ARKANSAWYERS #2: Steve Straessle on Vouchers, Accountability & the Future of Arkansas Schools

Episode notes

Eli Cranor spent twelve years in Arkansas public education. Steve Straessle has spent decades leading Little Rock Catholic High School, one of the state's most respected private schools. On this episode of ARKANSAWYERS, the two sit down for a conversation that doesn't shy away from disagreement, because that's the point. They tackle the real questions behind the Arkansas LEARNS Act. Where does taxpayer money actually go once it follows a student to a private school? Why do private and public schools play by different accountability rules? And has school choice actually delivered on its promise, or just shifted the deck in a way that leaves public schools worse off? They also widen the lens past education policy to talk about poverty, parenting, and anxiety in raising kids today, find out who most personifies the uncompromising "Arkansawyer" spirit in Steve's life, and hear the story of a Pope, a president, and a priest from Little Rock who never voted for him. Real stories. Real people. Unscripted transparency, one Arkansawyer at a time.