Marvell-Elaine teachers work toward certification, boosting district staffing stability

Marvell-Elaine’s effort to move more teachers into certification is about more than credentials. It is about whether a district that once relied on a state waiver for unlicensed staff can keep classrooms staffed, meet state expectations, and give families in Marvell and Elaine a more stable year ahead.

That pressure is rooted in the district’s recent history. In December 2023, the Arkansas State Board of Education granted Friendship Education Foundation permission to employ teachers who were not licensed in Marvell-Elaine. Superintendent Phong Tran said one of the district’s biggest needs was human capital, and he pointed to the difficulty of hiring because of the school’s past history. When Friendship staff took over in August 2023, the majority of teachers were unlicensed.

Marvell-Elaine qualified for the transformation contract because both schools had F ratings, the district carried a Level 5 classification, and it had been in fiscal distress from April 2019 to September 2021. With about 230 students enrolled in the 2023-24 year, staffing gaps carry extra weight in a small district where even one vacancy can disrupt multiple classrooms, schedules, and grade levels. The Arkansas Department of Education also allows districts to apply for an Emergency Teaching Permit for someone teaching in an area for which that person is not licensed, underscoring how closely the district has had to navigate state rules while building a longer-term staffing plan.

The certification push now sits alongside signs of academic recovery. In November 2025, Marvell-Elaine Elementary moved from an F to a C, and Marvell-Elaine High School moved from an F to a D. The district said the elementary school ranked among the Top 5% of Arkansas schools for overall growth, and the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy recognized both schools for ATLAS growth and Beating the Odds performance. Those gains give added weight to the certification work, because they suggest the district is trying to turn short-term fixes into a more durable instructional model.

The effort also extends beyond classroom teachers. In December 2024, Dr. Phong Tran was recognized as the first educator to complete the Provisional Professional Administrator License through an alternative route, a sign that leadership development is part of the rebuilding effort too. Arkansas Department of Education materials describing the district’s progress since the LEARNS Act noted that the superintendent, parents, educators and students all took part in the update, reflecting a district-wide push rather than a single-office initiative.

For Phillips County families, the central question is whether Marvell-Elaine can keep moving away from emergency staffing and toward a fully licensed teaching force. The district’s recent ratings gains show momentum; the certification work will help determine whether that momentum lasts.