Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas Times, and Little Rock public Radio.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Arkansas Week.

I'm Chris Cain.

Beginning soon, a new law will allow the state to begin automatically returning unclaimed property to its rightful owners.

Later in the program, we're going to have State Auditor Dennis Milligan in studio to explain how it could benefit you.

But first, today, the University of Arkansas little Rock announced a $4.2 million gift from the Trinity Foundation.

It's a major investment aimed at strengthening early childhood education across Arkansas.

Joining me now to talk more about it is Doctor Rachel Eales, director of the U. A Little Rock's School of Education.

Thank you so much for joining me, Doctor Eales.

First of all, so exciting this morning to have that announcement.

$4.2 million gift from the Trinity Foundation.

How is this going to impact the school?

We're so excited about this.

Thank you for having me on to talk about this.

The generosity from the Trinity Foundation means that we get to bring in two faculty members dedicated to early childhood education.

We get to take seed funds to do research in grant development so that we could explore what's needed across the state in early childhood education.

We get to move forward and act as leader in this in this area for our community.

Incredible and early childhood education, I know has been a focal point in the state, both from a policy level and from just a private level.

More and more people kind of zeroing in on that stage of development for childhood education and knowing that the foundation being laid is so important.

So why do you think this is such a big area of focus for the state right now, and for private entities who want to get back to it?

Absolutely.

That we know that education starts early and having a foundation of, solid early childhood programing can lead to gains later on for our learners.

We know we've got a shortage of pre-K to three teachers right now.

We've got, we have conversations going on around the state about how best to do early childhood education, but they're not always coming together and having those conversations with each other and collaboratively.

So there's some fractured conversations going on.

We know that getting everybody in the room to have the conversations, to see what's needed is, what's going to be most valuable?

Over the last two years, we've had, we've been doing a little rock lettuce study, with Foundation, with education partners, funded by the Trinity Foundation, to ask those really important questions and to see what's needed.

We're excited now to be able to continue that work and really, see where we can make a difference.

You mentioned bringing people in the room, bringing two new faculty positions in the room, right?

What kind of impact could that have on the program as a whole?

So having dedicated faculty who are thinking about early childhood education means that all of their expertise gets to go toward this project.

Where are we to try and do this with our existing faculty?

We do have expertise on our faculty.

We have people that could do this, but they are busy doing our elementary program, doing our middle childhood program, working special education, looking at reading and literacy.

To be able to keep those programs going strong and develop something new.

Having new faculty coming to us, bringing that expertise to us is is going to be, the boost that we need to really launch this.

We've already started one of those faculty members is already with us.

We've already started this summer building out what a four year Bachelor of Science in Education for pre-K for early childhood is going to look like how it's going to dovetail with our elementary program, how it's going to build on and then support the early literacy work we're already doing, the early numeracy work.

We're already doing, we're excited about developing a program that's really going to send teachers out who are ready for this challenge.

Incredible.

And, you know, you a little rock.

We've had multiple departments come in here over the years and talk about the amazing research and grants that you all have been able to receive, and then developed really important work out of how will this research go to support these early childhood educators and get them ready to go right into the classroom and hit the ground running?

Sure.

So we you're right.

We have been, very fortunate to have generous donors that have, that have given to us that have supported our work.

We worked recently.

We got a grant from the forward Arkansas, from forward, Arkansas, to transform our teacher ed program through, residencies.

Right, a residency program.

We're in the midst of doing that work.

This focus, this research, seed money, these faculty means that we get to take that work that we've been doing, build on it and say, now, what does this look like in pre-K through kindergarten through second grade classrooms?

How can we provide what's needed to train future teachers to support the schools, to ask the questions that need asking so that not just central Arkansas, but communities across the state can access the resources they need, be able to design programs that work for community needs.

We know that preschool is not just about it's not just about classroom, right.

Having preschool available is good for families.

It's good for communities.

It lays a solid foundation for, education.

Moving forward, but it also brings that community together.

When we were doing our work, the work before this, with those with the education partners, it was not just educators, it was business folks.

It was community partners saying, this is something that we really need.

And so how do we make this happen?

Whenever you're able to implement programs like this and get this kind of funding from the Trinity Foundation, how does it really spearhead the university to become a leader in this field in the state of Arkansas?

You know, I feel like we are well positioned to do that work.

The University of Arkansas, little Rock used to have, used to have early childhood education.

And as things come and go, right, programs switch and change nationally.

When early childhood education isn't available for all families, it becomes hard to then justify a four year degree to become a preschool teacher.

If you can't make a living wage as a preschool teacher, right?

And so part of the conversation is not just can we train the teachers?

Yes, we can do that, and we're going to do that, but can we make sure that communities have what they need to support preschool teachers in preschools connected to the public schools, through churches and community organizations?

There's a financial piece that we have to ask questions on, and I think that being able to not just develop the program, but do the research means that we get to answer those questions right.

Running a preschool is not part of our plan right now, but being able to say, all right, communities, what do you need to run a preschool?

What kind of questions are out there?

What kind of demands on time and resources get in the way?

Right.

And so if we can lead those questions, if we can lead that research, then potentially we're able to partner across the state to make things happen, to make it a reality.

You mentioned the immersive teacher residencies.

How do those benefit educators?

Oh, we are so excited about our, teacher residencies that we have going on right now.

When I did my student teaching 30 years ago, I really I felt a little bit like a visitor in someone else's classroom.

My second graders, by the way, I did my, student teaching here in little Rock.

So it's fun seeing my second graders all grown up.

But my, some of my second graders thought maybe I was an eighth grader.

I was a student teacher.

Right.

And and so I, I got excellent experiences.

And my supervisor from my university came and visited a couple times and kind of said, hey, good job, maybe do this, this immersive teacher residency that we're doing is different.

It is full year.

It is day one.

It is before day one.

It's professional development with the district before classes begin.

It's being in the classroom on the first day.

When the kids walk in, they don't see a teacher and helper.

They see two teachers.

And this residency model has those the mentor teacher and the resident teacher co-teaching.

Along the way.

Our resident teachers get to try things out.

They get to be a part of the district.

They get to figure out where the copy machine is and where the bathroom is, and what the custodians know, the little things that matter and things that make all the difference in the world.

Right?

So that they get all those experiences.

They feel what it's like not only to be a teacher, but to be a colleague in a school, which is huge, right?

We know research tells us that teachers, when they leave, a teacher education program, feel pretty good about their sense of teacher efficacy.

I know that I can do this.

Then when they get into school buildings, the question becomes, can I do this where I am?

Right?

So yeah, I can teach them a lesson.

What about in this particular context?

Am I able to be successful here?

Having our residents in classrooms during their residency as part of a district, as part of a school building, they get to feel what that feels like.

And what we found is that, those residents then are ready for their day one.

They don't have the steep learning curve that others might have.

They know how a school works.

They know what it's like from the beginning to the end, and they've been able to see that progress.

We also know, this is benefiting students.

One of the things that our residents do before they, do their lesson that is scored and, and feedback is given, they do a pretest to see what students know about this topic beforehand.

Then they deliver their lesson.

Then they do a post-test.

And we see our students, our teacher residents are able to help those scholars, those students in the classroom make those gains.

We're already starting.

We're doing some preliminary research right now around looking at Atlas test scores to see, how classrooms with our residents in them.

So we've got a mentor and a resident, two adults in a building helping students.

How that compares to other classrooms where our residents are not.

And we're seeing some really positive, positive results so far.

All right.

So you've got the funding now thanks to the Trinity Foundation, you've got the curriculum set up in place.

How can people find out more about what you offer, whether it's current teachers who want to get an early childhood education or those who have not really thought about teaching, but see this type of program available and think, I want to go and explore this, what's the best route to do it?

How can they find out more?

So starting with our website, right?

Going to their find, finding our our School of Education on the UA little Rock website is always going to be a great first start, and we have it set up so that when people ask questions, when they submit, I've got these questions.

If it's about education, it comes to me, and then I send it to the people who can ask the questions.

We do.

In addition to our, our bachelor's of science and education in elementary, middle special ed, we do ed minor for people who get, say, a history major and an Ed minor so they can be a secondary history teacher.

He's got that for the secondary level and for K-12.

And then at the Graduate level, we're helping people who well, there might be people who already have a bachelor's degree in something and say, biology, and they want to become a teacher.

They come and work with us for the pedagogy, and they're able to deliver that in classrooms.

We have master's programs for people who are already teachers who want to get certified further licensed in, gifted and talented in reading, in learning sciences and technology, we're able to help teachers on whatever part of the journey they're on.

Also, and this is very exciting.

For the past number of years, we've run a pre-K academy, so people who wanted to get their pre-K licensure could work with us, take, small number of classes to attach on to a bachelor's degree or to their previous work and become licensed to be early childhood educators.

So we've got pieces, parts, and we're putting them together to make to make a program that's going to be able to take our undergrads all the way through.

Also be available for our grad students who want to add this in.

So impactful.

Doctor Rachel Eales, thank you so much for joining us.

Congratulations on that grant from the Trinity Foundation.

We look forward to seeing how it all works out.

Thank you very much.

All right.

We'll see you next time.

All right.

We'll be right back after this break.

Welcome back to Arkansas.

We.

Have you ever wondered whether or not the state owes you money?

You may be in for some good news.

Starting soon, a new law will allow Arkansas to begin automatically returning unclaimed property to its rightful owners.

The Arkansas Unclaimed Property Data Match initiative will use software to identify residents who are owed money, and then send checks directly to them without the need to file a claim or search online.

Here to explain more on how it works is State Auditor Dennis Milligan.

Auditor Milligan, thanks so much for joining us and appreciate you taking some time.

I know these are fun segments to do because you are giving money back to people who are owed well, to, I guess, a revisit the joke from the government and I'm here to help, but maybe there's some truth to it.

But really?

Yeah.

But really.

So let's talk about unclaimed property.

What is it defined as for people out there who maybe don't know, unclaimed property can be a number of things.

Chris, it can be an old utility deposit that wasn't returned to you.

Could be a, last paycheck from an employer.

It could be an overpaid insurance premium.

It could be a rebate.

Perhaps, that's owed to you.

Could be an inheritance.

So there's there's so many different ways that moneys that are trying to find their way to you couldn't.

And they end up in my office.

How is this program going to make it easier for people to receive that money?

Well, the the beauty of the data match program, which again, I'm very thankful to Senator Dave Wallace and, Representative John Milligan, no relation, of of running this legislation for me.

If I owe you now between 50 and $5000, you will automatically receive a check through the data match program.

We will be the 24th, excuse me, the 24th state to enact this law.

And, it it'll take some 360,000 people off our rolls and return some $83 million, to Arkansans.

And we all know that ain't going to be doing nothing but helping the economy.

That is a huge boost.

And you mentioned state Senator David Wallace.

He's a Republican from Louisville.

He sponsored the legislation.

And here's what he had to say about his reasons for wanting this to go through the process.

In the past, was perhaps a little bit cumbersome.

It's hard to get the word out to the folks that, hey, you might have something at the state level, and the state did a good job of trying to do that.

But still, it's hard to reach people.

And in the end, we had to reach them, make contact, convince them that you weren't a scam.

And a lot of folks thought that, and then the process came from from sending their, their money to them in most cases.

We're doing this on a trial basis.

We've made the amount of $5,000 or less to see how it goes.

First, but it's simply stated that if the state has your money, it's your money.

It's not the state's, they're going to send it back to you after the after the due diligence.

Dennis Milligan and told me a story.

You know, I have breakfast a lot.

He he was trying to give an individual a large sum, hundreds of thousands of dollars back.

And the individual was convinced that it was a scam and was reluctant to to meet him.

And here you go.

See people that would be suspicious.

And it's just you'll be sitting there one day and you will open up your mailbox, and there's going to be a check that you weren't expecting from the state of Arkansas returning your money to you.

I mean, in some cases, this money goes back five, five, or six generations and people have no idea that that it's it's theirs.

It's due to them.

And there you heard it from State Senator Wallace on his reasons for backing the legislation.

But for you, Auditor Milligan, what was the the process like for you?

And why do you want to see this go through?

Well, I think if people look at my record, I was a former treasurer of state for, for eight years.

I ran my own business for some 35 years.

So I'm just a very proactive results.

Individual and the team I work with, I'm blessed to have a great team.

They buy into what my desires are.

It's good government.

And at the end of the day, it's the people of Arkansas.

It's their money.

So that passion, just drives me to help promote the program.

1 in 4 Arkansans are owed money, so the odds are pretty good there.

And if I don't owe you, as I mentioned earlier, you're probably going to know somebody.

I do owe this money to.

So help me get it back to you.

Help me help you.

Right.

That's the saying.

Can you explain how the state uses data match to help people with this unclaimed property?

What is that?

What does that look like then?

How does it automated?

Well, the software in itself, the way it works, is we we get to drill down, some 4 to 5 different ways to ensure that you're who we're sending the check to.

So it just takes a lot of the guesswork.

Technically, all the guesswork out of it.

So that allows us to freely.

Plus, we send out a pre letter, notifying you that you're going to be getting, a check and to be at that mailbox looking for it.

Nice.

And you said that hundreds of thousands of Arkansans could benefit from this.

So when you talk about impacts and you talk about the economy and the boost that it can provide, this is something that certainly could propel a lot of folks out there.

Summertime, back to school, starting into the summer.

This could be a huge boost.

There's there's no doubt, 360,000 Arkansans, 83 million.

And you get that ingested back into the economy.

I mean, every little bit helps.

And, we've, we've seen people be able to get, their moneys back to them.

And they're so grateful and thankful.

The biggest things they didn't really realize is that they had it coming to them.

And then are there any parameters on what someone could be out here, or is there a maximum amount that they could be owed?

Well, in the data Match program, we'll automatically send you a check from 50 to 5000.

Okay.

Now, if you're owed more than that, then we're going to have to go through the normal measure for odd purposes and that type of thing.

So we're not doing that.

Also, let me make it clear the data match program only involves single individuals.

If you have a brother and three sisters, we still have to go through that because we're dividing that up amongst the, the siblings.

So but zero or I'm sorry, 50 to 5000.

You're getting a check automatic.

Let's talk about types of unclaimed property.

What do you most see?

You mentioned utility bills a moment ago as a definition of unclaimed property.

Probably something most people didn't even think could be considered property.

Right, as a deposit.

Well, I mean, you know, cash is it's still unclaimed property.

So, and I would say that is one of the biggest norms is getting back to the utility deposits, because normally then you would probably have moved.

Right.

And, but still we have a number of, unclaimed checks from, employers that are trying to get a check, to an individual.

Again, it never surprises me what pops up of why, we've got this money returned to my office, and then a big thing people are going to wonder, of course, in this day and age is is this legitimate?

Right?

Because everyone thinks this is almost too good to be true.

How do you differentiate and how do you, you know, calm people's cautions down?

Whenever we live in this and, and, I think that's a fair question in this day and time.

And, you know, I would, encourage people they can go to claim it.

Ah.gov.

That's one of the first proving methods, to be able to pull it up on that on that website and look and check for your own name.

Welcome to call our office.

You're welcome to come up to our office in the state capitol.

So we'll, we'll try to provide any means that we can to ensure that you, that it's not a scam, right?

That you want to.

The people just want to verify.

Right.

And there's several ways to do it.

Who can blame?

Yeah, absolutely.

I'm sure this is something that a lot of people will think about.

All right.

And the timeline of all this of course.

So what does it timeline look like for when this program is going to be rolled out?

Well, we will be actually sending out checks.

But keep in mind this we're trying to get the wheel to turn smoothly right now.

This is a brand new program.

But our goal right now is is Arkansans should see checks rolled out September the 2nd.

Okay.

And once we get going, there will be mailing out from 5 to 7006 a week.

Wow.

I'm excited.

I can tell you the excitement of this program.

It must be nice not having to do it all manually, which I know there is still some claims that need to be done manually, right?

Because those over 5000 will people still have to go and search those out?

Or is this program going to also notify people who have larger claims that they need to go through or more?

Well, we're certainly hoping that this program alone will help to promote look, when you get money in the mail and it's legitimate, the first thing you want to do is tell somebody.

So we're hoping that it will inspire people and help, drive even our larger claims for people to, to look at and, and give us a call and let us help them get them, get them their money, and they will still, if they have a bigger claim, because I think you told me in the break there, the largest claim you've ever heard of in the state is the largest claim I ever have given.

That was 1.2 million.

Wow.

Yeah.

And the smallest 12 $0.12.

Right?

It goes both ways, right.

Your money.

That's it.

But when you when you have a claim bigger than 5000, they would still need to make sure they would have to go online, go through the formal process because like you talked about it, it's it's an ID verification.

Right.

Yeah.

And I would just encourage, your viewers to, to go to claim it r.gov.

They don't have to wait on us.

They can go do that.

Once they view this program, get on the computer and look it up or your smartphone and, I think there'll be some smiling faces out there.

Is it just.

I've been on it before.

From when I recall.

Just a name search.

Right.

And then you also have to go through some other birthday.

There's what kind of identification when you go to claim it.

Ah.gov.

And that's one of the things you were speaking earlier.

It used to be claim it.

Ah.com.

And so we moved it to gov to help give some validity to the to, to the security of it.

But you just follow the prompts, okay.

And it'll help you, drill down to, what you got to do to get your money.

And you've certainly seen the reaction from Arkansans already that have done it themselves.

Yeah.

What's that like when when someone realizes, I mean, it's something that unbeknownst to them, it was property, you know, and money owed to them.

What's that reaction like?

Well, the latest one I think I can go back to, and we've done and I'm very proud.

We've done a number, a number of mobile offices around the state, but here, a month or so ago, I was in Mountain Home, at the library.

We opened up at eight.

The first Shulman walked in, said he was reasonably sure he didn't have any money, but he just thought he didn't have anything going on.

He got $27,000.

Oh my goodness.

And I would say he had a little skip in his step when he walked out.

But that's always fun.

You, you know, as a former treasurer, you know, worked in government for a while, it does seem like this program is something you are really excited about to be able to to see those reactions, to participate in it, and to move ahead with a process that automates it and makes it so much easier for Arkansans to get what they're owed.

I don't think there's any doubt, and I will, thank my colleagues from around the country.

One of the things, look, I don't have to be the the one that started something, but I can sure help to continue it.

And, being able to give all this money back, promote a program that, is beneficial to my home state, which I dearly love.

It's a win win.

And tell me again, the website for our viewers before we go claim it.

Ah.gov claim it Aga.

Otter Milligan, thank you so much for joining us.

Appreciate you taking your time.

And that is all the time that we have this week for Arkansas Week.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Chris Kane.

We'll see you again next week.

Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas Times, and Little Rock public Radio.