Emily Railsback for School Board

I’d love to see this implemented in our schools!

A school in Baltimore has come up with a brilliant idea to avoid the typical detention routine that many schools rely on. Instead of punishing kids by locking them in a room, they replaced detention with mediation. You read that right—mediation, which has resulted in ZERO suspensions for a whole decade.

This isn’t just about kids sitting down and talking things out. It’s a philosophy that teaches emotional intelligence, resolution skills, and empathy—things that the typical school system doesn’t often teach. It’s easy to criticize, but the success of this system shows that maybe it’s time to rethink how we deal with behavior.

It’s a bold, innovative approach that could change the way schools handle discipline across the country. If one school can do it, why can’t all of them? 🧘🏾‍♂️✌🏽

First off I want to say a huge thank you to all 160 voters who came out to the polls to cast a vote for me. I showed up to the forums to voice innovative strategies for the future of education in Conway. I feel so grateful to have gotten as much support as I did, despite spending less than $100 on my campaign.

We have to be talking about how AI is going to affect the future and we need to follow the data that has already been researched. When we rely on AI to think for us, we have zero brain activity. When you look at where the tech executives investing in AI send their kids, they choose schools with small class sizes, hands-on learning, and human interaction.

There is a growing divide between the education for the rich and poor, with poor communities having to rely on using screens to educate and control behavior. To keep our public schools competitive, we need to use innovative learning strategies, expand outdoor learning, and project-based learning.

When I participated in the public forums, I began to realize the number of similarities I shared with Tyler Moses, and I am happy to endorse him today! He’s an advocate for students first, always! He consistently shows up at our public schools, participates in PTOs, volunteers to expand the existing garden programs, listens to teachers and staff needs, and speaks truth to power.

The run-off is November 3rd. Follow along for exciting updates & community engagement at https://www.facebook.com/TylerForConway

Recently a journalist asked me if I support a $70 million millage increase. Here's what I believe:

Before asking taxpayers to approve a $70 million millage increase, the board should clearly present how that figure was determined, what specific projects it covers, and whether there are alternative funding options available.

Voters deserve detailed data, a transparent budget, and a long-term facilities plan. If the need is clearly demonstrated and the plan is fiscally sound, I would be open to supporting it.

Responsible growth and responsible stewardship should go hand in hand.

Next up on "The questions you really wanna know..."

Do taxpayers deserve transparency?

I support a strong and consistent application of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Public schools are funded by taxpayers, and the community deserves clear, timely access to information about decisions, data, and spending.

At the same time, transparency must be balanced with legal protections for student privacy and sensitive personnel matters.

I believe we can continue to build trust if we proactively communicate information, so families don’t feel they have to search for it. Open processes build trust, and trust is essential for a healthy school district.

Next up on "The Questions you really wanna know"...

Bathroom policy?

Student safety and privacy should guide any decision about restroom policies.

Before making changes, I would want to understand whether there are documented concerns within our own schools, rather than reacting to national debates.

I believe it is reasonable for schools to separate restrooms based on biological s*x, while also ensuring that every student feels safe and supported.

I would support practical solutions, such as a single-stall, accessible restroom that provides privacy for any student or staff member who prefers it, and also serves breastfeeding teachers, and people with disabilities.

As a board member, I would listen carefully to families, students, and staff, review the data, and prioritize policies that protect safety, respect taxpayers, and maintain a focused learning environment.

Early Voting started today! To help you get to know me, I'll post my stance on "the questions you really wanna know..." starting with:

Should books be banned?

Since the beginning of time, storytelling has been a way for families to share their values and shape their children's identities.

Parents have an important role to play in shaping a child's worldview, but public schools serve many children from different walks of life.

I support age-appropriate standards and thoughtful review processes, but I am cautious about censorship, because once we begin removing materials based on viewpoint, it becomes difficult to define where that line stops.

Our responsibility is to ensure materials are appropriate, educational, and reviewed transparently, while also teaching students to think critically and engage respectfully with a range of perspectives.

Love how schools can get involved in helping their community through engaging learning opportunities that serve those in need! We need more of that.

For a single mother, a broken-down car isn't an inconvenience -- it's a crisis. It means missed shifts, lost jobs, children stranded without rides to school or daycare, and a spiral that's difficult to stop once it starts. In Mineral, Virginia, a group of high school students and a small nonprofit called Giving Words are working to make sure that spiral never begins -- by repairing donated cars and giving them to single moms who need them most.

The students are part of the Louisa County High School's automotive technology program, and their work is done in partnership with Giving Words, a local nonprofit founded by Ginny and Eddie Brown in 2018. Both were single parents before they met, and both knew what it felt like when a car broke down and everything else threatened to break down with it.

"The idea came from our own experience being single parents and struggling with transportation issues," Brown said. "A broken-down car means she can lose her job, miss her appointments. They're relying on Ubers, buses, and family, and some of those can be unreliable." The couple decided to focus on single moms since over 80% of single parents in the U.S. are mothers.

It started simply -- Brown fixing cars in his own driveway for single mothers he knew, using mechanical skills he'd taught himself over the years. "I had the mechanical experience being able to work on our own cars, so I could work on these moms' cars," he said. But he quickly saw the potential to multiply his impact by partnering with the local school system.

"I could multiply what I was doing in my driveway by doing it in the school system," Brown said. "Doing that also builds character and empathy in our youth because the students work on the car and get it prepared, and we actually bring the mom and her family into the school system so those students can see that process of what their work has done within the community."

Today, about twenty students work on each vehicle under the guidance of automotive teacher Shane Robertson, handling everything from brake and tire repairs to heating and cooling systems, oil and fluid changes, and battery testing. They work on roughly five cars a year. Once a car is ready, it's towed to a partner repair shop for a safety inspection, then brought back to the school for the big reveal.

"The last one we did, we roll up the garage door and, the moment of surprise, you have to be there to see it," Robertson said. "You've got real life intersecting with education."

The emotional weight of that intersection isn't lost on the students. "They do the work, and they really don't know the emotions that come along with seeing a single mom have transportation restored, how it's going to affect their kids," Brown said. "So it's just special for them. And so there's times that we have students that are in tears just because they get to see this full emotion of this mom."

Among the most powerful stories is that of Jessica Rader, a single mother of three who received a 2007 gold Toyota Prius refurbished by the students. Before the car, Rader had no vehicle and no job. After the donation, she was able to start working and provide safe transportation for her children.

"Kids who never met me cared about me enough to put hard work into a vehicle to make sure myself and my kids were safe," Rader said. "I got to meet all of them; it was breathtaking."

The car changed the trajectory of her life. Rader now works for a nonprofit called Zoe Freedom Center, which supports people overcoming addiction. "Now I can teach people and show them through my testimony how life can be better," she said. “It’s not just about the car. It’s about community.”

Since its founding, Giving Words has given away more than 60 cars and repaired more than 260 vehicles for single mothers. The organization also connects mothers with community resources like food assistance, budgeting help, and emergency aid -- because, as Brown explains, the car is often what everything else turns on.

"The car repair component and transportation is really a hinge point on everything else, because it pivots on work, it pivots on your housing. It relieves an immediate stress."

The program has also created a student giveback component. For the past three years, a graduating student has received a car of their own to help them get to college or work -- a detail Brown calls "a neat component to be able to give back to the school system."

Now, Giving Words is looking to expand into five new Virginia locations -- Chesterfield, Staunton, Lynchburg, Williamsburg, and Wi******er -- with a fundraising goal of approximately $20,000 and plans to donate six cars to six women in the new communities. "If we can raise the money, with the car donations and the financial support, we can move into these other markets and model this," Brown said.

Brown sees the work as both deeply personal and endlessly replicable. "Being able to get the students involved has a direct impact on them," he observes. "Everything has a ripple effect."

--> To support Giving Words' program to provide single moms with reliable transportation, visit https://givingwordsva.org

-->If you live in Central Virginia, they also accept car donations at https://givingwordsva.org/car_donation

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For Mighty Girl books that teach children about the value of helping others in your community, visit our blog post: "Making an Impact: 40 Mighty Girl Books About Charity and Community Service” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10983

For books for children and teens about people helping others in their communities experiencing hardship, visit our blog post "Cultivating Compassion: 25 Books About Financial Hardship Close to Home" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog/?p=10049

For empathy-building book for young kids about the importance of compassion and being kind to others, visit our blog post "25 Children's Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=19359

For two wonderful books that help foster children's compassion for others by giving them a visual way to think about kindness, we also recommend "Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/have-you-filled-a-bucket-today) and "Growing Up With A Bucket Full Of Happiness" for ages 9 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/growing-up-with-a-bucket-full-of-happiness)

To stay connected with A Mighty Girl, you can sign-up for A Mighty Girl's free email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter

To read more about the program in The Washington Post, visit https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2026/01/12/car-repair-high-school-students-single-moms/

Thanks to the Female Quotient for sharing this image!

Do you know anyone in Zone 3? If so, please consider sharing my page with them.

Hey friends! I'll be speaking at the public forum tonight 2/12 from 5-7pm at the Faulkner County Library! Hope to see you there. =)

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Strong schools require thoughtful, data-driven decisions.

That means looking carefully at what’s working, listening to educators and families, and being responsible stewards of public funds. Every decision should support students, respect teachers, and use resources wisely.

I believe transparency and care in decision-making build trust—and trust is essential for a strong school district.

Students learn best when learning is HANDS-ON.

Our schools already have garden programs that offer real-world learning opportunities—connecting science, nutrition, responsibility, and teamwork. Expanding these programs is a practical, cost-effective way to support student learning while strengthening connections between classrooms and the world around them.

Hands-on learning doesn’t replace academics—it deepens them. Supporting these experiences is one way we can put Teachers & Students First.

One of the most important things our schools can do is INSPIRE CURIOSITY.

When students are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas, and think critically, learning becomes meaningful—not just measurable. Curiosity builds confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning that goes far beyond test scores and reading benchmarks.

As a school board candidate, I want to support classrooms where curiosity is valued and teachers have the flexibility to engage students in thoughtful, meaningful ways that help students truly thrive.