Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has named Cave City Elementary teacher Carlee Qualls the August Face of Arkansas, recognizing her dedication to students, education and the Cave City community.
Qualls is featured in the 9th installment of Faces of Arkansas, a monthly series highlighting residents whose work, perseverance and community service represent the people of the state.
Each honoree is featured through a written profile, portrait photography and a short video. The person’s framed photograph is displayed near the entrance to the Governor’s office at the Arkansas State Capitol as a reminder of the Arkansans the Governor and her team serve each day.
Qualls is a 5th-grade English Language Arts teacher at Cave City Elementary. She is known for transforming traditional classroom lessons into immersive experiences that help students connect literature and history with the world around them.
One of her most memorable projects began after a student described attending a ghost tour during a visit to Washington, D.C. The idea inspired Qualls to create an interactive walk through colonial American history involving students, parents, volunteers and Cave City businesses.
During the experience, Drifters Coffee becomes a Boston tavern where the nation’s Founding Fathers gather to discuss their plans for independence. The cave that gave Cave City its name becomes part of the story, while the Headless Horseman joins students for lunch in the park. Molly Pitcher loads cannons outside the Pinkston House as community volunteers bring historic characters and events to life.
“I feel like, yes, kids are going to remember their teachers,” Qualls said. “But I feel like the memories when you create those experiences for them that are out of the ordinary and kind of absurd—those memories are going to last longer than what I taught them in my classroom on the day-to-day basis.”
Qualls said Cave City’s willingness to help makes ambitious educational projects possible.
“Whenever we need something, all we have to do is make a few phone calls,” she said.
That community spirit extends beyond the classroom. When Qualls’ sister-in-law began raising money for an inclusive playground after her son was born with spina bifida, Qualls joined other volunteers at the Cave City Watermelon Festival to help raise money by serving slices of the community’s famous watermelons.
The completed playground provides an accessible place where children of all abilities can play.
Cave City is nationally known for its watermelons and annual festival, which attracts thousands of visitors. However, Qualls said the people who answer the call whenever help is needed are what truly distinguish the community.
Qualls experienced life in a larger school district early in her teaching career but felt something was missing. She and her husband, a Cave City native, eventually returned to the smaller community where they wanted to raise their son.
Her responsibilities now stretch far beyond a single classroom. In addition to teaching 5th-grade English Language Arts, Qualls serves as a preschool director, coordinates English as a second language services for the district and coaches peewee basketball.
“I’m excited to represent teachers in Arkansas, especially in small school districts that wear many different hats,” Qualls said. “I’m just one of many.”
Qualls acknowledged that her first years in education were challenging. She often remained at school until 6 p.m., reviewing lessons and considering how she could improve the following day. She credited experienced educators and mentors with helping her develop as a teacher.
“With the help of mentorship from other teachers in my school district, and really just diving in deeper and learning how to teach kids and how to make learning fun, I really started thinking, ‘Yeah, I made the right decision. This is where I’m supposed to be,’” Qualls said.
After 16 years in education, Qualls continues evaluating her lessons, reviewing student performance data and adjusting instruction to better match students’ needs and interests.
“Even 16 years later of teaching, I don’t know everything,” she said. “I’ll talk to my teammates and we’ll figure things out. Teaching really has to be a team.”
The Governor’s office said educators now have greater access to student performance data following the passage of Arkansas LEARNS, allowing teachers to identify strengths, address learning gaps and modify instruction throughout the school year.
State officials reported that Arkansas students recorded proficiency increases of more than 20% across every grade and subject on the ATLAS exam. Kindergarten through 2nd-grade literacy reportedly improved by more than 30%, while 3rd-grade literacy increased by nearly 20%. Officials also said approximately 40,000 fewer students scored at the lowest achievement level compared with 3 years earlier.
Qualls said teachers have placed a greater emphasis on reviewing student data and determining how to improve results.
“We owe that to our kids to constantly be trying to help them do better and succeed,” she said.
While student data helps guide instruction, Qualls believes education must also capture a student’s imagination. She encourages children to read often, explore new subjects and discover their individual voices.
“If they can find their voice, they’ll be able to succeed in so many different areas,” Qualls said.
For Qualls, success can be found in a student discovering confidence through writing, educators staying late to help one another and an entire community coming together to transform an ordinary history lesson into an experience children will remember for years.
The August Face of Arkansas profile includes photographs of Qualls taken by Will Newton and a video interview highlighting her work at Cave City Elementary and throughout the community.
