U of A Sophomore Is State's Only Student Named to Common Core Review Panel

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Jake Smith

University of Arkansas student Jacob Smith is one of 16 Arkansans named by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Governor's Council on Common Core Review.

Smith, of Paragould, is the only university student on the committee that is chaired by Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin. Smith is a sophomore majoring in kinesiology in the College of Education and Health Professions. Other members of the committee are teachers, parents, principals and business leaders.

Hutchinson said in announcing the committee that it fulfills one of his campaign promises to address growing concerns about Common Core, a set of common math and English standards adopted by most states.

Smith's mother is a teacher and several other family members work in the education field. They told him about the governor's plan to establish the committee, and he was one of 700 applicants for positions on the committee.

The committee members will meet weekly at the Capitol in Little Rock starting in late April and will also take listening tours of Arkansas, Smith said.

"The members of the committee have studied the Common Core standards," Smith said. "I'm unbiased and I want to listen to what Arkansans, particularly students, have to say about the standards. I feel like I will be the voice of students."

Smith graduated from Nettleton High School in Jonesboro two years ago. He plans to apply to medical school after finishing his undergraduate degree and would also like to pursue teaching certification. He will study in Sweden for three weeks this summer through the Health Teams Abroad program based in the College of Education and Health Professions.