The state Department of Education had gaps in its monitoring of the academic and contractual performance of Louisiana charter schools last year, according to a legislative audit released today. The review by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office says the department didn't verify that school-reported data used to grade performance was reliable, couldn't prove it tracked the legal obligations required of charter schools, and didn't make sure eight charter schools put on probation in 2010 met the standards to remain open in 2012. The audit looked at charter school monitoring activities during the 2011-12 budget year that ended June 30. Auditors say the education department complied with state requirements for monitoring the schools' financial performance. "However, LDOE did not perform all required academic monitoring activities. … In addition, we found that LDOE could not provide evidence that it comprehensively monitored the legal/contractual performance of these...
Seven of the country's strongest charter school operators—including two with proven track records of success in New Orleans—have applied to open charter schools in north Baton Rouge. The groups are among 35 organizations that have applied for charters to operate 100 new schools in 19 parishes across Louisiana, according to a news release from the Louisiana Department of Education today, which notes that nearly twice as many organizations applied for charters this year as in 2012. Locally, where many public schools are failing, the number and quality of applicants is particularly significant, according to charter school advocates. They credit the interest, in large part, to the efforts of New Schools for Baton Rouge, a community partnership focused on bringing in charter operators to improve public education in north...
Public schools, already required to have written crisis management plans, will now have to coordinate those plans with local law enforcement and emergency preparedness officials—and hold annual safety drills to rehearse them. The Associated Press reports the bill rewriting Louisiana's school safety law received final passage today with a unanimous Senate vote. It comes in response to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It will require classroom doors to remain locked during instructional time, as long as that's in compliance with fire safety standards. School crisis management plans won't be subject to Louisiana's public records law. The measure now heads to Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is expected to sign it into law.
Settlement negotiations are under way between MAPP Construction and the architecture firms that designed Baton Rouge Magnet High School's $45.9 million renovation project, and "significant progress has been made," according to MAPP's attorney, Gray Sexton. But there are still a lot of issues to work through before the lawsuit that MAPP filed against the firms last year is resolved. In September, MAPP sued Chenevert Architects, Remson-Haley-Herpin Architects, as well as a joint venture between the two firms, claiming an incomplete and defective design led to delays on the project and cost MAPP more than $6 million. Over the past several months, attorneys for MAPP, the architects and the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board—which is not named in the litigation—have met three times and are working through about 80 discrete claims made by MAPP. Sexton says about 50 of those claims have been settled, though issues raised in the lawsuit itself have not been resolved. Attorneys...
Superintendent of Education John White says the state owes local school districts $30 million because the Louisiana Supreme Court threw out this year's public school funding formula. The Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers couldn't fund a voucher program using the formula for public schools to send children to private schools. The high court also said lawmakers didn't follow the proper process to pass the formula, declaring the entire 2012-13 financing plan null and void. White says that means the state reverts to the formula for the 2011-12 school year. That changes several state funding calculations and will require $30 million more in payments to districts. Of that, he says $12 million will be paying back local school districts for a reduction in funding they received because of vouchers. Another $14.5 million, he says, was tied to a change this year that required local districts to pay for a portion of the funding for eight charter schools whose costs previously had been paid...
A Baton Rouge middle school was on lockdown for about an hour this morning after a 911 caller reported a gun on campus. The campus of Southeast Middle School was given an all clear after a search turned up no gun. Susan Nelson, a spokeswoman for East Baton Rouge schools, says the call appears to be a prank. "No one at the school would call 911; they would call the School Drug Task Force," she says. "It was clearly not someone on campus." The task force is a part of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. With five days left in the school year and final exams imminent, Nelson speculated that the call could have been an end-of-school student prank. —April Castro
In his 1997 book The Twenty-First Century City, former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith proposed what he called the “Yellow Pages test”: “If the phone book lists three companies that provide a certain service,” he wrote, “the city probably should not be in that business.” Makes sense to me.
Proposals to tie public funding to student performance and issue letter grades to Louisiana's public and private early childhood education programs are finding easy passage through the Legislature. Two Senate bills are the cornerstones of Gov. Bobby Jindal's attempt to restructure early childhood education and to create uniform standards for kindergarten readiness. They have cleared the Senate with very little discussion and no objections from lawmakers, and aren't expected to run into trouble in the House, The Associated Press reports. The bills, by Sens. Conrad Appel and Mike Walsworth, are enabling legislation for Act 3, a structural framework approved by lawmakers last year. Public and private programs receive $1.4 billion a year in federal and state money to educate students from birth to 5 years old. Jindal wants to bring some academic uniformity to those programs and to give parents a report card on providers' efforts. State education officials have said that just over half of...
Supporters of private school vouchers say they'll look for new ways to pay for the program, now that the Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled the funding mechanism unconstitutional. "We are committed to making sure this program continues, and we will fund it through the budget," says Gov. Bobby Jindal in a prepared statement. "Hopefully, we can find some dollars," says Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge and chairman of the House Education Committee. "But the budget is tight. There's just not an awful lot of dollars floating around." Like Carter, Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie and head of the Senate Education Committee, says he hasn't yet had a chance to discuss the next steps with his colleagues. "We're going to be fighting to find a way to make it work that adheres to the constitution," Appel says. "That's the big question of the day: What would work?" says BESE member Holly Boffy. Beyond the funding question—lawmakers say about $25 million is needed—opponents likely will try...
The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that the funding method for the state's school voucher program is unconstitutional. In a 6-1 ruling today, the court upheld a district court ruling that the state constitution forbids using money earmarked for public schools in the state's Minimum Foundation Program to pay for private school tuition. The voucher program was one of the hallmarks of Gov. Bobby Jindal's Act 2 education reform package, passed by the state Legislature in 2012. Read more in Daily Report this afternoon.
If high school football teams were run in the same by-the-book, one-size-fits-all way that public schools across Louisiana are, "I suspect the response would be an angry revolt by parents and the public," says Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball. "Yet few are screaming in outrage" about the school situation, Ball writes in his latest column. "The dichotomy between what the public fervently demands on the football field and what it passively accepts in the classroom explains why public education is largely a dismal failure." While we expect athletes from low-income districts to compete for state championships on the field, Ball says, we make excuses for why those same students can't compete in the classroom. Ball says there is "no magic bullet solution when it comes to the education of our children." Charters, vouchers, private schools and recovery school districts have advantages and disadvantages, he says. "The only solution we know that positively won't work is what...
Due to the creation of new teacher payment plans linking compensation to student achievement at nearly every school district across the state, an estimated 50,000 teachers in Louisiana are now eligible for raises, the Department of Education says. A report was released by the department today outlining the progress 63 school districts—more than 90% of those in the state—have made to create the new payment plans since last year. "While tens of thousands of teachers will be eligible for an increase in salary, no teacher will see their salary reduced based on these changes," the department says in a news release. The report says, "The vast majority of Louisiana's school districts have designed new salary schedules that meet their local needs, based on three criteria, with none accounting for more than 50% of the salary formula." The three primary criteria are "effectiveness, based on student achievement and observations; experience, as defined locally; and demand, such as...
A bid to give local school districts more freedom in choosing the textbooks they use received the backing of the House Education Committee without objection today. House Bill 116 by Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, would establish that BESE cannot require local school districts to purchase specific textbooks or instructional materials. Erin Bendily, assistant superintendent for the Department of Education, says the bill dovetails with the department's efforts to hold local school leaders accountable for results, without micromanaging them. "It's autonomy for the local school systems," Hoffmann says. A state-recommended textbook list still will be developed, Hoffmann says, adding that he expects 98% of books to be taken from that list. The Associated Press reports Hoffmann unsuccessfully pursued similar legislation two years ago, with critics charging it was a backdoor attempt to include creationism in science classes. The proposal heads next to the full House for debate.
Sarah Broome, founder of the THRIVE charter boarding school in Baton Rouge and a 2012 Business ReportForty Under 40 honoree, is one of nine women from across the United States who are up for a Lady Godiva award and grant. The awards honor women "who exemplify the values of selflessness, generosity and leadership on a national or global level," according to The Lady Godiva Program. Broome is a semifinalist in the Children, Families and Poverty category, which is one of three. Online votes will determine one honoree in each of the three categories, with each receiving a $3,000 grant for her work. One of those three honorees will later be selected for a $10,000 grant. You can find Broome's and the other semifinalists' profiles, as well as cast your vote, here.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave an impassioned plea for education leaders in Baton Rouge to ensure all children, no matter their circumstances, have access to a quality education.
What if every high school football coach in the state of Louisiana were required to run the same I-style offense? What if a state board dictated specific plays, including blocking schemes, that each team would be expected to execute? What if employing the 4-3 defense were ordered by a legislative mandate, also spelling out allowable blitzes and stunts as well as how often each could be used during a game? What if every head coach were given a manual dictating in step-by-step detail how he and his staff are to conduct practice and train players?
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has hired two lobbying firms with contracts totaling $62,000 to help it advance its agenda during the current legislative session and beyond. Local firm Spradley & Spradley has a one-year contract with the district and will concentrate on lobbying BESE on the district's behalf, says Susan Nelson, interim director for communications for EBR schools. The other firm, Southern Strategy Group—which is based in Shreveport and has offices throughout the South—will focus on "pre-work opposing the Southeast district pullout legislation, if it should not pass this year and be brought back up again next year with the intention of putting it on the 2014 ballot," Nelson says. Hiring lobbyists is an unusual move for the cash-strapped school system, but one that school board member Craig Freeman says is long overdue. "We need to do more to help people understand the great things we do," he says. "Some of our legislators do not know how awesome...
The latest results of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab's annual Louisiana Survey show about 7 in 10 people strongly support opening more charter schools, but are sharply divided on vouchers. While 49% of respondents favor vouchers, an equal 49% are opposed. Kirby Goidel, LSU political science professor, says the divide on vouchers is not surprising considering it's been such a contentious issue in the state in recent years. “You say 'voucher' and immediately there's a red and blue side to that issue … it's immediately polarized,” Goidel says. “And I think it can be divided for multiple reasons, one can be outright objection and another can be because we haven't seen how the results of vouchers will play out.” Goidel says he thinks support of school vouchers could “move significantly” upward in the coming years “if there's evidence that they're working.” The state legislature is awaiting a ruling from the Louisiana Supreme Court...
BRAC opposes legislation, which today was approved by a state Senate committee, that would allow voters to carve out a new school district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish. However, BRAC says it will reconsider its opposition if three concerns are addressed: • There is a mutually agreed-upon formula for dealing with legacy costs between the new district and the previous district. • There is a plan to ensure the financial stability of all impacted districts, including the financial impact of any additional facility needs. • Reasonable effort is made to draw the district boundaries such that the demographics of the newly drawn district are comparable to those of the existing district.
Craig Gehring never went to college, but he has helped many others achieve their higher ed dreams since 2003, his junior year in high school, when he received perfect scores on the ACT and the SAT.
The Recovery School District says it will share plans for its direct-run schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone during a series of upcoming parent meetings beginning Wednesday. Led by RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard, the meetings will cover "the organization's strategies to create high-quality school options," according to a release. Parents are also encouraged to provide feedback on priorities for transforming their students' schools. "The RSD is not here to make changes to community; we are here to make changes with community; this will lead to successful transformation of public schools in the parish," Dobard says in a prepared statement. There are seven RSD direct-run schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. Meetings will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at each of them on the following dates: Dalton Elementary, Wednesday, April 17; Lanier Elementary, Thursday, April 18; Glen Oaks Middle, Wednesday, April 24; Crestworth Middle, Thursday, April 25; Capitol High, Wednesday,...
Louisiana's graduation rate has risen for the second straight year, to an all-time high of 72.3% among students finishing in four years, state officials announced today. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Superintendent of Education John White made the announcement at Dutchtown High School in Geismar, where the graduation rate has increased by 4.5 points to 94%, which is more than 20 percentage points above the state average. This year's rate is a 0.9 percentage point increase over last year. Over the past decade, officials say, the graduation rate has increased by 10 percentage points. More details on today's announcement can be found at the Department of Education website here.
Louisiana's career education system essentially is failing both students and employers, says state education Superintendent John White. He says only 170 high school seniors are on track to graduate with a career diploma this year, and those graduates may not be ready to step into high-demand, high-paying jobs in areas such as manufacturing, construction and health care. Cash-strapped high schools are expected to provide career classes, and nearly 70% of industry-based certificates state high schools award prepare students for little more than call center or retail jobs, White says. A better idea, he says, is to let higher education, industry, and public schools partner in regional consortiums, sharing ideas, funding and facilities, to design two-year, career-prep curriculums that ensure graduates are qualified for jobs needed in their regions. "We can take those last two years of high school, and we can make them purely technical," White says. Accountability standards should be...
Many area public schools aren't performing up to par. In 2012, the state issued a D or F grade to 62% of public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish. Another 26% received a C. Those grades don't lie, reports Lauren Brown for the cover story of the new issue of 225 magazine. Brown talks to education leaders about what changes need to be made in the public school system to get more schools above failing or below average levels. Chas Roemer, the Baton Rouge-based president of BESE, says Baton Rouge should be the nation's leader in the idea that public education means more than government-run schools. "We need to change the phrase 'public education' to 'educating the public,'" he says. "The trend will be and should be that we will be a community that embraces educational excellence, and the source of that education will be across multiple providers, rather just a traditional system." Read the complete story
A pair of 10-year property tax renewals before some voters in East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday would collectively account for approximately $42 million annually for the local public school system—or about 10% of its total yearly budget—according to school system spokesperson Susan Nelson.
A pair of 10-year property tax renewals before some voters in East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday would collectively account for about $42 million annually for the local public school system—or roughly 10% of its total yearly budget—according to school system spokesperson Susan Nelson. One of the renewals, at 6.5 mills, would support general operations for the district that includes 85 school sites and nearly 43,000 students. The other, at 7.19 mills, would go toward employee salaries and benefits. Nelson says the renewals are vital to the continued progress of the school system. "Obviously, that's a lot of money, and it would have a very significant impact on us" if the renewals are not passed, she says. An informational flyer the school system has distributed about the tax renewals says failure to pass them "will result in layoffs and reductions in services." Specifically, the flyer says services "such as transportation for Catholic School students, after-school...
BRAC announced today its support for the re-enactment of teacher tenure reform. Last year's Act 1 was ruled unconstitutional by 19th Judicial District Court Judge R. Michael Caldwell last month. Attorneys for the state are appealing Caldwell's ruling to the Louisiana Supreme Court. The law makes it harder for teachers to earn and retain tenure. This year, the various parts of Act 1 are being divided into multiple bills with the goal of passing constitutional muster. "The organization feels that this piece of legislation in crucial to the success of the K-12 education system, in addition to the reforms already in place," BRAC says in a news release. BRAC President/CEO Adam Knapp says the legislation will "help ensure that all of the students in our region, and around the state, have access to the best and most effective educators." The Capital Region is currently home to five of the top 10 school districts in the state, BRAC says, and four of the seven A-graded districts in the state.
The House budget committee chairman is unhappy that next year's proposed public school funding formula strips a requirement for how much money must be spent in the classroom. Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Fannin says lawmakers pressed for the mandate in the annual multibillion-dollar formula that 70% of the funding pay for instructional items at the "school building level." Superintendent of Education John White says the requirement was removed from the proposed 2013-14 formula because of legislative concerns that the formula should be a mathematical divvying of dollars, but not dictate policy decisions. Fannin says he believes lawmakers will disagree with the removal of the instructional requirement. The discussion was part of today's budget hearing for the Department of Education, as the Appropriations Committee combs through next year's spending proposals.
One of Louisiana's largest teacher unions is vowing to fight legislation it says is aimed at weakening their ranks. The proposed legislation—which would end the practice of union dues being automatically deducted from the paychecks of public employees who voluntarily sign up for membership—was filed last week by Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport. Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, says the measure is simply an effort by a "small elite group of individuals" who want to "shut down the one line of resistance" to its own agenda. Louisiana is a right-to-work state and union membership is voluntary. "We're not going to take that lying down," Monaghan says. "We are going to fight and hopefully the process will end as it should end, with that bill being defeated and we don't end up in another situation where we're having to litigate and having to seek the protection and comfort of the court." Monaghan says LFT was "put on notice" by LABI that the...
A year ago this month, 225 published a cover story about bullying in Baton Rouge. Now, local middle-school children are learning about the motives, effects and consequences of bullying thanks to a new anti-bullying campaign called To Be Honest. Five LSU seniors launched the campaign earlier this year.
There's a certain level of horror that sinks in when you realize you've just interrupted a student's prayer; a shock that goes far beyond the awkwardness of disrupting, say, a teacher's soliloquy on long division.
If you fall asleep in class, your teacher might swat you with a ruler. Or give you detention. Or even pull a prank on you. Nancy Zito turns off the lights.
The walls no longer beige, the halls no longer quiet, and the dorms of the former Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired no longer empty, Thrive BR is doing just what its name promises—growing, learning, improving.
1. The schools in the proposed “breakaway” district, coined Southeast Baton Rouge Community School System, are a mixture of high-performing and low-performing schools. Local Schools for Local Children, the main advocacy group for the proposed school district, believes moving away from the EBRP School System is a vital step in raising the scores of low-performing schools.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board next month could approve an agreement with the Recovery School District that would chart a path for struggling schools in the parish. EBR spokeswoman Susan Nelson says talks between the two sides have been constructive. Under the agreement, both groups would sign off on charter operators for seven RSD-run schools, using a common, independent evaluator for charter applications. How such an arrangement will work in practice remains to be seen, since EBR sees charter schools as complementary to the system, while the RSD wants to charter all of its schools. RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard says there's "mutual respect" between the two sides, despite the different philosophies. "I'm always working to try to find areas where we can coexist, [while] mindful of why RSD is here," he says. "It's because schools have been academically unacceptable." School Board Vice President Tarvald Smith touts improvements made by charter schools run by Community...
Louisiana education officials say the state has received nearly 12,000 applications for state-funded private school tuition. That's up from about 10,000 last year—the first year that the tuition voucher program went statewide after being piloted in New Orleans. As The Associated Press reports, the increased interest comes despite a judge's ruling that the voucher program as it is currently funded violates the state constitution. A state Supreme Court ruling in that case is pending. The taxpayer-financed tuition at private and parochial schools is available to students from low- to moderate-income families who otherwise would attend public schools graded with a C, D or F by the state. Priority is given to students in D- and F-rated schools. Officials say 129 schools likely will participate in the program, up from 118 last year.
Voters should have the power to choose the state's chief educator, according to state Sen. Bob Kostelka. The Times-Picayune reports the Monroe Republican filed a bill last week calling for a constitutional amendment that would require the statewide election of the education superintendent. "[Senate Bill 41] is simply to give the people a choice of whether or not they want to elect their superintendent of education," Kostelka says. The bill will be considered in the legislative session that begins April 8. He notes it is particularly important to leave the choice to voters since so much of the state's budget—over 40% of the general fund—goes to the Department of Education. The department has been headed by Superintendent John White since his appointment in January 2012. Under current law, the superintendent of education is appointed by BESE, and then approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the Legislature. Kostelka's bill, if passed by two-thirds of both...
When Louisiana considers its next batch of charter school operators, the state will be able to draw upon lessons learned from prior experience, Recovery School District officials say. They say unsuccessful charter operators, such as Advance Baton Rouge, often didn't have enough time to prepare for launching a new school. Some were unable to create a disciplined student culture, didn't set academic expectations high enough, or didn't have the right leadership. RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard says that as the district looks for "high-quality charter operators" for Baton Rouge schools currently run by the state, or even for new schools, it will be "looking for a fit" for each community. "As that process is going on, we want to be able to give voice to communities," he says. "We want to take away the fear of the RSD." Dobard also says the district is looking for operators with "a proven track record of success." New Schools for Baton Rouge, a recently formed nonprofit, is helping...
A Minnesota-based developer has purchased a 52,000-square-foot office building on Lobdell Avenue for $1.3 million, and has plans to turn it into a charter school. Ryan Companies US Inc. purchased the building at 1900 N. Lobdell Ave. on Monday and will renovate the building for Charter Schools USA, which plans to house a new school on the 6-acre campus, says Steve Legendre of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, who represented Ryan in the deal. Jonathan Starns of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate represented the seller, Educational Management Services. The previous tenants at the property, which include Baton Rouge College, have been relocated, Legendre says. Charter Schools USA is taking applications for students in grades K-6 and plans to open the Baton Rouge Charter Academy at Mid City in August, according to the group's website. The site says the school will teach kindergarten through sixth-grade students during the 2013-14 school year, with seventh- and eighth-grade classes to be added "in...
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has rescinded the RFP it issued earlier this week for a nearly $300,000 advertising and marketing campaign. As Daily Report reported this morning, the system was seeking proposals from 11 area agencies to, "…develop a comprehensive community campaign to increase support for EBR Schools." In an email late this afternoon, Susan Nelson, interim director for communications for EBRSS, says the RFP has since been rescinded, "… on the advice of counsel who wants the RFP release to go before the (school) board." Nelson says she does not know if or when another RFP will be issued. —Stephanie Riegel
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will take up a proposal Thursday to begin planning for the conversion of Mayfair Middle School into an elementary school modeled after the LSU Laboratory School. "Basically, we'll be trying to replicate that program," says school system spokeswoman Susan Nelson. The agenda item calls for spending an estimated $190,000 to begin planning for the conversion to an elementary and lab school, which Nelson says would entail working with LSU Laboratory School officials to "use their methodology and have some of their teachers train our teachers." If approved, the conversion to an elementary lab school would take place in August. Mayfair Middle School currently serves students in grades 6 through 8. After the change, the school would likely educate those in kindergarten through fifth grade, but Nelson says the specifics of the transformation have yet to be finalized. Baton Rouge currently has two laboratory schools, one at LSU and one at Southern...
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is seeking proposals from 11 local and regional advertising agencies for a nearly $300,000 marketing and public relations campaign that will seek to rebrand the public school system. According to the RFP, which was issued this week, "The goal is to develop a comprehensive community campaign to increase support for EBR Schools throughout the business community and to encourage more families to select EBR Schools as their schools of choice." The RFP also says the district has $68,000 to spend on procuring professional services for the campaign and $217,000 for media buys, ad placement, printing and production costs. All the money, which was included in the 2012-13 budget, must be allocated for the campaign by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. That's a tight window for such a massive campaign, according to some local agency execs interested in getting the work. But Susan Nelson, the system's new interim executive director for...
Louisiana is set to receive another $9.6 million from the U.S. Department of Education's School Improvement Grant program, state officials announced Monday. The notification comes on the heels of an announcement last week by Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White that the department will use $5 million in existing state grant money to help improve underperforming schools graded D or F. Nearly 200,000 students in 59 of the 64 parishes across the state attend a school graded D or F. The Times-Picayunereports that Louisiana's federal allocation announced Monday is the second largest of the 10 states to receive money through the program this year, trailing only Texas. In total this year, the program will award over $88 million to public schools nationwide.
Diane Ravitch—a former proponent of the conservative education agenda turned critic—bashed Louisiana schools today, arguing that the state's current school system is based on a radical political agenda destined for failure. "Louisiana is dismantling one of the essential institutions of our democratic society," she told attendees at today's Leaders With Vision luncheon. In a fast-paced and pointed critique of Louisiana schools, Ravitch—who's also a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education and current New York University research professor, education historian and author—called vouchers, charter schools and teacher merit pay programs "risky." She adds there's no scientific evidence that such initiatives work as well as supporters say they do. "This is not a conservative plan; it is a radical plan," she says. "It is reckless with children's lives and with taxpayers dollars." Ravitch, speaking ahead of BESE head Chas Roemer, rattled off a list of the best...
The state Department of Education today released its plan to revive schools graded D or F. The plan is called "Believe and Succeed: Louisiana's Initiative to Transform Struggling Schools," and it will offer grants to teachers, principals, school districts and nonprofit organizations that have proposals to turn around their schools. Applicants who propose a new vision for a school in which the school leader has flexibility over hiring and firing, budgetary, curricular, and other key decisions, will be considered, the department says. "There are great leaders with creative ideas within our schools. 'Believe and Succeed' calls on these leaders to act now and serve Louisiana's most underserved students," says state Superintendent John White. There are two types of grants available through the plan, and applications for both are due by April 26. Nearly 200,000 students in 59 of the 64 parishes across the state attend a school graded D or F. Complete details and applications can be found...
Local Schools for Local Children, a group pushing for a new school district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish, is "very confident" it will be successful at the Legislature this year, after falling just short last year, says spokesman Lionel Rainey III. "We were able to identify who voted yes, who voted no, who wasn't there," he says. "We were also able to hear exactly what our opposition was saying." Rainey didn't say how many lawmakers who weren't supportive last time might help the group prevail this year, but says Local Schools has been able to address some of their concerns. He says the new district would still be majority-minority, even if every Catholic school student in the area attends the new district's schools, and says BESE would ensure the new district reimburses 100% of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's legacy costs for retiree health benefits and for unpaid principal and interest on school construction bonds. Rainey and Local Schools President Norman...
New Life Church, a Southern Baptist church on Staring Lane, will donate two acres it owns at the intersection of Gardere Lane and GSRI Avenue to the Gardere Christian School, whose leaders hope to construct a modular classroom building on the site in time for the start of the next school year. The deal, which is not yet finalized, would be a significant milestone for the small, private school, which serves 30 children from low-income families in the Gardere area. Currently, the school buses students to classes in downtown space provided by the First Presbyterian Church. But school board Chairman Dan Zito, whose wife, Nancy Zito, founded and runs the school, says the long-term goal was always to have a permanent school in the neighborhood that can serve as a resource for the community. Under the terms of the arrangement, Gardere Christian School will sign a zero-dollar lease with the church and will make improvements to the property that, for the time being, will include a modular...
A Baton Rouge judge threw out Gov. Bobby Jindal's revamp of teacher tenure and salary laws today, saying the legislation was unconstitutional because it contained too many items spanning Louisiana's education laws. Judge Michael Caldwell previously had thrown out parts of the education law that limited the authority of local school boards. But he had upheld the provision that made it harder for teachers to reach the job protection status of tenure and that eliminated statewide teacher pay scales. Caldwell today widened his previous decision, saying he had misread part of the bill for the previous ruling that allowed any part of it to stand. The Republican judge determined that the entire bill must be declared unconstitutional because the bill bundled too many objectives that should have been spread out among multiple measures. Jimmy Faircloth, lawyer for the Jindal administration and the state Department of Education, says he will appeal Caldwell's decision. Jindal issued a
Grace & Hebert Architects, the Baton Rouge-based firm that the East Baton Rouge Parish School System has selected to design the new Lee High School, says the school will be designed to accommodate 1,200 students and "incorporate 21st-century features" such as modern classrooms, updated technology, and flexible study areas for student collaboration and socializing. "Our design will provide the latest technology and modern spaces to enhance learning," says Jim French, group senior principal of DLR Group, which is serving as a design consultant to Grace & Hebert on the project. The current one-story Lee High School on Lee Drive will be demolished this year and will be rebuilt as a two-story school. The $58.5 million project is expected to be complete in time for students in the 2015-16 school year. "We have deep roots in this community and want to help position the EBR school system for future success. Our team is thrilled about bringing the first 21st-century school to the East Baton...
A state lawmaker who heads the House homeland security committee is seeking ideas from educators and parents about ways to improve school safety. Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, has set up a special email address to receive public comments on the issue. He's asking people to send their ideas to schoolsafetycomments@legis.la.gov. Schroder's committee held an earlier hearing to get suggestions from state education leaders and law enforcement officials about how to strengthen school security. The review is prompted by the mass shooting in December at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults. In addition to the state House review of school safety preparations, Gov. Bobby Jindal formed a 13-member study group to look at the issue and offer ideas in advance of the regular legislative session. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is also in the process of hosting a...
A pair of property taxes that provide about 10% of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's funding are up for renewal April 6. The two proposals combined are equal to 13.69 mills and are expected to raise more than $42 million per year toward salaries, benefits and aid to schools. Although property taxes in the city of Baton Rouge went up this year, due to the new transit tax, system officials expect voters will approve the renewals, system spokeswoman Susan Nelson says. "Obviously, there would be significant concerns if it didn't go through," she says. "The community has been really good to the school system. We don't really have any reason to think they won't continue to be supportive of the school system." She says the system will be working with organizations that support it, reminding them to get out and vote. The renewals would be for 10 years. April 6 is a municipal primary election date in Louisiana. Nothing else is on the ballot in the area covered by the EBR school...
The public school districts in East Baton Rouge, Jefferson and Lafayette parishes have agreed to partner with the state on a "simplified, customized" charter school authorization process, the Louisiana Department of Education announced today. The districts plan to utilize the department's charter application review procedure while still retaining the right to grant final approval of applicants. The process will allow charter applicants to apply to multiple districts participating in the partnership at once, which the state says will lead to lower costs for the districts. "The partnership between these districts and the Department will create a more efficient process and reduce the burden on districts," says state Superintendent John White. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are authorized by a local school district or BESE and enter a five-year contract with the authorizing body.
With tuition around $5,200 per year for in-state students and $20,500 for out-of-state students, LSU is among 100 public colleges and universities included on Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's list of the best values in the country for 2013. LSU, which is ranked No. 90 on the list for value to in-state students and No. 100 for out-of-state students, is the only Louisiana school on the list. The full Kiplinger's rankings can be found here, and the stats specific to LSU are here. Kiplinger's is not the only "best value" list on which LSU has landed recently. LSU is also included on The Princeton...
In 2007, Melissa Juneau took the reins of the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation. Fresh off the plane from four years abroad with her husband Matt, a vice president at Albemarle Corp., Juneau had accepted a position at the foundation as a part-time speech pathologist. Before she ever showed up for the job, though, the executive director resigned. Then the executive committee called her in for an interview. Next thing she knew, Juneau had her name on a placard and a floundering nonprofit with dying community support to call her own.
East Baton Rouge Parish public schools showed signs of improvement over the past school year, according to an annual report card on the 2011-12 school year released this morning by BRAC. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System earned a "C" in the report, up from a "D" the year previous. BRAC says the report examines data and performance scores for K-12 schools to provide a review of local school districts as well as overall school performance in the Capital Region. BRAC says 86% of public schools in the Capital Region received improved scores compared with assessments in the report from the previous school year. Four school districts in the region received an "A" in this year's report: Zachary Community, West Feliciana Parish, Central Community and Ascension Parish. Livingston Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish districts each received a "B." East Baton Rouge Parish was the only district to receive a "C," while Iberville Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish, East Feliciana and the City of...
The Louisiana Department of Education released a report today showing teacher attrition has held steady in the state for the third consecutive year at 12%. The release comes in response to a claim by the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana that there's been a 25% increase in teacher retirements in recent years. The Department of Education says it granted more teaching licenses in the 2010-11 school year than it did during the 2008-2009 year, and that TRSL's reported increase in teacher retirements covers only employees with longer tenures and specific rights to benefits. "The data show that we do not have a statewide shortage of teachers and that applications for new positions are up," says Superintendent of Education John White. "But more important, the data show that our schools are keeping and promoting our best teachers, which is the issue we should be focused on." TRSL says the number of teachers retiring jumped from 2,598 in the 2011 fiscal year to 3,295 in the 2012 fiscal...
A 10-year-old boy from Iberville Parish was today charged with terrorizing and was released to his parents after officials say they determined he was behind a threat left Saturday on the voicemail system of St. Joseph's Academy. The investigation continues, notes a news release from Baton Rouge Police Department Lt. Don Kelly. The school was open as usual today amid heightened security, which included an unspecified number of uniformed BRPD officers. The department has not released the nature of the threat. Some parents, who were informed of the threat on Sunday evening, nonetheless kept their children home from school today; some classes reportedly had as little as one-third of normal attendance.
St. Joseph's Academy is holding school today amid heightened security due to an anonymous threat that was left on the school's voice-mail system Saturday. According to school officials and the Baton Rouge Police Department, St. Joseph's administrators forwarded the call to the BRPD Sunday "out of an abundance of caution." The BRPD has been investigating the threat since then, as has District Attorney Hillar Moore III. In the meantime, an unspecified number of uniformed BRPD officers are providing security around the campus and will continue to do so "if such staffing is deemed appropriate, after close of school today," according to Lt. Don Kelly, a BRPD spokesman. Parents were made aware of the threat Sunday evening in a recorded call from the school's principal, Linda Harvison, who did not provide details about the nature of the threat. That sent off a mild panic. Moore says his phone was "ringing off the hook" with calls from concerned parents. Later Sunday night, the school...
The Recovery School District and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System have signed a memorandum of understanding that could lead to the return of seven RSD-run schools to the EBR fold as Type 1 charters. Both sides would have to agree on charter operators for each school and would use a common, independent third-party evaluator for charter applications. Many families choose to take their children out of schools that are taken over by the RSD, forcing the system to bus those students to other schools throughout the district. Under the new agreement, officials hope to attract those students back to their neighborhood schools. The schools would have their own boards, like other charters. But EBR would be able to recoup legacy costs tied to those schools, and the system would be able to ensure a smooth transition for students moving between charter schools and traditional schools, spokeswoman Susan Nelson says. The agreement also envisions a charter school and district school...
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is among the leading public school districts in the state when it comes to implementing new technology in classrooms over the past six months, Superintendent of Education John White announced today. According to Louisiana Department of Education figures, 72 of 73 schools in the district are now meeting a minimum standard of having a 7:1 student-to-computer ratio for testing. Of those meeting the requirement, 46 schools are also meeting a higher 3:1 ratio. The local success of technology implementation is part of a larger statewide effort by LDOE, which has been working to get the state's schools prepared for tougher classes and online testing that is set to begin in the 2014-15 school year. Over the past six months, the number of Louisiana school districts with sufficient devices to administer the online tests rose from 5 to 17, LDOE says. LDOE has more on today's announcement
During a recent community meeting on education featuring state schools Superintendent John White, Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister sat in the back row listening to LeAnn Mason talk about her daughters and her dreams for them. Of the private school two of her three children are able to attend because of the state's new voucher program, Mason said: "My babies are reading, writing cursive and blossoming. This is going to help my children out of poverty." "My heart was in my throat," McCollister recalls in his new column. "Many of us take a good education for granted, but this mom was so excited for her children and her voice had a ring of hope. And I could sense the pride she had in being a good mom, doing what is best for her children." Mason was among many parents who praised the new voucher program on that occasion. McCollister says their stories cumulatively convey the reason Louisiana needs to continue on the path of school reform despite legal challenges from...
When it comes to having teachers who are prepared for the classroom, Louisiana is about average, reflected in the "C" grade the state has been given by the National Council on Teacher Quality in its annual State Teacher Policy Yearbook released today. That's the same grade the state was given in last year's report from the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research organization. However, on this issue, Louisiana is faring better than most states, the report suggests. The national average grade in the report is a "D+," and no state earned a better grade than a "B-." Louisiana is criticized in the report for not ensuring "teacher preparation programs admit candidates with strong academic backgrounds," and for not ensuring student teacher programs will "provide teacher candidates with a high-quality summative clinical experience." It also says the state does not ensure new elementary teachers are "ready to teach to the Common Core Standards." On a brighter note, the report says...
Louisiana has received high praise from yet another education group, but BESE President Chas Roemer isn't beating his chest. In rankings released today, the Center for Education Reform places Louisiana at No. 6 nationally for parents having access to make educational decisions. The Washington, D.C.-based organization promotes choice and accountability. "I would grade ourselves much lower," Roemer says. "We still don't have enough choice. It's unacceptable for a parent or child to feel like they're stuck in a failing school." Despite options for students in Louisiana to go to other public schools with higher rankings or receive vouchers to attend private schools—which aren't ranked—many parents keep their children within the traditional public school model. "I think we do a very poor job of letting families know what they should expect and what are [their] options," Roemer says. "It's a...
BESE members John Bennett and Penny Dastuge—who had been BESE president for the past two years—have both submitted their resignations to Gov. Bobby Jindal, effective today. Jindal announced his appointments of Stephen Waguespack of Baton Rouge and Judy Miranti of New Orleans as their replacements. Waguespack is an attorney and special counsel at Jones Walker. Previously, Waguespack was the chief of staff and executive council to Jindal. Miranti is chair and director of the Division of Education and Graduate Studies at Xavier University. “In 2012 Penny and I agreed to remain on BESE for an additional year for the purpose of providing continuity and support. We had a new state superintendent and several newly elected board members along with an unprecedented legislative education reform agenda,” reads a prepared statement by Bennett, who's been principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School for 28 years. Dastugue has been a BESE member for nine years, and says in her...
BESE members John Bennett and Penny Dastuge—who had been BESE president for the past two years—have both submitted their resignations to Gov. Bobby Jindal, effective today. “In 2012 Penny and I agreed to remain on BESE for an additional year for the purpose of providing continuity and support. We had a new state superintendent and several newly elected board members along with an unprecedented legislative education reform agenda,” reads a prepared statement by Bennett, who’s been principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School for 28 years. Dastugue has been a BESE member for nine years, and says in her resignation letter: “Other than my role as a wife and mother, I consider my nine years on BESE and the five years representing you on the behalf of Louisiana’s students, families and educators the most important work of my lifetime.”
East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Bernard Taylor says he's been encouraged by recent conversations with state Sen. Bodi White, R-Central—who helped lead the charge for a new public school district in southeast Baton Rouge during the last legislative session—and says there's a good chance the existing EBR system can be held together. Taylor says officials are crafting a plan based on public input that would involve creating "families" of schools, in which parents would be able to choose among any schools in the "family." That would mean schools would be forced to compete for students. "If you have to compete you may have to look at what you can do different," Taylor says. Public meetings to discuss the proposals—which would have to be approved by BESE—are scheduled to begin next week. Taylor spoke today at a luncheon hosted by Volunteers In Public Schools. Norman Browning, who leads a group that has called for a breakaway district and attended...
Despite a recent report that EBR school board member David Tatman will likely have the votes to be elected board president at a meeting today, some members consider current Vice President Tarvald Smith a strong contender. Board member Craig Freeman says it could go either way. Freeman says the board prefers diversity in its leaders, meaning a black president likely would be paired with a white vice president, or vice versa. Jill Dyason, who is white, has been mentioned as a strong candidate for vice president if Smith becomes president. Evelyn Ware-Jackson, who is black, might also contend for vice president. Barbara Freiberg, the current president, has decided to step aside to allow for new leadership. Smith says board leadership plays an important role in dealing with state decision makers and community stakeholders. The board has been discussing with the state the future of schools in north Baton Rouge that the EBR system used to run—Freeman hopes an agreement is mere days...
Some state lawmakers are getting an overview of security procedures already on the books for schools and colleges, a review prompted by the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in December. The House homeland security committee was hearing today from education leaders and law enforcement officials about what crisis prevention and response plans already exist—and was taking recommendations for other safety ideas. Rep. John Schroder, chairman of the committee, says lawmakers on the panel won't discuss mental health issues, gun control or budget complaints because those don't fall under the panel's jurisdiction. The shootings in Newtown, Conn., were the second-largest school shooting in the country's history. A gunman with a high-powered rifle killed 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as six adults on campus.
Louisiana's state school board agreed today to shrink the number of mandates required of local districts, despite concerns the move would let schools eliminate counselors and librarians to cut costs. Superintendent of Education John White proposed changes to 150 different sections of policies governing school systems. They include eliminating the statewide school calendar and changing physical education standards to allow credit for extracurricular activities like cheerleading and participation in marching band. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education backed the changes with no discussion, after making modest adjustments a day earlier in a committee meeting. Also Wednesday, BESE gave White a favorable annual evaluation, after grading his first year on the job. The evaluation discussion was held for more than an hour in a closed-door session, and board members didn't release specifics about the review. The board also gave final approval to modest changes in the state's method...
With an overall score of 79 out of 100, Louisiana's schools were given a “C+” grade on the 2013 edition of Quality Counts, released today. Though it was the third-straight year Louisiana has received a “C+” grade in the report, the Louisiana Department of Education is celebrating the fact that the state jumped to 15th overall among all states and Washington, D.C., up from 23rd last year and 44th in 2008. The annual publication is a report card on education, providing a national and state-by-state summary and competitive analysis. “Indeed, this new ranking shows that our education system has gone from almost rock bottom to number 15 in the country. We've made great progress, but we will not stop until Louisiana has the best education system in the country,” Gov. Bobby Jindal says in a prepared statement. Maryland got top-ranking in the country with a “B+” grade. Louisiana's score was slightly below the U.S. average of 76.9, also a...
When Louisiana's first online all-grades charter school opened last year, it had 500 students across the state enrolled and taking classes. Now in its second year, Louisiana Connections Academy has 1,200 students. Principal Caroline Wood says the school—which has a main office on Goodwood Boulevard—encourages students to enroll in courses provided by Louisiana Department of Education's Career and Technical Education Program, and step outside their comfort zone by taking on educational challenges. "If you come in as a middle school student, I give you a high school class," says Wood, who spoke today at an "investor luncheon" presented by BRAC, and sponsored by Humana and NAI/Latter & Blum.. In Louisiana, Wood hopes students can improve and accelerate their education—outside of classes offered in local public school classrooms—by enrolling in courses provided by the state education department's Louisiana Course Choice program. Louisiana Connections Academy...
StudentsFirst—an advocacy group promoting education reform through teacher tenure overhauls, introducing the use of standardized test scores in performance evaluations, and charter school expansion—places Louisiana at the top a new ranking for states implementing such policies. Both Louisiana and Florida received a "B-" grade in the ranking, with no states receiving a higher grade. However, Louisiana is ranked No. 1 overall in the report, just ahead of Florida. Twelve states received an "F" grade in the report, reflecting StudentsFirst's willingness to build a reputation as a harsh grader. The ratings focus purely on state laws and policies, and do not take into account student test scores. "This report confirms that Louisiana is now leading the nation in education reform because of our commitment to put a great teacher in every classroom and give every child the opportunity to get a great education," says...
Gov. Bobby Jindal today announced appointments to the Board of Regents and the Board of Supervisors of Southern University that feature a number of well-known Capital Region residents. Among the Board of Regents appointments are Richard Lipsey, founder and CEO of Lipsey's Inc. Also appointed to the board are Joel Dupre and Edward Markle, both of New Orleans, as well as Robert Levy of Vienna and Mark Abraham of Lake Charles. For the board overseeing Southern, Jindal has appointed Leon Tarver of Baton Rouge, who serves as executive administrator of the Center of Cultural Heritage and International Programs at Southern University System. Another local reappointee to the board is Antonio "Tony" Clayton of Port Allen, who is senior partner at the law firm of Clayton and Fruge and an assistant district attorney of the 18th Judicial District. Other appointments to the Southern board announced by Jindal today are Michael Small of Slidell, Raymond Fondel Jr. of Lake Charles, and Rev. Joe...
Gov. Bobby Jindal is forming a 13-member study group to review safety standards at Louisiana schools and colleges in the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. Jindal issued an executive order today creating the group, which will be led by Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, and Jimmy LeBlanc, secretary of the corrections department. The governor is asking the group to assess current safety programs at public and private schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as at colleges and universities around the state. According to the order, the task force will suggest improvements that can be made by state agencies and will recommend to lawmakers any statutory changes it thinks are necessary, in advance of the regular legislative session that begins in April. On Dec. 21, Louisiana House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, asked U.S. Rep. John Schroder, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, to convene...
Many lawmakers who make policy for elementary and secondary education in Louisiana "think our schools are still like the ones that Wally and Beaver went to, and they're not," says state Treasurer John Kennedy. To get firsthand knowledge of what public schools are really like, Kennedy moonlights as a substitute teacher. In 2004 Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, sponsored a resolution urging statewide elected officials and legislators to experience the public school system by voluntarily substitute teaching at least three full schooldays a year. Two hours into his stint as a substitute teacher at Magnolia Woods Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Kennedy had banished one third-grader to the corner and guided the rest of the class through a writing exercise. The school's principal, Donna Wallette, popped in to quiz the students about Kennedy's regular job as the state's money manager. "Mr. Kennedy is the Louisiana state treasurer. What does treasurer mean?" she asked. Third-grader...
A Baton Rouge judge has tossed out on constitutional grounds part of an education revamp pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, but has upheld the centerpiece provisions that changed teacher tenure and salary laws.
The LSU Laboratory School has joined several other local schools in a BRAC initiative aimed at keeping graduates in the Capital Region and bringing back those who have left. The agreement announced today is the same as those BRAC has previously announced signing with alumni associations at LSU and Southern University, as well as with Episcopal High School and Baton Rouge Magnet High School. Under the agreements, BRAC and the schools partner to promote the Capital Region and job opportunities within it at various events. BRAC also works to identify local employment opportunities for local graduates who have since left the region. The goal of the partnership is to increase the number of résumés included in BRAC's online talent database, which it has been building as part of its five-year strategic plan. Those interested in learning more about the database and being a part of it can find more information here.
A Baton Rouge district court judge says he'll announce his decision Tuesday on whether Gov. Bobby Jindal's revamp of teacher tenure and salary laws was passed in violation of the state constitution. "I have gone back and forth on this case," Judge Michael Caldwell told attorneys today after hearing arguments. "And I still have not decided where I am on it." The bill—pushed by Jindal and passed by lawmakers earlier this year—makes changes to the powers of school boards, teacher hiring and firing rules, teacher pay scales, the duties of principals, and the job protection status known as teacher tenure. A statewide teachers union, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, filed a lawsuit claiming that too many objectives and statutory changes were crammed into one bill in order to rush the legislation to final passage without adequate debate. LFT lawyer Larry Samuel says the bill violates a constitutional provision designed to give lawmakers the ability to properly comb through...
A visibly moved President Barack Obama told reporters today that he grieved about the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school as a parent first and promised action to prevent such tragedies again, without specifying what that might be. Speaking on behalf of the nation, Obama said, "Our hearts are broken today." The scene in the White House briefing room was one of the most outwardly emotional moments of his presidency. "The majority of those who died were children—beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," Obama said. He paused, then and later in the talk, for several seconds to keep his composure and wipe an eye. Nearby, two aides cried and held hands as they listened to the president. A gunman opened fire inside an elementary school where his mother worked, killing at least 26 people, including 20 children. The shooter blasted his way through the building as young students cowered helplessly or were gunned down.
While the status of Louisiana's new student voucher program garnered the majority of attention after the funding mechanism was recently ruled unconstitutional, businesses setting up classes for the implementation of Louisiana Course Choice have also been affected. The funding for the program was also shot down in the Nov. 30 ruling by District Judge Tim Kelley, but BESE moved forward with the program last week when a panel approved 45 providers to teach courses beginning next year. The state Department of Education website has a target date of Jan. 1 to publish its course catalog online. "We're not going to enter into any contracts, but we'll put our thoughts together that if it does go through—we'll have our ducks in a row," says Patricia Carley, who along with Kay Snowbarger started Reaching Every Teacher earlier this year. The pair just made the deadline with the application process for the course choice program, and now has to put off decisions like spending "a minimum of...
One unhealthy aspect of north Baton Rouge, particularly in the 70805 ZIP code area, is the dearth of grocery stores and fresh produce. In an effort to address the situation, this so-called food desert is getting planted with fruit trees and blueberry bushes on Arbor Day, the third Friday in January in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Green is using a major portion of a $28,000 grant from ExxonMobil to plant a variety of trees, including satsuma and peach, near the new homes of Urban Gardens, an affordable-housing project just north of Hollywood Street at the corner of Amarillo Street and Breckenridge Avenue. There are currently nine homes built in Urban Gardens—seven are sold or under contract—and five more will be built next year. The development plan calls for a total of 21 homes eventually. The community is being built on the old grounds of Hollywood Elementary School; the garden is being planted on a lot owned by King's Children Ministry. "And the church evidently had a little...
In an opinion issued Nov. 30, District Judge Tim Kelley didn't say spending public money on private-school vouchers is illegal, but he did say the state can't pay for them the way lawmakers had planned. The Louisiana Supreme Court will have the final say on that point, but one way or the other, vouchers, and the controversy that surrounds Gov. Bobby Jindal's education agenda, are unlikely to go away.
The fight has gone on for decades, and it was obvious at the courthouse two weeks ago that the war will continue. But given that it’s about children, their parents and their right to a great education—not to mention their chance in the future—it’s a war worth fighting. The outcome will impact us all.
The state will appeal two recent court rulings—one in Baton Rouge, one in New Orleans—that went against the state's private school voucher program. In the meantime, advocates on both sides are speculating about possible precedents stemming from the decisions. Baton Rouge District Court Judge Tim Kelley on Nov. 30 agreed with teachers unions and school boards that money allocated through the state's minimum foundation program is constitutionally guaranteed to public schools and can't be spent on private school vouchers. Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, who argued the state's case, says Kelley's ruling, if allowed to stand, could threaten BESE's traditional discretion over the MFP formula. "What the court has done is basically give local districts ownership of the formula rather than the product of the formula," he says. "The next challenge could be that they don't like the weighting," he adds, referring to the factors that go into creating the formula. A federal judge based in...
BESE has delayed a decision on shrinking the number of mandates required of local school districts. Superintendent of Education John White has proposed getting rid of the statewide school calendar, changing physical education standards to allow credit for extracurricular activities such as cheerleading, and removing requirements for how many librarians and counselors schools should have. Those are among recommended changes to 150 different sections of policies governing school systems. White says the goal is to eliminate red tape and remove outdated regulations. BESE members in committee raised concerns Tuesday about individual items. Board member Holly Boffy of Lafayette says more time was needed to comb through the list and get further details. At Boffy's urging, the panel voted 6-3 to postpone a decision until January.
The state's top school board has backed nearly four dozen organizations to offer courses to Louisiana's public school students through online classes and other nontraditional means. Today's decision comes despite a judge's ruling last week that the program's planned financing is unconstitutional. Superintendent of Education John White is recommending 45 course providers be given contracts to participate in Louisiana's new Course Choice program, scheduled to begin next year. BESE backed the list in an 8-2 vote. Critics say BESE shouldn't approve course providers, since a state judge determined the state couldn't pay for the program through the public school funding formula. That ruling is being appealed. White says the law creating Course Choice requires BESE to move forward. He says funding decisions can be made later.
Chas Roemer is expected to be elected president of BESE at a special joint meeting Wednesday morning of both that board and the Louisiana Board of Regents, sources tell Daily Report. Roemer is currently in his second four-year term on the 11-member BESE, representing District 6, which includes most of East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Though Roemer will not comment on the expected outcome of the board election, sources confirm he is the likely successor to Penny Dastugue, who has been on BESE since 2005 and was elected president in October 2010. Roemer, the son of former Gov. Buddy Roemer, tells Daily Report that if he is elected, his top priority will be to find a way around last week's ruling declaring the state's new school voucher law unconstitutional. "It's absolutely necessary," Roemer says of the voucher program. "To force kids to sit in a failing public school is not right." Roemer says one way around the ruling,...
Gov. Bobby Jindal's private school tuition voucher program was ruled unconstitutional by a Baton Rouge judge this afternoon, and it's not immediately clear how the ruling will affect the more than 4,900 students now enrolled in 117 private schools with taxpayer dollars. State Superintendent of Education John White issued a brief statement this afternoon, saying: "We strongly disagree with the ruling. We are optimistic this decision will be reversed on appeal." In the ruling, District Judge Tim Kelley says that the program improperly diverts money allocated through Louisiana's public school funding formula to private schools. He also says it unconstitutionally diverts local tax dollars to private schools. The state DOE and BESE say the programs were funded and created in line with the constitution. The Black Alliance for Educational Options, a staunch supporter of the voucher program,
District Judge Tim Kelley has ruled that the funding formula for Louisiana's new school voucher program violates the state's constitution. Kelley handed down the ruling this afternoon following a trial that lasted throughout the week. The suit was brought by two statewide education unions and 43 school boards seeking to shut down the voucher program and other changes that would funnel more money away from traditional public schools. State officials have maintained the funding formula is in line with the constitution. An appeal by the state is expected.
In July, District Judge Tim Kelley rejected an injunction that sought to stop the state's new and controversial school voucher program from taking effect, saying he did not have the jurisdiction to rule because doing so would have created a budget deficit. Kelley is expected today to rule on the constitutionality of the program, after repeatedly saying during the trial this week that he doesn't think lawyers' testimony is needed in the Baton Rouge lawsuit challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program. On Thursday, Kelley told Daily Report he was unaware that an attorney for the state Department of Education in the voucher trial, Jimmy Faircloth, had donated $1,000 on Oct. 24 to his recent, failed campaign for the District 5 seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court. Faircloth, a former member of Jindal's executive counsel, is representing the state as a private attorney. "It doesn't affect how I decide things," Kelley says of his campaign contributions. "Bottom line:...
A three-day trial in a lawsuit challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher program as unconstitutional is wrapping up today in Baton Rouge. Judge Tim Kelley asked lawyers to give their closing arguments today. However, it's unclear if he will rule immediately after their arguments are made or request additional information in the form of post-trial legal filings. Kelley said earlier this week he expected to hand down a ruling by the end of today. Teachers unions and school boards are seeking to shut down the vouchers and other changes that would funnel more money away from traditional public schools. They say it's unconstitutional to pay for vouchers to private schools through the public school funding formula. They also claim lawmakers didn't follow the proper process. The state Department of Education and the BESE say the programs were created and are funded in line with the constitution.
The judge in a Baton Rouge trial challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide school voucher program told lawyers today he didn't think testimony was needed, even as testimony continued into its second day. Judge Tim Kelley's comments reinforced expectations he will rule on the constitutionality of the program as soon as lawyers wrap up with their witnesses. He has said he expects to hand down a ruling by the end of the week. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports the case is an example of "the bizarre world in which we live." To sharpen the point, the newspaper highlights the experience of Gabriel Evans of New Orleans. It says Evans attended an "F"-rated public school in 2007, then moved to a Catholic school a year later. "His mother, Valerie Evans, calls the voucher a 'lifesaver,' allowing him to get 'out of a public school system that is filled with fear, confusion and violence,' " reads the report. "So what is the response of the teachers union? Sue the state to force...
Under Louisiana's Constitution, any nonpublic school getting state money must be certified as providing a curriculum at least equal to those required for public schools. But The (Monroe) News-Star reports that it's questionable whether that's true of the 377 schools with such approval, which gives their diplomas the same weight as the state's. Under the Constitution and a court ruling, certification must come from BESE. Member James Garvey of Metairie co-chairs BESE's School Innovation and Turnaround Committee. He says BESE does not look at curriculum quality, just at policies and procedures. "We don't look at what they teach," he says. "We look at the system. We look at policies and procedures, not what they teach. It's how they teach and not what they teach." Member Lottie Beebe of Breaux Bridge says there's no evidence the Constitution is being followed. She says the board is just taking the Education Department's word that the schools meet state standards. A public records...
While a number of school districts have raised concerns that they will face financial hardships if students choose to participate in the new voucher program and attend private schools, a new report from The Pelican Institute for Public Policy says that it's not vouchers that are creating budgetary woes for these districts. Rather, citing a study by the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice, the Pelican Institute says the districts have only themselves to blame. "Public school employment has far outpaced K-12 student enrollment. This trend is particularly stark in Louisiana, where the number of students declined by 13% between 1991 and 2009," reads the report. "Despite this decline in students, the number of total school personnel actually increased by 11%. The number of teachers increased by 9% and the number of non-teaching administrators increased by 13%." You can check out the full report
Norman Browning, president of Local Schools for Local Children, which pushed for a breakaway district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish during the last legislative session, says he wants to hear more about EBR Superintendent Bernard Taylor's idea to create regional attendance zones. "We're just glad that finally people in this city are waking up and realizing there needs to be a change in this school system," Browning says. "People want community schools." The system is holding a series of public meetings next week to get input on its strategic plan, and Local Schools members plan to attend the one slated for Wednesday evening at Woodlawn High School. "We've got to get better quality education," he says. "Does it mean that we have to have our deal passed through? No. If there's a better way of doing this, let's do what's in the best interest of the kids." There are a number of questions that need to be addressed, he points out, such as the impact of new charter schools and the...
New Schools for Baton Rouge has a goal of educating 12,000 students in charter schools in north Baton Rouge by 2017, says its founder and CEO, Chris Meyer. He launched the nonprofit in April to help facilitate the creation of charter schools in the Capital City through "venture philanthropy." The former superintendent of the state-run Recovery School District adds that charter groups could eventually manage up to 27 schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. However, each charter school could take up to a year of planning to reform an existing public school, and no school has yet been chosen to be a prototype. "I don't expect anybody to open by 2013," Meyer says. However, by next spring New Schools expects to announce—after a year in operation—how much money it has raised and which charter operations are committed to Baton Rouge. Over the next six months, New Schools will be connecting with local educators to apprise them of teaching opportunities in north Baton Rouge...
Voters around Louisiana may be sharply divided on many issues, but not on term limits for local school boards. With Tuesday's vote, school board members across all of Louisiana's public school districts will be limited to three consecutive four-year terms. Proposals to enact term limits on the boards passed overwhelmingly, winning easily in all 67 school districts where they were on the ballot. The term limit provision passed with at least 70% support in each district. Jefferson and Lafayette parishes already had school board term limits, so they didn't vote on the idea. The new term limit rules won't take effect until Jan. 1, 2014, which means that board members who are currently serving could do so for an additional 12 years thereafter before they were term-limited.
Audit says LDOE skipped steps in monitoring charters
The state Department of Education had gaps in its monitoring of the academic and contractual performance of Louisiana charter schools last year, according to a legislative audit released today. The review by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office says the department didn't verify that school-reported data used to grade performance was reliable, couldn't prove it tracked the legal obligations required of charter schools, and didn't make sure eight charter schools put on probation in 2010 met the standards to remain open in 2012. The audit looked at charter school monitoring activities during the 2011-12 budget year that ended June 30. Auditors say the education department complied with state requirements for monitoring the schools' financial performance. "However, LDOE did not perform all required academic monitoring activities. … In addition, we found that LDOE could not provide evidence that it comprehensively monitored the legal/contractual performance of these...
This year's La. charter school applications double 2012's
Seven of the country's strongest charter school operators—including two with proven track records of success in New Orleans—have applied to open charter schools in north Baton Rouge. The groups are among 35 organizations that have applied for charters to operate 100 new schools in 19 parishes across Louisiana, according to a news release from the Louisiana Department of Education today, which notes that nearly twice as many organizations applied for charters this year as in 2012. Locally, where many public schools are failing, the number and quality of applicants is particularly significant, according to charter school advocates. They credit the interest, in large part, to the efforts of New Schools for Baton Rouge, a community partnership focused on bringing in charter operators to improve public education in north...
Toughened school safety bill headed to Jindal's desk
Public schools, already required to have written crisis management plans, will now have to coordinate those plans with local law enforcement and emergency preparedness officials—and hold annual safety drills to rehearse them. The Associated Press reports the bill rewriting Louisiana's school safety law received final passage today with a unanimous Senate vote. It comes in response to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It will require classroom doors to remain locked during instructional time, as long as that's in compliance with fire safety standards. School crisis management plans won't be subject to Louisiana's public records law. The measure now heads to Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is expected to sign it into law.
State receives applications for more than 100 charter schools
Editor's note: This is a press release provided to Daily Report by the Louisiana Department of Education.
MAPP, architects in settlement talks over Baton Rouge High
Settlement negotiations are under way between MAPP Construction and the architecture firms that designed Baton Rouge Magnet High School's $45.9 million renovation project, and "significant progress has been made," according to MAPP's attorney, Gray Sexton. But there are still a lot of issues to work through before the lawsuit that MAPP filed against the firms last year is resolved. In September, MAPP sued Chenevert Architects, Remson-Haley-Herpin Architects, as well as a joint venture between the two firms, claiming an incomplete and defective design led to delays on the project and cost MAPP more than $6 million. Over the past several months, attorneys for MAPP, the architects and the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board—which is not named in the litigation—have met three times and are working through about 80 discrete claims made by MAPP. Sexton says about 50 of those claims have been settled, though issues raised in the lawsuit itself have not been resolved. Attorneys...
La. schools owed $30M because of court ruling
Superintendent of Education John White says the state owes local school districts $30 million because the Louisiana Supreme Court threw out this year's public school funding formula. The Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers couldn't fund a voucher program using the formula for public schools to send children to private schools. The high court also said lawmakers didn't follow the proper process to pass the formula, declaring the entire 2012-13 financing plan null and void. White says that means the state reverts to the formula for the 2011-12 school year. That changes several state funding calculations and will require $30 million more in payments to districts. Of that, he says $12 million will be paying back local school districts for a reduction in funding they received because of vouchers. Another $14.5 million, he says, was tied to a change this year that required local districts to pay for a portion of the funding for eight charter schools whose costs previously had been paid...
Lockdown at Southeast Middle this morning likely due to prank
A Baton Rouge middle school was on lockdown for about an hour this morning after a 911 caller reported a gun on campus. The campus of Southeast Middle School was given an all clear after a search turned up no gun. Susan Nelson, a spokeswoman for East Baton Rouge schools, says the call appears to be a prank. "No one at the school would call 911; they would call the School Drug Task Force," she says. "It was clearly not someone on campus." The task force is a part of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. With five days left in the school year and final exams imminent, Nelson speculated that the call could have been an end-of-school student prank. —April Castro
Let’s use Yellow Pages test
In his 1997 book The Twenty-First Century City, former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith proposed what he called the “Yellow Pages test”: “If the phone book lists three companies that provide a certain service,” he wrote, “the city probably should not be in that business.” Makes sense to me.
Early childhood education revamp looks likely
Proposals to tie public funding to student performance and issue letter grades to Louisiana's public and private early childhood education programs are finding easy passage through the Legislature. Two Senate bills are the cornerstones of Gov. Bobby Jindal's attempt to restructure early childhood education and to create uniform standards for kindergarten readiness. They have cleared the Senate with very little discussion and no objections from lawmakers, and aren't expected to run into trouble in the House, The Associated Press reports. The bills, by Sens. Conrad Appel and Mike Walsworth, are enabling legislation for Act 3, a structural framework approved by lawmakers last year. Public and private programs receive $1.4 billion a year in federal and state money to educate students from birth to 5 years old. Jindal wants to bring some academic uniformity to those programs and to give parents a report card on providers' efforts. State education officials have said that just over half of...
Voucher proponents hope to maintain program
Supporters of private school vouchers say they'll look for new ways to pay for the program, now that the Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled the funding mechanism unconstitutional. "We are committed to making sure this program continues, and we will fund it through the budget," says Gov. Bobby Jindal in a prepared statement. "Hopefully, we can find some dollars," says Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge and chairman of the House Education Committee. "But the budget is tight. There's just not an awful lot of dollars floating around." Like Carter, Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie and head of the Senate Education Committee, says he hasn't yet had a chance to discuss the next steps with his colleagues. "We're going to be fighting to find a way to make it work that adheres to the constitution," Appel says. "That's the big question of the day: What would work?" says BESE member Holly Boffy. Beyond the funding question—lawmakers say about $25 million is needed—opponents likely will try...
News alert: Supreme Court strikes down voucher law
The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that the funding method for the state's school voucher program is unconstitutional. In a 6-1 ruling today, the court upheld a district court ruling that the state constitution forbids using money earmarked for public schools in the state's Minimum Foundation Program to pay for private school tuition. The voucher program was one of the hallmarks of Gov. Bobby Jindal's Act 2 education reform package, passed by the state Legislature in 2012. Read more in Daily Report this afternoon.
Editor: Public schools need a new playbook
If high school football teams were run in the same by-the-book, one-size-fits-all way that public schools across Louisiana are, "I suspect the response would be an angry revolt by parents and the public," says Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball. "Yet few are screaming in outrage" about the school situation, Ball writes in his latest column. "The dichotomy between what the public fervently demands on the football field and what it passively accepts in the classroom explains why public education is largely a dismal failure." While we expect athletes from low-income districts to compete for state championships on the field, Ball says, we make excuses for why those same students can't compete in the classroom. Ball says there is "no magic bullet solution when it comes to the education of our children." Charters, vouchers, private schools and recovery school districts have advantages and disadvantages, he says. "The only solution we know that positively won't work is what...
Education department says 63 districts have submitted performance-based pay plans
Due to the creation of new teacher payment plans linking compensation to student achievement at nearly every school district across the state, an estimated 50,000 teachers in Louisiana are now eligible for raises, the Department of Education says. A report was released by the department today outlining the progress 63 school districts—more than 90% of those in the state—have made to create the new payment plans since last year. "While tens of thousands of teachers will be eligible for an increase in salary, no teacher will see their salary reduced based on these changes," the department says in a news release. The report says, "The vast majority of Louisiana's school districts have designed new salary schedules that meet their local needs, based on three criteria, with none accounting for more than 50% of the salary formula." The three primary criteria are "effectiveness, based on student achievement and observations; experience, as defined locally; and demand, such as...
Committee backs increased textbook choice
A bid to give local school districts more freedom in choosing the textbooks they use received the backing of the House Education Committee without objection today. House Bill 116 by Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, would establish that BESE cannot require local school districts to purchase specific textbooks or instructional materials. Erin Bendily, assistant superintendent for the Department of Education, says the bill dovetails with the department's efforts to hold local school leaders accountable for results, without micromanaging them. "It's autonomy for the local school systems," Hoffmann says. A state-recommended textbook list still will be developed, Hoffmann says, adding that he expects 98% of books to be taken from that list. The Associated Press reports Hoffmann unsuccessfully pursued similar legislation two years ago, with critics charging it was a backdoor attempt to include creationism in science classes. The proposal heads next to the full House for debate.
School reform
Louisiana's “career diploma” isn't helping industry or our kids, according to John White, the state's top education official.
THRIVE founder up for national award
Sarah Broome, founder of the THRIVE charter boarding school in Baton Rouge and a 2012 Business Report Forty Under 40 honoree, is one of nine women from across the United States who are up for a Lady Godiva award and grant. The awards honor women "who exemplify the values of selflessness, generosity and leadership on a national or global level," according to The Lady Godiva Program. Broome is a semifinalist in the Children, Families and Poverty category, which is one of three. Online votes will determine one honoree in each of the three categories, with each receiving a $3,000 grant for her work. One of those three honorees will later be selected for a $10,000 grant. You can find Broome's and the other semifinalists' profiles, as well as cast your vote, here.
A matter of urgency
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave an impassioned plea for education leaders in Baton Rouge to ensure all children, no matter their circumstances, have access to a quality education.
If only it were football
What if every high school football coach in the state of Louisiana were required to run the same I-style offense? What if a state board dictated specific plays, including blocking schemes, that each team would be expected to execute? What if employing the 4-3 defense were ordered by a legislative mandate, also spelling out allowable blitzes and stunts as well as how often each could be used during a game? What if every head coach were given a manual dictating in step-by-step detail how he and his staff are to conduct practice and train players?
EBR school system hires two lobbying firms
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has hired two lobbying firms with contracts totaling $62,000 to help it advance its agenda during the current legislative session and beyond. Local firm Spradley & Spradley has a one-year contract with the district and will concentrate on lobbying BESE on the district's behalf, says Susan Nelson, interim director for communications for EBR schools. The other firm, Southern Strategy Group—which is based in Shreveport and has offices throughout the South—will focus on "pre-work opposing the Southeast district pullout legislation, if it should not pass this year and be brought back up again next year with the intention of putting it on the 2014 ballot," Nelson says. Hiring lobbyists is an unusual move for the cash-strapped school system, but one that school board member Craig Freeman says is long overdue. "We need to do more to help people understand the great things we do," he says. "Some of our legislators do not know how awesome...
Poll: Louisianans divided on vouchers
The latest results of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab's annual Louisiana Survey show about 7 in 10 people strongly support opening more charter schools, but are sharply divided on vouchers. While 49% of respondents favor vouchers, an equal 49% are opposed. Kirby Goidel, LSU political science professor, says the divide on vouchers is not surprising considering it's been such a contentious issue in the state in recent years. “You say 'voucher' and immediately there's a red and blue side to that issue … it's immediately polarized,” Goidel says. “And I think it can be divided for multiple reasons, one can be outright objection and another can be because we haven't seen how the results of vouchers will play out.” Goidel says he thinks support of school vouchers could “move significantly” upward in the coming years “if there's evidence that they're working.” The state legislature is awaiting a ruling from the Louisiana Supreme Court...
BRAC opposes breakaway school district
BRAC opposes legislation, which today was approved by a state Senate committee, that would allow voters to carve out a new school district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish. However, BRAC says it will reconsider its opposition if three concerns are addressed:
• There is a mutually agreed-upon formula for dealing with legacy costs between the new district and the previous district.
• There is a plan to ensure the financial stability of all impacted districts, including the financial impact of any additional facility needs.
• Reasonable effort is made to draw the district boundaries such that the demographics of the newly drawn district are comparable to those of the existing district.
Craig Gehring
Craig Gehring never went to college, but he has helped many others achieve their higher ed dreams since 2003, his junior year in high school, when he received perfect scores on the ACT and the SAT.
RSD to outline Baton Rouge Achievement Zone vision at series of meetings
The Recovery School District says it will share plans for its direct-run schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone during a series of upcoming parent meetings beginning Wednesday. Led by RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard, the meetings will cover "the organization's strategies to create high-quality school options," according to a release. Parents are also encouraged to provide feedback on priorities for transforming their students' schools. "The RSD is not here to make changes to community; we are here to make changes with community; this will lead to successful transformation of public schools in the parish," Dobard says in a prepared statement. There are seven RSD direct-run schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. Meetings will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at each of them on the following dates: Dalton Elementary, Wednesday, April 17; Lanier Elementary, Thursday, April 18; Glen Oaks Middle, Wednesday, April 24; Crestworth Middle, Thursday, April 25; Capitol High, Wednesday,...
La. high school graduation rate rises to all-time high
Louisiana's graduation rate has risen for the second straight year, to an all-time high of 72.3% among students finishing in four years, state officials announced today. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Superintendent of Education John White made the announcement at Dutchtown High School in Geismar, where the graduation rate has increased by 4.5 points to 94%, which is more than 20 percentage points above the state average. This year's rate is a 0.9 percentage point increase over last year. Over the past decade, officials say, the graduation rate has increased by 10 percentage points. More details on today's announcement can be found at the Department of Education website here.
DOE to push for career education partnerships
Louisiana's career education system essentially is failing both students and employers, says state education Superintendent John White. He says only 170 high school seniors are on track to graduate with a career diploma this year, and those graduates may not be ready to step into high-demand, high-paying jobs in areas such as manufacturing, construction and health care. Cash-strapped high schools are expected to provide career classes, and nearly 70% of industry-based certificates state high schools award prepare students for little more than call center or retail jobs, White says. A better idea, he says, is to let higher education, industry, and public schools partner in regional consortiums, sharing ideas, funding and facilities, to design two-year, career-prep curriculums that ensure graduates are qualified for jobs needed in their regions. "We can take those last two years of high school, and we can make them purely technical," White says. Accountability standards should be...
'225': The rise of education alternatives in B.R.
Many area public schools aren't performing up to par. In 2012, the state issued a D or F grade to 62% of public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish. Another 26% received a C. Those grades don't lie, reports Lauren Brown for the cover story of the new issue of 225 magazine. Brown talks to education leaders about what changes need to be made in the public school system to get more schools above failing or below average levels. Chas Roemer, the Baton Rouge-based president of BESE, says Baton Rouge should be the nation's leader in the idea that public education means more than government-run schools. "We need to change the phrase 'public education' to 'educating the public,'" he says. "The trend will be and should be that we will be a community that embraces educational excellence, and the source of that education will be across multiple providers, rather just a traditional system." Read the complete story
School tax renewals before B.R. voters Saturday
A pair of 10-year property tax renewals before some voters in East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday would collectively account for approximately $42 million annually for the local public school system—or about 10% of its total yearly budget—according to school system spokesperson Susan Nelson.
School tax renewals before B.R. voters Saturday
A pair of 10-year property tax renewals before some voters in East Baton Rouge Parish on Saturday would collectively account for about $42 million annually for the local public school system—or roughly 10% of its total yearly budget—according to school system spokesperson Susan Nelson. One of the renewals, at 6.5 mills, would support general operations for the district that includes 85 school sites and nearly 43,000 students. The other, at 7.19 mills, would go toward employee salaries and benefits. Nelson says the renewals are vital to the continued progress of the school system. "Obviously, that's a lot of money, and it would have a very significant impact on us" if the renewals are not passed, she says. An informational flyer the school system has distributed about the tax renewals says failure to pass them "will result in layoffs and reductions in services." Specifically, the flyer says services "such as transportation for Catholic School students, after-school...
BRAC backs teacher tenure reform re-enactment
BRAC announced today its support for the re-enactment of teacher tenure reform. Last year's Act 1 was ruled unconstitutional by 19th Judicial District Court Judge R. Michael Caldwell last month. Attorneys for the state are appealing Caldwell's ruling to the Louisiana Supreme Court. The law makes it harder for teachers to earn and retain tenure. This year, the various parts of Act 1 are being divided into multiple bills with the goal of passing constitutional muster. "The organization feels that this piece of legislation in crucial to the success of the K-12 education system, in addition to the reforms already in place," BRAC says in a news release. BRAC President/CEO Adam Knapp says the legislation will "help ensure that all of the students in our region, and around the state, have access to the best and most effective educators." The Capital Region is currently home to five of the top 10 school districts in the state, BRAC says, and four of the seven A-graded districts in the state.
Objections raised to school funding formula change
The House budget committee chairman is unhappy that next year's proposed public school funding formula strips a requirement for how much money must be spent in the classroom. Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Fannin says lawmakers pressed for the mandate in the annual multibillion-dollar formula that 70% of the funding pay for instructional items at the "school building level." Superintendent of Education John White says the requirement was removed from the proposed 2013-14 formula because of legislative concerns that the formula should be a mathematical divvying of dollars, but not dictate policy decisions. Fannin says he believes lawmakers will disagree with the removal of the instructional requirement. The discussion was part of today's budget hearing for the Department of Education, as the Appropriations Committee combs through next year's spending proposals.
Teacher union bracing for battle over dues collection
One of Louisiana's largest teacher unions is vowing to fight legislation it says is aimed at weakening their ranks. The proposed legislation—which would end the practice of union dues being automatically deducted from the paychecks of public employees who voluntarily sign up for membership—was filed last week by Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport. Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, says the measure is simply an effort by a "small elite group of individuals" who want to "shut down the one line of resistance" to its own agenda. Louisiana is a right-to-work state and union membership is voluntary. "We're not going to take that lying down," Monaghan says. "We are going to fight and hopefully the process will end as it should end, with that bill being defeated and we don't end up in another situation where we're having to litigate and having to seek the protection and comfort of the court." Monaghan says LFT was "put on notice" by LABI that the...
The best policy
A year ago this month, 225 published a cover story about bullying in Baton Rouge. Now, local middle-school children are learning about the motives, effects and consequences of bullying thanks to a new anti-bullying campaign called To Be Honest. Five LSU seniors launched the campaign earlier this year.
A lesson in trying
There's a certain level of horror that sinks in when you realize you've just interrupted a student's prayer; a shock that goes far beyond the awkwardness of disrupting, say, a teacher's soliloquy on long division.
Thinking for a change
If you fall asleep in class, your teacher might swat you with a ruler. Or give you detention. Or even pull a prank on you. Nancy Zito turns off the lights.
Survive, then Thrive
The walls no longer beige, the halls no longer quiet, and the dorms of the former Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired no longer empty, Thrive BR is doing just what its name promises—growing, learning, improving.
The great divide
1. The schools in the proposed “breakaway” district, coined Southeast Baton Rouge Community School System, are a mixture of high-performing and low-performing schools. Local Schools for Local Children, the main advocacy group for the proposed school district, believes moving away from the EBRP School System is a vital step in raising the scores of low-performing schools.
EBR, RSD near agreement, but tensions remain
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board next month could approve an agreement with the Recovery School District that would chart a path for struggling schools in the parish. EBR spokeswoman Susan Nelson says talks between the two sides have been constructive. Under the agreement, both groups would sign off on charter operators for seven RSD-run schools, using a common, independent evaluator for charter applications. How such an arrangement will work in practice remains to be seen, since EBR sees charter schools as complementary to the system, while the RSD wants to charter all of its schools. RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard says there's "mutual respect" between the two sides, despite the different philosophies. "I'm always working to try to find areas where we can coexist, [while] mindful of why RSD is here," he says. "It's because schools have been academically unacceptable." School Board Vice President Tarvald Smith touts improvements made by charter schools run by Community...
Voucher applications up from last year
Louisiana education officials say the state has received nearly 12,000 applications for state-funded private school tuition. That's up from about 10,000 last year—the first year that the tuition voucher program went statewide after being piloted in New Orleans. As The Associated Press reports, the increased interest comes despite a judge's ruling that the voucher program as it is currently funded violates the state constitution. A state Supreme Court ruling in that case is pending. The taxpayer-financed tuition at private and parochial schools is available to students from low- to moderate-income families who otherwise would attend public schools graded with a C, D or F by the state. Priority is given to students in D- and F-rated schools. Officials say 129 schools likely will participate in the program, up from 118 last year.
Bill filed to allow voters to elect state education superintendent
Voters should have the power to choose the state's chief educator, according to state Sen. Bob Kostelka. The Times-Picayune reports the Monroe Republican filed a bill last week calling for a constitutional amendment that would require the statewide election of the education superintendent. "[Senate Bill 41] is simply to give the people a choice of whether or not they want to elect their superintendent of education," Kostelka says. The bill will be considered in the legislative session that begins April 8. He notes it is particularly important to leave the choice to voters since so much of the state's budget—over 40% of the general fund—goes to the Department of Education. The department has been headed by Superintendent John White since his appointment in January 2012. Under current law, the superintendent of education is appointed by BESE, and then approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the Legislature. Kostelka's bill, if passed by two-thirds of both...
State looks to avoid past mistakes with charter school operators
When Louisiana considers its next batch of charter school operators, the state will be able to draw upon lessons learned from prior experience, Recovery School District officials say. They say unsuccessful charter operators, such as Advance Baton Rouge, often didn't have enough time to prepare for launching a new school. Some were unable to create a disciplined student culture, didn't set academic expectations high enough, or didn't have the right leadership. RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard says that as the district looks for "high-quality charter operators" for Baton Rouge schools currently run by the state, or even for new schools, it will be "looking for a fit" for each community. "As that process is going on, we want to be able to give voice to communities," he says. "We want to take away the fear of the RSD." Dobard also says the district is looking for operators with "a proven track record of success." New Schools for Baton Rouge, a recently formed nonprofit, is helping...
Lobdell land bought for new charter school
A Minnesota-based developer has purchased a 52,000-square-foot office building on Lobdell Avenue for $1.3 million, and has plans to turn it into a charter school. Ryan Companies US Inc. purchased the building at 1900 N. Lobdell Ave. on Monday and will renovate the building for Charter Schools USA, which plans to house a new school on the 6-acre campus, says Steve Legendre of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, who represented Ryan in the deal. Jonathan Starns of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate represented the seller, Educational Management Services. The previous tenants at the property, which include Baton Rouge College, have been relocated, Legendre says. Charter Schools USA is taking applications for students in grades K-6 and plans to open the Baton Rouge Charter Academy at Mid City in August, according to the group's website. The site says the school will teach kindergarten through sixth-grade students during the 2013-14 school year, with seventh- and eighth-grade classes to be added "in...
News alert: EBR Schools pulls plug on RFP
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System has rescinded the RFP it issued earlier this week for a nearly $300,000 advertising and marketing campaign. As Daily Report reported this morning, the system was seeking proposals from 11 area agencies to, "…develop a comprehensive community campaign to increase support for EBR Schools." In an email late this afternoon, Susan Nelson, interim director for communications for EBRSS, says the RFP has since been rescinded, "… on the advice of counsel who wants the RFP release to go before the (school) board." Nelson says she does not know if or when another RFP will be issued. —Stephanie Riegel
School board considers turning Mayfair Middle into elementary lab school
The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will take up a proposal Thursday to begin planning for the conversion of Mayfair Middle School into an elementary school modeled after the LSU Laboratory School. "Basically, we'll be trying to replicate that program," says school system spokeswoman Susan Nelson. The agenda item calls for spending an estimated $190,000 to begin planning for the conversion to an elementary and lab school, which Nelson says would entail working with LSU Laboratory School officials to "use their methodology and have some of their teachers train our teachers." If approved, the conversion to an elementary lab school would take place in August. Mayfair Middle School currently serves students in grades 6 through 8. After the change, the school would likely educate those in kindergarten through fifth grade, but Nelson says the specifics of the transformation have yet to be finalized. Baton Rouge currently has two laboratory schools, one at LSU and one at Southern...
EBR school system solicits bids for advertising, PR campaign
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is seeking proposals from 11 local and regional advertising agencies for a nearly $300,000 marketing and public relations campaign that will seek to rebrand the public school system. According to the RFP, which was issued this week, "The goal is to develop a comprehensive community campaign to increase support for EBR Schools throughout the business community and to encourage more families to select EBR Schools as their schools of choice." The RFP also says the district has $68,000 to spend on procuring professional services for the campaign and $217,000 for media buys, ad placement, printing and production costs. All the money, which was included in the 2012-13 budget, must be allocated for the campaign by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. That's a tight window for such a massive campaign, according to some local agency execs interested in getting the work. But Susan Nelson, the system's new interim executive director for...
Feds grant La. $9.6M for lowest-performing schools
Louisiana is set to receive another $9.6 million from the U.S. Department of Education's School Improvement Grant program, state officials announced Monday. The notification comes on the heels of an announcement last week by Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White that the department will use $5 million in existing state grant money to help improve underperforming schools graded D or F. Nearly 200,000 students in 59 of the 64 parishes across the state attend a school graded D or F. The Times-Picayune reports that Louisiana's federal allocation announced Monday is the second largest of the 10 states to receive money through the program this year, trailing only Texas. In total this year, the program will award over $88 million to public schools nationwide.
Education expert says La. system destined for failure
Diane Ravitch—a former proponent of the conservative education agenda turned critic—bashed Louisiana schools today, arguing that the state's current school system is based on a radical political agenda destined for failure. "Louisiana is dismantling one of the essential institutions of our democratic society," she told attendees at today's Leaders With Vision luncheon. In a fast-paced and pointed critique of Louisiana schools, Ravitch—who's also a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education and current New York University research professor, education historian and author—called vouchers, charter schools and teacher merit pay programs "risky." She adds there's no scientific evidence that such initiatives work as well as supporters say they do. "This is not a conservative plan; it is a radical plan," she says. "It is reckless with children's lives and with taxpayers dollars." Ravitch, speaking ahead of BESE head Chas Roemer, rattled off a list of the best...
Additional grants available for D and F schools
The state Department of Education today released its plan to revive schools graded D or F. The plan is called "Believe and Succeed: Louisiana's Initiative to Transform Struggling Schools," and it will offer grants to teachers, principals, school districts and nonprofit organizations that have proposals to turn around their schools. Applicants who propose a new vision for a school in which the school leader has flexibility over hiring and firing, budgetary, curricular, and other key decisions, will be considered, the department says. "There are great leaders with creative ideas within our schools. 'Believe and Succeed' calls on these leaders to act now and serve Louisiana's most underserved students," says state Superintendent John White. There are two types of grants available through the plan, and applications for both are due by April 26. Nearly 200,000 students in 59 of the 64 parishes across the state attend a school graded D or F. Complete details and applications can be found...
Breakaway district supporters 'very confident' of legislative success
Local Schools for Local Children, a group pushing for a new school district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish, is "very confident" it will be successful at the Legislature this year, after falling just short last year, says spokesman Lionel Rainey III. "We were able to identify who voted yes, who voted no, who wasn't there," he says. "We were also able to hear exactly what our opposition was saying." Rainey didn't say how many lawmakers who weren't supportive last time might help the group prevail this year, but says Local Schools has been able to address some of their concerns. He says the new district would still be majority-minority, even if every Catholic school student in the area attends the new district's schools, and says BESE would ensure the new district reimburses 100% of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's legacy costs for retiree health benefits and for unpaid principal and interest on school construction bonds. Rainey and Local Schools President Norman...
Church to donate land on Gardere Lane for new school
New Life Church, a Southern Baptist church on Staring Lane, will donate two acres it owns at the intersection of Gardere Lane and GSRI Avenue to the Gardere Christian School, whose leaders hope to construct a modular classroom building on the site in time for the start of the next school year. The deal, which is not yet finalized, would be a significant milestone for the small, private school, which serves 30 children from low-income families in the Gardere area. Currently, the school buses students to classes in downtown space provided by the First Presbyterian Church. But school board Chairman Dan Zito, whose wife, Nancy Zito, founded and runs the school, says the long-term goal was always to have a permanent school in the neighborhood that can serve as a resource for the community. Under the terms of the arrangement, Gardere Christian School will sign a zero-dollar lease with the church and will make improvements to the property that, for the time being, will include a modular...
Judge throws out Jindal's teacher tenure revamp
A Baton Rouge judge threw out Gov. Bobby Jindal's revamp of teacher tenure and salary laws today, saying the legislation was unconstitutional because it contained too many items spanning Louisiana's education laws. Judge Michael Caldwell previously had thrown out parts of the education law that limited the authority of local school boards. But he had upheld the provision that made it harder for teachers to reach the job protection status of tenure and that eliminated statewide teacher pay scales. Caldwell today widened his previous decision, saying he had misread part of the bill for the previous ruling that allowed any part of it to stand. The Republican judge determined that the entire bill must be declared unconstitutional because the bill bundled too many objectives that should have been spread out among multiple measures. Jimmy Faircloth, lawyer for the Jindal administration and the state Department of Education, says he will appeal Caldwell's decision. Jindal issued a
New Lee High School to have '21st-century features'
Grace & Hebert Architects, the Baton Rouge-based firm that the East Baton Rouge Parish School System has selected to design the new Lee High School, says the school will be designed to accommodate 1,200 students and "incorporate 21st-century features" such as modern classrooms, updated technology, and flexible study areas for student collaboration and socializing. "Our design will provide the latest technology and modern spaces to enhance learning," says Jim French, group senior principal of DLR Group, which is serving as a design consultant to Grace & Hebert on the project. The current one-story Lee High School on Lee Drive will be demolished this year and will be rebuilt as a two-story school. The $58.5 million project is expected to be complete in time for students in the 2015-16 school year. "We have deep roots in this community and want to help position the EBR school system for future success. Our team is thrilled about bringing the first 21st-century school to the East Baton...
La. lawmaker invites suggestions on school safety
A state lawmaker who heads the House homeland security committee is seeking ideas from educators and parents about ways to improve school safety. Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, has set up a special email address to receive public comments on the issue. He's asking people to send their ideas to schoolsafetycomments@legis.la.gov. Schroder's committee held an earlier hearing to get suggestions from state education leaders and law enforcement officials about how to strengthen school security. The review is prompted by the mass shooting in December at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults. In addition to the state House review of school safety preparations, Gov. Bobby Jindal formed a 13-member study group to look at the issue and offer ideas in advance of the regular legislative session. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is also in the process of hosting a...
EBR schools taxes up for renewal April 6
A pair of property taxes that provide about 10% of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's funding are up for renewal April 6. The two proposals combined are equal to 13.69 mills and are expected to raise more than $42 million per year toward salaries, benefits and aid to schools. Although property taxes in the city of Baton Rouge went up this year, due to the new transit tax, system officials expect voters will approve the renewals, system spokeswoman Susan Nelson says. "Obviously, there would be significant concerns if it didn't go through," she says. "The community has been really good to the school system. We don't really have any reason to think they won't continue to be supportive of the school system." She says the system will be working with organizations that support it, reminding them to get out and vote. The renewals would be for 10 years. April 6 is a municipal primary election date in Louisiana. Nothing else is on the ballot in the area covered by the EBR school...
EBR to partner with state on charter school reviews
The public school districts in East Baton Rouge, Jefferson and Lafayette parishes have agreed to partner with the state on a "simplified, customized" charter school authorization process, the Louisiana Department of Education announced today. The districts plan to utilize the department's charter application review procedure while still retaining the right to grant final approval of applicants. The process will allow charter applicants to apply to multiple districts participating in the partnership at once, which the state says will lead to lower costs for the districts. "The partnership between these districts and the Department will create a more efficient process and reduce the burden on districts," says state Superintendent John White. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are authorized by a local school district or BESE and enter a five-year contract with the authorizing body.
LSU lands on pair of 'best value' lists
With tuition around $5,200 per year for in-state students and $20,500 for out-of-state students, LSU is among 100 public colleges and universities included on Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's list of the best values in the country for 2013. LSU, which is ranked No. 90 on the list for value to in-state students and No. 100 for out-of-state students, is the only Louisiana school on the list. The full Kiplinger's rankings can be found here, and the stats specific to LSU are here. Kiplinger's is not the only "best value" list on which LSU has landed recently. LSU is also included on The Princeton...
Leading the charge
In 2007, Melissa Juneau took the reins of the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation. Fresh off the plane from four years abroad with her husband Matt, a vice president at Albemarle Corp., Juneau had accepted a position at the foundation as a part-time speech pathologist. Before she ever showed up for the job, though, the executive director resigned. Then the executive committee called her in for an interview. Next thing she knew, Juneau had her name on a placard and a floundering nonprofit with dying community support to call her own.
EBR public schools show improvement on BRAC report card
East Baton Rouge Parish public schools showed signs of improvement over the past school year, according to an annual report card on the 2011-12 school year released this morning by BRAC. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System earned a "C" in the report, up from a "D" the year previous. BRAC says the report examines data and performance scores for K-12 schools to provide a review of local school districts as well as overall school performance in the Capital Region. BRAC says 86% of public schools in the Capital Region received improved scores compared with assessments in the report from the previous school year. Four school districts in the region received an "A" in this year's report: Zachary Community, West Feliciana Parish, Central Community and Ascension Parish. Livingston Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish districts each received a "B." East Baton Rouge Parish was the only district to receive a "C," while Iberville Parish, Pointe Coupee Parish, East Feliciana and the City of...
White refutes teacher attrition claims, says retirement is steady
The Louisiana Department of Education released a report today showing teacher attrition has held steady in the state for the third consecutive year at 12%. The release comes in response to a claim by the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana that there's been a 25% increase in teacher retirements in recent years. The Department of Education says it granted more teaching licenses in the 2010-11 school year than it did during the 2008-2009 year, and that TRSL's reported increase in teacher retirements covers only employees with longer tenures and specific rights to benefits. "The data show that we do not have a statewide shortage of teachers and that applications for new positions are up," says Superintendent of Education John White. "But more important, the data show that our schools are keeping and promoting our best teachers, which is the issue we should be focused on." TRSL says the number of teachers retiring jumped from 2,598 in the 2011 fiscal year to 3,295 in the 2012 fiscal...
10-year-old boy charged in St. Joseph's threat
A 10-year-old boy from Iberville Parish was today charged with terrorizing and was released to his parents after officials say they determined he was behind a threat left Saturday on the voicemail system of St. Joseph's Academy. The investigation continues, notes a news release from Baton Rouge Police Department Lt. Don Kelly. The school was open as usual today amid heightened security, which included an unspecified number of uniformed BRPD officers. The department has not released the nature of the threat. Some parents, who were informed of the threat on Sunday evening, nonetheless kept their children home from school today; some classes reportedly had as little as one-third of normal attendance.
Threat prompts St. Joseph's Academy to beef up security
St. Joseph's Academy is holding school today amid heightened security due to an anonymous threat that was left on the school's voice-mail system Saturday. According to school officials and the Baton Rouge Police Department, St. Joseph's administrators forwarded the call to the BRPD Sunday "out of an abundance of caution." The BRPD has been investigating the threat since then, as has District Attorney Hillar Moore III. In the meantime, an unspecified number of uniformed BRPD officers are providing security around the campus and will continue to do so "if such staffing is deemed appropriate, after close of school today," according to Lt. Don Kelly, a BRPD spokesman. Parents were made aware of the threat Sunday evening in a recorded call from the school's principal, Linda Harvison, who did not provide details about the nature of the threat. That sent off a mild panic. Moore says his phone was "ringing off the hook" with calls from concerned parents. Later Sunday night, the school...
EBR, RSD reach agreement on state-run schools
The Recovery School District and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System have signed a memorandum of understanding that could lead to the return of seven RSD-run schools to the EBR fold as Type 1 charters. Both sides would have to agree on charter operators for each school and would use a common, independent third-party evaluator for charter applications. Many families choose to take their children out of schools that are taken over by the RSD, forcing the system to bus those students to other schools throughout the district. Under the new agreement, officials hope to attract those students back to their neighborhood schools. The schools would have their own boards, like other charters. But EBR would be able to recoup legacy costs tied to those schools, and the system would be able to ensure a smooth transition for students moving between charter schools and traditional schools, spokeswoman Susan Nelson says. The agreement also envisions a charter school and district school...
EBR public schools praised for technology implementation
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is among the leading public school districts in the state when it comes to implementing new technology in classrooms over the past six months, Superintendent of Education John White announced today. According to Louisiana Department of Education figures, 72 of 73 schools in the district are now meeting a minimum standard of having a 7:1 student-to-computer ratio for testing. Of those meeting the requirement, 46 schools are also meeting a higher 3:1 ratio. The local success of technology implementation is part of a larger statewide effort by LDOE, which has been working to get the state's schools prepared for tougher classes and online testing that is set to begin in the 2014-15 school year. Over the past six months, the number of Louisiana school districts with sufficient devices to administer the online tests rose from 5 to 17, LDOE says. LDOE has more on today's announcement
Publisher: A brighter future for Louisiana's children has begun
During a recent community meeting on education featuring state schools Superintendent John White, Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister sat in the back row listening to LeAnn Mason talk about her daughters and her dreams for them. Of the private school two of her three children are able to attend because of the state's new voucher program, Mason said: "My babies are reading, writing cursive and blossoming. This is going to help my children out of poverty." "My heart was in my throat," McCollister recalls in his new column. "Many of us take a good education for granted, but this mom was so excited for her children and her voice had a ring of hope. And I could sense the pride she had in being a good mom, doing what is best for her children." Mason was among many parents who praised the new voucher program on that occasion. McCollister says their stories cumulatively convey the reason Louisiana needs to continue on the path of school reform despite legal challenges from...
La. given a 'C' for teacher preparedness
When it comes to having teachers who are prepared for the classroom, Louisiana is about average, reflected in the "C" grade the state has been given by the National Council on Teacher Quality in its annual State Teacher Policy Yearbook released today. That's the same grade the state was given in last year's report from the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research organization. However, on this issue, Louisiana is faring better than most states, the report suggests. The national average grade in the report is a "D+," and no state earned a better grade than a "B-." Louisiana is criticized in the report for not ensuring "teacher preparation programs admit candidates with strong academic backgrounds," and for not ensuring student teacher programs will "provide teacher candidates with a high-quality summative clinical experience." It also says the state does not ensure new elementary teachers are "ready to teach to the Common Core Standards." On a brighter note, the report says...
BESE's Roemer not satisfied with latest high ranking
Louisiana has received high praise from yet another education group, but BESE President Chas Roemer isn't beating his chest. In rankings released today, the Center for Education Reform places Louisiana at No. 6 nationally for parents having access to make educational decisions. The Washington, D.C.-based organization promotes choice and accountability. "I would grade ourselves much lower," Roemer says. "We still don't have enough choice. It's unacceptable for a parent or child to feel like they're stuck in a failing school." Despite options for students in Louisiana to go to other public schools with higher rankings or receive vouchers to attend private schools—which aren't ranked—many parents keep their children within the traditional public school model. "I think we do a very poor job of letting families know what they should expect and what are [their] options," Roemer says. "It's a...
Two BESE members resign; Jindal names replacements
BESE members John Bennett and Penny Dastuge—who had been BESE president for the past two years—have both submitted their resignations to Gov. Bobby Jindal, effective today. Jindal announced his appointments of Stephen Waguespack of Baton Rouge and Judy Miranti of New Orleans as their replacements. Waguespack is an attorney and special counsel at Jones Walker. Previously, Waguespack was the chief of staff and executive council to Jindal. Miranti is chair and director of the Division of Education and Graduate Studies at Xavier University. “In 2012 Penny and I agreed to remain on BESE for an additional year for the purpose of providing continuity and support. We had a new state superintendent and several newly elected board members along with an unprecedented legislative education reform agenda,” reads a prepared statement by Bennett, who's been principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School for 28 years. Dastugue has been a BESE member for nine years, and says in her...
Two BESE members resign
BESE members John Bennett and Penny Dastuge—who had been BESE president for the past two years—have both submitted their resignations to Gov. Bobby Jindal, effective today. “In 2012 Penny and I agreed to remain on BESE for an additional year for the purpose of providing continuity and support. We had a new state superintendent and several newly elected board members along with an unprecedented legislative education reform agenda,” reads a prepared statement by Bennett, who’s been principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School for 28 years. Dastugue has been a BESE member for nine years, and says in her resignation letter: “Other than my role as a wife and mother, I consider my nine years on BESE and the five years representing you on the behalf of Louisiana’s students, families and educators the most important work of my lifetime.”
EBR Superintendent 'cautiously optimistic' about avoiding breakaway district
East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Bernard Taylor says he's been encouraged by recent conversations with state Sen. Bodi White, R-Central—who helped lead the charge for a new public school district in southeast Baton Rouge during the last legislative session—and says there's a good chance the existing EBR system can be held together. Taylor says officials are crafting a plan based on public input that would involve creating "families" of schools, in which parents would be able to choose among any schools in the "family." That would mean schools would be forced to compete for students. "If you have to compete you may have to look at what you can do different," Taylor says. Public meetings to discuss the proposals—which would have to be approved by BESE—are scheduled to begin next week. Taylor spoke today at a luncheon hosted by Volunteers In Public Schools. Norman Browning, who leads a group that has called for a breakaway district and attended...
EBR school board leadership decision tops today's agenda
Despite a recent report that EBR school board member David Tatman will likely have the votes to be elected board president at a meeting today, some members consider current Vice President Tarvald Smith a strong contender. Board member Craig Freeman says it could go either way. Freeman says the board prefers diversity in its leaders, meaning a black president likely would be paired with a white vice president, or vice versa. Jill Dyason, who is white, has been mentioned as a strong candidate for vice president if Smith becomes president. Evelyn Ware-Jackson, who is black, might also contend for vice president. Barbara Freiberg, the current president, has decided to step aside to allow for new leadership. Smith says board leadership plays an important role in dealing with state decision makers and community stakeholders. The board has been discussing with the state the future of schools in north Baton Rouge that the EBR system used to run—Freeman hopes an agreement is mere days...
Lawmakers reviewing school security practices
Some state lawmakers are getting an overview of security procedures already on the books for schools and colleges, a review prompted by the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in December. The House homeland security committee was hearing today from education leaders and law enforcement officials about what crisis prevention and response plans already exist—and was taking recommendations for other safety ideas. Rep. John Schroder, chairman of the committee, says lawmakers on the panel won't discuss mental health issues, gun control or budget complaints because those don't fall under the panel's jurisdiction. The shootings in Newtown, Conn., were the second-largest school shooting in the country's history. A gunman with a high-powered rifle killed 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as six adults on campus.
BESE agrees to decrease school mandates, gives White favorable evaluation
Louisiana's state school board agreed today to shrink the number of mandates required of local districts, despite concerns the move would let schools eliminate counselors and librarians to cut costs. Superintendent of Education John White proposed changes to 150 different sections of policies governing school systems. They include eliminating the statewide school calendar and changing physical education standards to allow credit for extracurricular activities like cheerleading and participation in marching band. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education backed the changes with no discussion, after making modest adjustments a day earlier in a committee meeting. Also Wednesday, BESE gave White a favorable annual evaluation, after grading his first year on the job. The evaluation discussion was held for more than an hour in a closed-door session, and board members didn't release specifics about the review. The board also gave final approval to modest changes in the state's method...
Louisiana schools get 'C+' on 2013 National Report Card
With an overall score of 79 out of 100, Louisiana's schools were given a “C+” grade on the 2013 edition of Quality Counts, released today. Though it was the third-straight year Louisiana has received a “C+” grade in the report, the Louisiana Department of Education is celebrating the fact that the state jumped to 15th overall among all states and Washington, D.C., up from 23rd last year and 44th in 2008. The annual publication is a report card on education, providing a national and state-by-state summary and competitive analysis. “Indeed, this new ranking shows that our education system has gone from almost rock bottom to number 15 in the country. We've made great progress, but we will not stop until Louisiana has the best education system in the country,” Gov. Bobby Jindal says in a prepared statement. Maryland got top-ranking in the country with a “B+” grade. Louisiana's score was slightly below the U.S. average of 76.9, also a...
Education group that praised La. under microscope
After education advocacy group StudentsFirst ranked Louisiana No. 1 in the nation for
Virtual classrooms will improve state education, principal says
When Louisiana's first online all-grades charter school opened last year, it had 500 students across the state enrolled and taking classes. Now in its second year, Louisiana Connections Academy has 1,200 students. Principal Caroline Wood says the school—which has a main office on Goodwood Boulevard—encourages students to enroll in courses provided by Louisiana Department of Education's Career and Technical Education Program, and step outside their comfort zone by taking on educational challenges. "If you come in as a middle school student, I give you a high school class," says Wood, who spoke today at an "investor luncheon" presented by BRAC, and sponsored by Humana and NAI/Latter & Blum.. In Louisiana, Wood hopes students can improve and accelerate their education—outside of classes offered in local public school classrooms—by enrolling in courses provided by the state education department's Louisiana Course Choice program. Louisiana Connections Academy...
La. gets top ranking for pro-student education policies
StudentsFirst—an advocacy group promoting education reform through teacher tenure overhauls, introducing the use of standardized test scores in performance evaluations, and charter school expansion—places Louisiana at the top a new ranking for states implementing such policies. Both Louisiana and Florida received a "B-" grade in the ranking, with no states receiving a higher grade. However, Louisiana is ranked No. 1 overall in the report, just ahead of Florida. Twelve states received an "F" grade in the report, reflecting StudentsFirst's willingness to build a reputation as a harsh grader. The ratings focus purely on state laws and policies, and do not take into account student test scores. "This report confirms that Louisiana is now leading the nation in education reform because of our commitment to put a great teacher in every classroom and give every child the opportunity to get a great education," says...
Jindal makes appointments to Board of Regents, Southern University board
Gov. Bobby Jindal today announced appointments to the Board of Regents and the Board of Supervisors of Southern University that feature a number of well-known Capital Region residents. Among the Board of Regents appointments are Richard Lipsey, founder and CEO of Lipsey's Inc. Also appointed to the board are Joel Dupre and Edward Markle, both of New Orleans, as well as Robert Levy of Vienna and Mark Abraham of Lake Charles. For the board overseeing Southern, Jindal has appointed Leon Tarver of Baton Rouge, who serves as executive administrator of the Center of Cultural Heritage and International Programs at Southern University System. Another local reappointee to the board is Antonio "Tony" Clayton of Port Allen, who is senior partner at the law firm of Clayton and Fruge and an assistant district attorney of the 18th Judicial District. Other appointments to the Southern board announced by Jindal today are Michael Small of Slidell, Raymond Fondel Jr. of Lake Charles, and Rev. Joe...
Jindal creating a task force to assess school safety
Gov. Bobby Jindal is forming a 13-member study group to review safety standards at Louisiana schools and colleges in the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. Jindal issued an executive order today creating the group, which will be led by Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, and Jimmy LeBlanc, secretary of the corrections department. The governor is asking the group to assess current safety programs at public and private schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as at colleges and universities around the state. According to the order, the task force will suggest improvements that can be made by state agencies and will recommend to lawmakers any statutory changes it thinks are necessary, in advance of the regular legislative session that begins in April. On Dec. 21, Louisiana House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, asked U.S. Rep. John Schroder, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, to convene...
Louisiana officials keep tabs on schools by subbing as teachers
Many lawmakers who make policy for elementary and secondary education in Louisiana "think our schools are still like the ones that Wally and Beaver went to, and they're not," says state Treasurer John Kennedy. To get firsthand knowledge of what public schools are really like, Kennedy moonlights as a substitute teacher. In 2004 Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, sponsored a resolution urging statewide elected officials and legislators to experience the public school system by voluntarily substitute teaching at least three full schooldays a year. Two hours into his stint as a substitute teacher at Magnolia Woods Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Kennedy had banished one third-grader to the corner and guided the rest of the class through a writing exercise. The school's principal, Donna Wallette, popped in to quiz the students about Kennedy's regular job as the state's money manager. "Mr. Kennedy is the Louisiana state treasurer. What does treasurer mean?" she asked. Third-grader...
Split decision
A Baton Rouge judge has tossed out on constitutional grounds part of an education revamp pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, but has upheld the centerpiece provisions that changed teacher tenure and salary laws.
LSU Lab School joins BRAC talent development and retention initiative
The LSU Laboratory School has joined several other local schools in a BRAC initiative aimed at keeping graduates in the Capital Region and bringing back those who have left. The agreement announced today is the same as those BRAC has previously announced signing with alumni associations at LSU and Southern University, as well as with Episcopal High School and Baton Rouge Magnet High School. Under the agreements, BRAC and the schools partner to promote the Capital Region and job opportunities within it at various events. BRAC also works to identify local employment opportunities for local graduates who have since left the region. The goal of the partnership is to increase the number of résumés included in BRAC's online talent database, which it has been building as part of its five-year strategic plan. Those interested in learning more about the database and being a part of it can find more information here.
Ruling expected Tuesday in La. teacher tenure suit
A Baton Rouge district court judge says he'll announce his decision Tuesday on whether Gov. Bobby Jindal's revamp of teacher tenure and salary laws was passed in violation of the state constitution. "I have gone back and forth on this case," Judge Michael Caldwell told attorneys today after hearing arguments. "And I still have not decided where I am on it." The bill—pushed by Jindal and passed by lawmakers earlier this year—makes changes to the powers of school boards, teacher hiring and firing rules, teacher pay scales, the duties of principals, and the job protection status known as teacher tenure. A statewide teachers union, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, filed a lawsuit claiming that too many objectives and statutory changes were crammed into one bill in order to rush the legislation to final passage without adequate debate. LFT lawyer Larry Samuel says the bill violates a constitutional provision designed to give lawmakers the ability to properly comb through...
Obama calls for 'meaningful action' after Connecticut school shooting
A visibly moved President Barack Obama told reporters today that he grieved about the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school as a parent first and promised action to prevent such tragedies again, without specifying what that might be. Speaking on behalf of the nation, Obama said, "Our hearts are broken today." The scene in the White House briefing room was one of the most outwardly emotional moments of his presidency. "The majority of those who died were children—beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," Obama said. He paused, then and later in the talk, for several seconds to keep his composure and wipe an eye. Nearby, two aides cried and held hands as they listened to the president. A gunman opened fire inside an elementary school where his mother worked, killing at least 26 people, including 20 children. The shooter blasted his way through the building as young students cowered helplessly or were gunned down.
Voucher ruling leaves some Louisiana Course Choice providers in limbo
While the status of Louisiana's new student voucher program garnered the majority of attention after the funding mechanism was recently ruled unconstitutional, businesses setting up classes for the implementation of Louisiana Course Choice have also been affected. The funding for the program was also shot down in the Nov. 30 ruling by District Judge Tim Kelley, but BESE moved forward with the program last week when a panel approved 45 providers to teach courses beginning next year. The state Department of Education website has a target date of Jan. 1 to publish its course catalog online. "We're not going to enter into any contracts, but we'll put our thoughts together that if it does go through—we'll have our ducks in a row," says Patricia Carley, who along with Kay Snowbarger started Reaching Every Teacher earlier this year. The pair just made the deadline with the application process for the course choice program, and now has to put off decisions like spending "a minimum of...
Community garden planned for 'food desert' of north Baton Rouge
One unhealthy aspect of north Baton Rouge, particularly in the 70805 ZIP code area, is the dearth of grocery stores and fresh produce. In an effort to address the situation, this so-called food desert is getting planted with fruit trees and blueberry bushes on Arbor Day, the third Friday in January in Louisiana. Baton Rouge Green is using a major portion of a $28,000 grant from ExxonMobil to plant a variety of trees, including satsuma and peach, near the new homes of Urban Gardens, an affordable-housing project just north of Hollywood Street at the corner of Amarillo Street and Breckenridge Avenue. There are currently nine homes built in Urban Gardens—seven are sold or under contract—and five more will be built next year. The development plan calls for a total of 21 homes eventually. The community is being built on the old grounds of Hollywood Elementary School; the garden is being planted on a lot owned by King's Children Ministry. "And the church evidently had a little...
Funding for vouchers falls in court
In an opinion issued Nov. 30, District Judge Tim Kelley didn't say spending public money on private-school vouchers is illegal, but he did say the state can't pay for them the way lawmakers had planned. The Louisiana Supreme Court will have the final say on that point, but one way or the other, vouchers, and the controversy that surrounds Gov. Bobby Jindal's education agenda, are unlikely to go away.
The battle for school choice
The fight has gone on for decades, and it was obvious at the courthouse two weeks ago that the war will continue. But given that it’s about children, their parents and their right to a great education—not to mention their chance in the future—it’s a war worth fighting. The outcome will impact us all.
Ramifications of voucher rulings could be far-reaching
The state will appeal two recent court rulings—one in Baton Rouge, one in New Orleans—that went against the state's private school voucher program. In the meantime, advocates on both sides are speculating about possible precedents stemming from the decisions. Baton Rouge District Court Judge Tim Kelley on Nov. 30 agreed with teachers unions and school boards that money allocated through the state's minimum foundation program is constitutionally guaranteed to public schools and can't be spent on private school vouchers. Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, who argued the state's case, says Kelley's ruling, if allowed to stand, could threaten BESE's traditional discretion over the MFP formula. "What the court has done is basically give local districts ownership of the formula rather than the product of the formula," he says. "The next challenge could be that they don't like the weighting," he adds, referring to the factors that go into creating the formula. A federal judge based in...
Decision on La. school mandates pushed back to January
BESE has delayed a decision on shrinking the number of mandates required of local school districts. Superintendent of Education John White has proposed getting rid of the statewide school calendar, changing physical education standards to allow credit for extracurricular activities such as cheerleading, and removing requirements for how many librarians and counselors schools should have. Those are among recommended changes to 150 different sections of policies governing school systems. White says the goal is to eliminate red tape and remove outdated regulations. BESE members in committee raised concerns Tuesday about individual items. Board member Holly Boffy of Lafayette says more time was needed to comb through the list and get further details. At Boffy's urging, the panel voted 6-3 to postpone a decision until January.
BESE moves ahead with Course Choice program
The state's top school board has backed nearly four dozen organizations to offer courses to Louisiana's public school students through online classes and other nontraditional means. Today's decision comes despite a judge's ruling last week that the program's planned financing is unconstitutional. Superintendent of Education John White is recommending 45 course providers be given contracts to participate in Louisiana's new Course Choice program, scheduled to begin next year. BESE backed the list in an 8-2 vote. Critics say BESE shouldn't approve course providers, since a state judge determined the state couldn't pay for the program through the public school funding formula. That ruling is being appealed. White says the law creating Course Choice requires BESE to move forward. He says funding decisions can be made later.
Roemer expected to be elected next BESE president
Chas Roemer is expected to be elected president of BESE at a special joint meeting Wednesday morning of both that board and the Louisiana Board of Regents, sources tell Daily Report. Roemer is currently in his second four-year term on the 11-member BESE, representing District 6, which includes most of East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Though Roemer will not comment on the expected outcome of the board election, sources confirm he is the likely successor to Penny Dastugue, who has been on BESE since 2005 and was elected president in October 2010. Roemer, the son of former Gov. Buddy Roemer, tells Daily Report that if he is elected, his top priority will be to find a way around last week's ruling declaring the state's new school voucher law unconstitutional. "It's absolutely necessary," Roemer says of the voucher program. "To force kids to sit in a failing public school is not right." Roemer says one way around the ruling,...
Fate of 4,900 voucher students uncertain in light of judge's ruling
Gov. Bobby Jindal's private school tuition voucher program was ruled unconstitutional by a Baton Rouge judge this afternoon, and it's not immediately clear how the ruling will affect the more than 4,900 students now enrolled in 117 private schools with taxpayer dollars. State Superintendent of Education John White issued a brief statement this afternoon, saying: "We strongly disagree with the ruling. We are optimistic this decision will be reversed on appeal." In the ruling, District Judge Tim Kelley says that the program improperly diverts money allocated through Louisiana's public school funding formula to private schools. He also says it unconstitutionally diverts local tax dollars to private schools. The state DOE and BESE say the programs were funded and created in line with the constitution. The Black Alliance for Educational Options, a staunch supporter of the voucher program,
News alert: Louisiana voucher program ruled unconstitutional
District Judge Tim Kelley has ruled that the funding formula for Louisiana's new school voucher program violates the state's constitution. Kelley handed down the ruling this afternoon following a trial that lasted throughout the week. The suit was brought by two statewide education unions and 43 school boards seeking to shut down the voucher program and other changes that would funnel more money away from traditional public schools. State officials have maintained the funding formula is in line with the constitution. An appeal by the state is expected.
Judge Kelley: Donation from state lawyer in voucher case won't affect ruling
In July, District Judge Tim Kelley rejected an injunction that sought to stop the state's new and controversial school voucher program from taking effect, saying he did not have the jurisdiction to rule because doing so would have created a budget deficit. Kelley is expected today to rule on the constitutionality of the program, after repeatedly saying during the trial this week that he doesn't think lawyers' testimony is needed in the Baton Rouge lawsuit challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program. On Thursday, Kelley told Daily Report he was unaware that an attorney for the state Department of Education in the voucher trial, Jimmy Faircloth, had donated $1,000 on Oct. 24 to his recent, failed campaign for the District 5 seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court. Faircloth, a former member of Jindal's executive counsel, is representing the state as a private attorney. "It doesn't affect how I decide things," Kelley says of his campaign contributions. "Bottom line:...
Closing arguments to be heard in school voucher lawsuit today
A three-day trial in a lawsuit challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher program as unconstitutional is wrapping up today in Baton Rouge. Judge Tim Kelley asked lawyers to give their closing arguments today. However, it's unclear if he will rule immediately after their arguments are made or request additional information in the form of post-trial legal filings. Kelley said earlier this week he expected to hand down a ruling by the end of today. Teachers unions and school boards are seeking to shut down the vouchers and other changes that would funnel more money away from traditional public schools. They say it's unconstitutional to pay for vouchers to private schools through the public school funding formula. They also claim lawmakers didn't follow the proper process. The state Department of Education and the BESE say the programs were created and are funded in line with the constitution.
'WSJ': La. voucher case highlights the 'bizarre world' we live in
The judge in a Baton Rouge trial challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide school voucher program told lawyers today he didn't think testimony was needed, even as testimony continued into its second day. Judge Tim Kelley's comments reinforced expectations he will rule on the constitutionality of the program as soon as lawyers wrap up with their witnesses. He has said he expects to hand down a ruling by the end of the week. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports the case is an example of "the bizarre world in which we live." To sharpen the point, the newspaper highlights the experience of Gabriel Evans of New Orleans. It says Evans attended an "F"-rated public school in 2007, then moved to a Catholic school a year later. "His mother, Valerie Evans, calls the voucher a 'lifesaver,' allowing him to get 'out of a public school system that is filled with fear, confusion and violence,' " reads the report. "So what is the response of the teachers union? Sue the state to force...
State may skip private school certification rule
Under Louisiana's Constitution, any nonpublic school getting state money must be certified as providing a curriculum at least equal to those required for public schools. But The (Monroe) News-Star reports that it's questionable whether that's true of the 377 schools with such approval, which gives their diplomas the same weight as the state's. Under the Constitution and a court ruling, certification must come from BESE. Member James Garvey of Metairie co-chairs BESE's School Innovation and Turnaround Committee. He says BESE does not look at curriculum quality, just at policies and procedures. "We don't look at what they teach," he says. "We look at the system. We look at policies and procedures, not what they teach. It's how they teach and not what they teach." Member Lottie Beebe of Breaux Bridge says there's no evidence the Constitution is being followed. She says the board is just taking the Education Department's word that the schools meet state standards. A public records...
Report: La. school districts have not vouchers but themselves to blame for budget woes
While a number of school districts have raised concerns that they will face financial hardships if students choose to participate in the new voucher program and attend private schools, a new report from The Pelican Institute for Public Policy says that it's not vouchers that are creating budgetary woes for these districts. Rather, citing a study by the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice, the Pelican Institute says the districts have only themselves to blame. "Public school employment has far outpaced K-12 student enrollment. This trend is particularly stark in Louisiana, where the number of students declined by 13% between 1991 and 2009," reads the report. "Despite this decline in students, the number of total school personnel actually increased by 11%. The number of teachers increased by 9% and the number of non-teaching administrators increased by 13%." You can check out the full report
Breakaway schools group wants more discussion on EBR attendance zones
Norman Browning, president of Local Schools for Local Children, which pushed for a breakaway district in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish during the last legislative session, says he wants to hear more about EBR Superintendent Bernard Taylor's idea to create regional attendance zones. "We're just glad that finally people in this city are waking up and realizing there needs to be a change in this school system," Browning says. "People want community schools." The system is holding a series of public meetings next week to get input on its strategic plan, and Local Schools members plan to attend the one slated for Wednesday evening at Woodlawn High School. "We've got to get better quality education," he says. "Does it mean that we have to have our deal passed through? No. If there's a better way of doing this, let's do what's in the best interest of the kids." There are a number of questions that need to be addressed, he points out, such as the impact of new charter schools and the...
New Schools for Baton Rouge leader aims for reform in 5 years
New Schools for Baton Rouge has a goal of educating 12,000 students in charter schools in north Baton Rouge by 2017, says its founder and CEO, Chris Meyer. He launched the nonprofit in April to help facilitate the creation of charter schools in the Capital City through "venture philanthropy." The former superintendent of the state-run Recovery School District adds that charter groups could eventually manage up to 27 schools in the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. However, each charter school could take up to a year of planning to reform an existing public school, and no school has yet been chosen to be a prototype. "I don't expect anybody to open by 2013," Meyer says. However, by next spring New Schools expects to announce—after a year in operation—how much money it has raised and which charter operations are committed to Baton Rouge. Over the next six months, New Schools will be connecting with local educators to apprise them of teaching opportunities in north Baton Rouge...
Term limits for school board members approved across La.
Voters around Louisiana may be sharply divided on many issues, but not on term limits for local school boards. With Tuesday's vote, school board members across all of Louisiana's public school districts will be limited to three consecutive four-year terms. Proposals to enact term limits on the boards passed overwhelmingly, winning easily in all 67 school districts where they were on the ballot. The term limit provision passed with at least 70% support in each district. Jefferson and Lafayette parishes already had school board term limits, so they didn't vote on the idea. The new term limit rules won't take effect until Jan. 1, 2014, which means that board members who are currently serving could do so for an additional 12 years thereafter before they were term-limited.