As the summer draws to a close, we start to look toward a new school year, and before the worry and dread about not being prepared for parents, enduring a week of administrator planned-PD, and the return of email demands without boundaries start to creep in our minds,  I wanted to take a few moments to remind you that despite the initial worry, dread, and anxiety, you are about to walk into a classroom ready to inspire the next generation of change makers and leaders of our state.

I know this because, that is what we do in our disciplines of communication and theatre arts. I know that without you in your school, the students in your community wouldn’t have opportunities to learn how to express themselves, communicate effectively and engage in their communities.

You don’t have to think for long to recall a moment when a student delivered their first speech or performance, when you coached an anxious student through an introduction, or watched a naturally gifted performer command the stage during their first audition. In every case, you are not just teaching a skill—you are encouraging the next generation to discover their voice.

And, you are not alone in this work!

Since 1936, when our association was reorganized as a speech and drama teachers’ organization, ACTAA and our members have been dedicated to advancing Arkansas through communication, debate, and theatre arts—not only as an academic discipline, but as a vital life skill and a transformative art form.

This work continues today through every classroom lesson, every stage performance, and every competition hosted by our members across the state. Whether it’s debate, forensics, acting, or public speaking—our mission remains clear: to provide students with a platform to positively and professionally formulate their independent ideas, and to communicate those ideas respectfully and effectively.

And, you have a critical role in this work.

Two years ago, ACTAA adopted our current core values under the banner Think. Speak. Act. Arkansas. Last fall, we took the next step by launching the ACTAA in Action Strategic Plan—our shared roadmap to ensure those values come alive in meaningful ways. The plan is built around four action themes:

Over the past year, we have seen real progress in each of these areas.

We reflected on our purpose by strengthening new member support, developing intentional mentorship pathways, and recommitting ourselves to the mission first laid out in 1936: to unite schools, raise standards, and ensure speech and drama thrive across Arkansas.

We increased our impact through the development of a sponsorship packet, using it not just as a fundraising tool but as a storytelling piece to engage new partners and secure resources for our mission.

We expanded our voice with the launch of Arkansas Speech and Debate Month this past March, celebrating our state’s rich tradition of communication education and amplifying the stories of our students, alumni, and educators.

And we began the work to increase our ability to adapt, collaborating as a statewide professional learning community to ensure our communication studies curriculum remains relevant and responsive to the rapidly changing needs of Arkansas students and the workforce.

But our work is not finished. Looking forward to 2025–2026, our association has set four clear priorities:

Colleagues, the truth is clear: communication education cannot be treated as a secondary subject. The Arkansas Department of Commerce Workforce Report reminds us that seven of the top ten employability gaps are directly related to the skills we teach—interpersonal communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and active listening. If we want Arkansas graduates to be prepared to lead, to contribute, and to thrive, then communication and theatre education must be front and center in our schools.

This is not just about preserving our programs. It is about preparing a generation to be successful and to lead in a future fully ingulfed in the communication economy. Our work and curriculum will prepare them to be leaders and practitioners of ethical communication in a world of  misinformation and AI.

Friends, as graduation requirements shift, as the demand for concurrent and career-tech pathways grows, and as pressures mount to reduce classroom hours, we must ensure communication education is not crowded out. Our students deserve more than a “fluff” elective. They deserve the tools to think critically, to speak confidently, and to act with integrity.

The future of ACTAA—and of Arkansas—depends on us answering that call.

So before to return to the classroom, I ask you to join me in recommitting to our mission:

Together, we will continue to inspire Arkansas to Think. Speak. Act. for a brighter tomorrow.

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