31 Jul 2024 Person of the Month: Leigh Keener

“Watching a student delight in discovery is the greatest reward for every teacher,” Leigh Keener said. “I’ve always found early childhood to be a joyous learning time, full of magical ‘aha!’ moments.”

Family: My husband is Justin and we have 10-year-old twins Laura Beth and Harrison, and a 7-year-old, Luke.

Career: I am a member of the State Board of Education and the executive director of the nonprofit Joyfully Engaged Learning Arkansas. Joyfully Engaged Learning is working to increase access to and improve the quality of early learning programs in Arkansas.

Education: I am a proud graduate of Little Rock Central High (1999) and the University of Arkansas (2004). I earned a certificate in early education leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education (2021) and was in the inaugural class of the Civility Leadership Institute (2022). I have worked in public, private and nonprofit early education sectors for more than 20 years.

You were appointed to the State Board of Education in August 2023. Why did you want to be a part of the board? When Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders unveiled the LEARNS Act, I was thrilled to see she included early learning. Gov. Sanders knows her goals for Arkansas’s education and economy are reliant on the health of our early learning system. I was honored she invited me to be part of the work.

You are passionate about the early education of Arkansas’s youngest citizens. Why? Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald says, “There is a profound predictor of health and wealth that can be determined by three years of age, and that predictor is language.” Early childhood is a critical period of rapid brain development that determines kids’ future success. Suppose we want to improve our state’s third-grade reading levels, reduce the number of special education referrals, and ensure our graduates are prepared for success in school and life. In that case, we have to invest in language development in the early years. I firmly believe each of Arkansas’s children should have access to high-quality early learning. A healthy and unified early childhood system will lay the foundation for Arkansas’s children, educators, families and communities to flourish.

What legacy do you hope to leave? Alexander Den Heijer said, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” As adults, we must adjust to the changing needs of the children we serve. As a state, we must develop and tailor our policies and practices to meet the needs of our families and providers. I hope to bridge the gap between our policies’ intents and their impact to maximize positive outcomes for children, families, early childhood education providers and communities.