Every child should have access to a high-quality education, ensuring every Louisiana resident has a chance to succeed. Louisiana cannot have a bright economic future without a workforce equipped with the skills and training necessary to compete in a 21st century economy. Revamping Louisiana’s educational system stands as an economic imperative—and a moral one too.
Baton Rouge — The Louisiana House of Representatives vote on House Bill 98 sends a strong message that Louisiana is ready to advance education freedom for families, just like several other states have done. Every child deserves a school that fits this or her individual needs. Parents know their child best and should choose their education....
Louisiana’s Comeback Agenda starts with ensuring that every family has the opportunity to choose the school that best fits their child’s individual needs. Kids have unique strengths, interests, and learning needs; what works for one may not work for another. Parents also have differing priorities and values when it comes to their child’s education, including programs...
Over the past week, Louisiana lawmakers in the House have advanced two bills to expand educational freedom, making it easier for families to enroll their children in the school that best fits their individual needs. House Bill 9 by Representative Rhonda Butler expands school choice for children with disabilities, allowing state dollars to follow kids...
As Louisiana nears the end of another school year, as the legislative session nears the halfway mark, and as election season heats up with candidates beginning to differentiate themselves, questions have emerged about the best way to improve student achievement and expand opportunities for them. Some have called for a renewed focus on the basics...
This week the Louisiana Legislature convened the 2023 Regular Session, which will last through early June. One of the most widely discussed proposals comes from the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and it’s a request to increase state funding for public schools as well as compensation for their teachers and support staff....
For years, American schools have based student promotion from one grade level to the next and ultimately high school graduation, in part, on whether students are in attendance for a minimum number of instructional days or minutes. Louisiana is no exception. State law (La. Revised Statutes 17:154.1) requires Louisiana public schools to ensure that students...
It’s that season again, where education policy proposals abound. Another class of high school seniors will be graduating soon. While it would be great to have a 100% graduation rate, we know that some students will not meet the requirements to receive a diploma. As we’ve seen over the past few years, this is the...
Over the past two years, lawmakers and governors in five states – Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, and West Virginia – have launched school choice programs that give all or nearly all families of school-age children the ability to select and pay for the school or educational program that best fits their child’s needs. Modeled after...
In a move that hasn’t gotten a lot of public attention, the legislature, governor, and state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education enacted laws and regulations over the past few years regarding students being able to transfer from low-performing public schools to higher-performing ones as determined by the state’s K-12 education testing and accountability system....
Earlier this week, the Public Affairs Research Council reported new Southern Regional Education Board data showing college enrollment is decreasing nationwide and in Louisiana. Experts believe Louisiana will experience further declines over the next several years. The stated reasons are a drop in U.S. birthrates and continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, some continue...
Governors and lawmakers across the country are expanding school choice in big ways. Last year, Arizona and West Virginia became the first states to provide all families with access to funds to send their child to a school that best fits their needs, unlike other smaller state programs that are only open to certain groups of...
What: Sunday kicks off the annual National School Choice Week across America! All week long, the Pelican Institute will join others in Louisiana, and across the country, in celebrating the many types of schools and educational programs that exist for our kids. National School Choice Week highlights the importance of giving all parents the ability to select a...