Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sits down with Dr. Debbie Jones, Superintendent of Bentonville Schools. Previously, Dr. Jones served as Assistant Commissioner for Learning Services at the Arkansas Department of Education where she led its largest unit, which worked to enact educational legislation. Additionally, James is joined by Teresa Hudson, Immediate Past Director of Bentonville Schools’ Ignite Professional Studies, a program that provides relevant learning experiences in collaboration with regional businesses, nonprofits and industry professionals. Throughout the episode, James, Debbie and Teresa discuss why Bentonville Schools ranks amongst the top 2 percent in the nation, the school system’s leadership in workforce development and the incredible opportunities offered to students through the Ignite Professional Studies program.

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‍Show Notes
Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.
(0:47) Introduction to Dr. Debbie Jones and Teresa Hudson
(5:54) Bentonville Schools’ National Rankings and Statistics
(12:40) About Ignite Professional Studies
(20:24) An Ignite Success Story
(24:51) How Ignite Will Continue to Evolve
(27:52) More Bentonville School Programs
(30:26) Local Ignite Partners
(38:28) How Bentonville Helps Debbie and Teresa Live Their Best Lives
(51:36) #BecauseBentonville Story
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‍Links‍‍‍‍‍‍
JAMES BELL
BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍‍
‍DR. DEBBIE JONES
BENTONVILLE SCHOOLS
TERESA HUDSON
IGNITE PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Not mentioned in episode: Ignite’s new Director, JESSICA IMEL
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Quotes
“Our employees, they don’t just do it for the money. They do it because they truly love students, and they do whatever it takes to get kids proficient as they should, to master the content, to be the very best musicians, or the best athletes, whatever that may be.” – Dr. Debbie Jones, (6:59)

“In [Ignite Professional Studies], we hope to provide college credit for all our students to do certifications and to have internships. We feel like that’s the perfect blend of college career training that we want all our students to graduate with. What we hope to achieve is that they make better selections of what they want to do after high school.” – Teresa Hudson, (13:17)
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“That social piece, having friends, having a supportive network, is linked with longevity. And we have that here…all the city leaders are present and they reach out and will help each other because we all want to be very inclusive. We welcome people here, and we want everybody to be successful.” – Dr. Debbie Jones, (38:29)

“Everyone cares about everything and they want all of it to be good. So I feel like that’s just the essence of Bentonville is that we’re all in it together and we all are looking for excellence in everything we do. And we’re proud, really proud to live here.” – Teresa Hudson, (52:55)‍

Cultivating Excellence in Bentonville Schools with Dr. Debbie Jones and Teresa Hudson
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sits down with Dr. Debbie Jones, Superintendent of Bentonville Schools. Previously, Dr. Jones served as Assistant Commissioner for Learning Services at the Arkansas Department of Education where she led its largest unit, which worked to enact educational legislation. Additionally, James is joined by Teresa Hudson, Immediate Past Director of Bentonville Schools’ Ignite Professional Studies, a program that provides relevant learning experiences in collaboration with regional businesses, nonprofits and industry professionals. Throughout the episode, James, Debbie and Teresa discuss why Bentonville Schools ranks amongst the top 2 percent in the nation, the school system’s leadership in workforce development and the incredible opportunities offered to students through the Ignite Professional Studies program.

Bentonville Schools’ National Rankings
According to Niche.com, in addition to the City of Bentonville being ranked in the top 2 percent of places to live in the United States, Bentonville Schools are also ranked in the top 2 percent in the nation. As for grades, Niche awards Bentonville Schools an A+ in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, sports and food.
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Regarding its resources and facilities, college prep and administration, each receives an A, while diversity receives a B. These high accolades come as no surprise due and are expected to continue getting even better due to the school system’s multiple long-range plans including financial, facility and security plans. Bentonville Schools has opened ten new schools in the past eleven years, and the combined average years of experience of its teachers are noticeably high as well.

“Our employees, they don’t just do it for the money. They do it because they truly love students, and they do whatever it takes to get kids proficient as they should, to master the content, to be the very best musicians, or the best athletes, whatever that may be.” – Dr. Debbie Jones, (6:59)

The Ignite Professional Studies Program
One of Bentonville Schools’ many programs is Ignite Professional Studies, which is designed for juniors and seniors as they prepare to graduate. Ignite equips students with certifications and internships in their desired fields of study, providing them with the opportunity to obtain transferable college credits and professional experiences. Ignite students prepare for real-world work by managing assignments, after-school practices, extracurricular activities, passion projects and internships, resulting in their full engagement.

One of the valuable partners of the Ignite program is Walmart, where just this year alone forty students worked in IT internships. Moreover, Mercy allows students to experience rotations in its facilities in the same way a medical student does. Through Ignite, students have access to internships, projects and rotations with a wide range of companies from startups through Fortune 1.

“In [Ignite Professional Studies], we hope to provide college credit for all our students to do certifications and to have internships. We feel like that’s the perfect blend of college career training that we want all our students to graduate with. What we hope to achieve is that they make better selections of what they want to do after high school.” – Teresa Hudson, (13:17)
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Get Connected!
‍Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories and advice from the entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders who are sparking the rise of Bentonville. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at jbell@greaterbentonville.com or (479) 273-2841.