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Arkansas Elementary Teacher To Speak At Democratic National Convention

A public school teacher from Bauxite, Arkansas is to speak to the Democratic National Convention Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Dustin Parsons, a 5th grade math and social studies teacher at Pine Haven Elementary, says he'll discuss how efforts by Hillary Clinton when she lived in the state benefited children. In particular, he says her role in leading education reforms had a lasting impact in Arkansas.

"Sometimes we get a bad rap, but I see so much in our schools today of students really being challenged to think outside the box and I think with Hillary Clinton, being able to really shake up the system when she was here, I think it just helped change the state into a very new age," Parsons says.

Education and Clinton’s work co-founding Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families are expected to be touted during the convention. 

Parsons expects he'll address the convention briefly between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

"I feel very humbled," Parsons says of being invited to speak.

He was planning to attend as one of about 250 delegates of the National Education Association, which has endorsed Clinton. The teacher's union represents nearly three million educators nationwide.

"I never would have expected that I would be standing on stage this week. I expected to be in the audience cheering everyone on, but having that opportunity really has changed my vision."

Michael Hibblen was a journalist for KUAR News from May 2009 — December 2022. During his final 10 years with the station, he served as News Director. In January 2023, he was hired by Arkansas PBS to become its Senior Producer/ Director of Public Affairs.
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