LITTLE ROCK, AR - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that she has appointed Gary Arnold to serve on the Arkansas State Board of Education. This is Governor Sanders’ third appointment to the Board of Education. Arnold, whose term will expire on June 30, 2027, is replacing Steve Sutton.

“Gary is a longtime education leader and was one of our key allies in the LEARNS implementation process as part of the Rules and Regulations Taskforce,” said Governor Sanders. “With the help of Gary’s careful stewardship, the first school year with Arkansas LEARNS was a huge success, and the second year is shaping up to be even better. Now parents will have Gary on the Board of Education, fighting for a better Arkansas.”

“The best part of being an educator is learning something new every day. If we’re honest, we’re all students for life. Always learning. Always growing. Always getting better. That drives ADE’s vision for Arkansas to be a national leader in student-centered education,” said Gary Arnold. “I’m honored to now be on this team and I look forward to helping champion Governor Sanders’ bold reforms. Together, we’re taking Arkansas to the top.”

Gary Arnold Bio:
Gary Arnold currently serves as the Director of Head of School Certification at The Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA) and as the Founder and Partner at NextEd, LLC. Before this role, Gary spent 16 years leading an independent school in Central Arkansas. During the LEARNS implementation process, Gary served on the Rules and Regulations Taskforce.

Gary began his career in education serving as the Head of School at the Trinity School of Cape Cod. Since then, he has served in numerous school leadership positions in Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Arkansas. In addition to his professional life, Gary has been a longtime advocate for school choice. For over 20 years, he has served on The Council on American Private Education (CAPE), in Washington, D.C where he now serves on the Executive Committee. Gary has had numerous articles published on leadership and the education landscape. 

Gary is a Wheaton College graduate and holds a doctorate in education from National Louis University in Evanston, Illinois. He is married to his wife Karen and is a father and grandfather.