Little Rock, Arkansas — June 26, 2016 — Governor Jon Bel Edwards of Louisiana was elected chair of the Southern Regional Education Board at the organization’s annual meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday.

As chair of SREB’s 80-member Board, Governor Edwards will lead the collaborative work of governors, legislators and state education leaders to improve public education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education. He succeeds Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, 2015-16 SREB chair and head of SREB’s Commission on Computer Science and Information Technology. Board chairs are elected to one-year terms.
 
Governor Edwards is also leading the new SREB Teacher Preparation Commission, which began work at the SREB meetings this week.

“As the new chair of SREB, I am looking forward to elevating the dialogue in Louisiana and other member states around the importance of strengthening student learning and preparedness at every educational level,” said Governor Edwards.  “Louisiana, in particular, is at a turning point when it comes to funding for education, and SREB has the distinction of being the only regional organization that spans early childhood through higher education. The partnerships established by this organization will be invaluable to Louisiana and the entire region as we work to reinvest in education to provide students the opportunity to succeed.”
 
“We are grateful for Governor Edwards’ leadership on behalf of education in our states,” said SREB President Dave Spence. “This is a particularly important time as SREB commissions explore teacher preparation and continue to focus on college affordability.”

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators who recognized the link between education and economic vitality. Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.