the annual salary budget for his 240 teachers and due to rapid growth of the city he sees no problem paying salaries. Outside about 20 Arkansas State University students stood by the entrance to the center to protest before Sanders meeting began. He had arrived in Arkansas and tried to finish his studies in Little Rock before moving further southwest. In recent years, Craighead County has seen an impressive improvement in its educational system.
The state has invested heavily in libraries and teacher training programs, while also providing financial support for normal schools. This has enabled more people to access higher education opportunities and has led to an increase in the number of people with bachelor's degrees or higher. Furthermore, school districts have been able to provide competitive salaries for teachers due to rapid growth within cities like Brookland. The efforts made by Governor Jeff Davis have been instrumental in transforming education within Craighead County. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has also expressed her hope that Arkansas will soon lead the nation when it comes to elementary and secondary education.
With continued investment and support from local authorities, Craighead County could soon become an example for other areas across America.
