US Second Lady Usha Vance visited an elementary school in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on October 20 to promote childhood literacy, joining Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for classroom visits, a discussion with education officials and an assembly for students.
At Glenview Elementary School, Vance toured classrooms, participated in a roundtable on the state's literacy initiatives and read the picture book Chrysanthemum to students. She told the children that she had travelled from Washington, DC, to see the work being done in their classrooms.
“I came all the way from Washington, D.C. because I heard what amazing work all of you guys out there do every day in the classroom, and I wanted to see it for myself,” Vance said.
The roundtable included Sanders, Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, state education board members and North Little Rock School District Superintendent Gregory Pilewski. Discussions focused on the state's efforts to improve reading outcomes and support teachers.
Arkansas reports improvement in reading proficiency
According to the Arkansas governor's office, the proportion of third-grade students proficient in reading rose from 35% in 2024 to 43% in 2026.
The state has pursued literacy reforms under the LEARNS Act, signed by Sanders in 2023. The law introduced literacy screening requirements for children in kindergarten through Class 3 and provided literacy coaches for teachers in schools rated D or F.
Oliva pointed to improvements in the North Little Rock School District, which moved from an F rating last year to a C this year.
“What we know matters is if we build the right systems and invest in high-quality teachers, get them great leaders, provide the right robust support, and get the systems aligned, we’re going to see great results,” Oliva said.
Vance has made childhood literacy a central focus of her public engagements. Her Summer Reading Challenge encourages children from kindergarten through Class 8 to read 12 books during the summer break. The initiative attracted participants from all 50 US states, Washington, DC, and four territories this year, with participation more than doubling from the previous summer, according to the governor's office.
Teachers receive merit-pay awards
Later in the day, Vance and Sanders hosted a reception at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock for 50 educators who had received bonuses through the state's Merit Teacher Incentive Fund.
The programme has awarded more than $50 million to over 12,000 educators across Arkansas in the past three years, the governor's office said.
“Since becoming Second Lady, Mrs. Vance has used her platform to emphasize the importance of literacy in a child’s development,” Sanders said, adding that reading ability is a critical benchmark for future educational success.
The visit brought together Vance's national literacy advocacy and Arkansas's state-level efforts to improve reading outcomes and recognise teachers.