Springdale Honors Collier for Partnership With Pre-Kindergarten Program

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Marta Collier is pictured in her office with a plaque from the Springdale School District.

The Springdale School District’s board of education honored Marta Collier as a “true and cherished friend” of Springdale schools on Feb. 12.

Collier, a University of Arkansas associate professor of childhood education, has worked closely with the district’s Pre-Kindergarten Program and its director, Darlene Fleeman, for about three years. Collier’s students complete practicums working with the center’s preschool teachers and pupils.

“For many of our students, this is the first actual opportunity they have to work with children under the supervision of teachers and get hands-on, eye-opening experience with a diverse population,” Collier said. “This is unique because they work with younger children and really get to see what school-readiness is.”

The plaque presented to Collier at a school board meeting reads: “In appreciation of the early childhood partnership she has fostered and nurtured between the University of Arkansas, Springdale School District students and staff, we honor Marta Collier as a true and cherished friend of Springdale schools.”

“I’m honored to work with this program,” Collier said. “It’s a good model. Kindergarten teachers look forward to having children in their classes that come through this program. The children know the school culture and they want to be in school. They follow directions, they pay attention, they know how to work in centers and they know how to work independently.”

The Springdale school district, which has the highest population of English-language learners in the state, offers the UA childhood education students the opportunity to work with people of different cultures.

“What they learn flies in the face of stereotypes about immigrants that they may come to the program with,” Collier said. “Our students rub shoulders with children and their parents, doing outreach such as family events and volunteering at the fall festival. They can’t think and believe the same way after this experience. They see how important education is to these families.”