SHERWOOD, Ark. – A longtime teacher in the Pulaski County Special School District is on a short list for a new state effort to improve education. Cheron Atkins-Butcher, a fifth-grade teacher at Sherwood Elementary, has been selected as one of only 23 educators statewide to participate in the inaugural Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program.
Launched in summer 2025 by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the nine-month fellowship is designed to uplift teachers who receive merit pay, highlight what great teaching looks like, and provide opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.
Atkins-Butcher said the first few months of the program have been inspiring.
“I’ve been afforded the opportunity to grow, reflect, and learn alongside educators who truly care about their students and their craft. I’ve enjoyed the collaboration, the professional learning, and the positive energy that comes from celebrating teachers who love what they do,” Atkins-Butcher said.
Having taught in PCSSD for 26 years, Atkins-Butcher brings a wealth of experience to the fellowship. Before beginning her teaching career, she served as a combat veteran with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. She later earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harding University. Beyond the classroom, she is a devoted mother of two daughters and grandmother of two.
Throughout the fellowship, participants will engage in virtual meetings, professional learning sessions, and networking opportunities. They will also each receive a $1,500 stipend in recognition of their commitment.
ADE Secretary Jacob Oliva praised the inaugural class of fellows, noting that the program “recognizes some of the highest-performing K-12 educators in the state” and provides them with “a unique opportunity to grow professionally, build lasting connections, and make an even greater impact in their schools and communities.”
For Atkins-Butcher, the program has already been transformative.
“Participating in this program has been both inspiring and energizing,” she said. “It’s given me the opportunity to collaborate with other passionate educators, reflect on my own teaching practices, and engage in meaningful discussions about the future of education in Arkansas.”
She added that the lessons she learns outside the classroom will make their way back inside the school for her students.
“Through this fellowship, I hope to gain new strategies and perspectives that will directly benefit my students and colleagues. More than anything, I want to show my students that learning is a lifelong journey—and that their teacher is still learning, too,” she concluded.
