Education

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.

We Need Transparency in our Schools

Taxpayers should know where the government is spending their money.

By Daniel J. Erspamer

Celebrate School Choice Week with Pelican

by Daniel Erspamer, CEO, Pelican Institute Today, we begin our celebration of National School Choice Week! It feels like a lifetime ago since everyone gathered in person and virtually for the 2020 festivities. This last year has presented so many unique challenges for students and parents across Louisiana and the nation. These struggles only reinforce the...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

[REPORT] A Quality Education for Every Louisiana Resident

Pelican’s New Plan to Transform Education in Louisiana

COVID-19 has taught us many lessons, but something that’s become abundantly clear in recent months is a fact that many Louisiana families and advocates have already known for a long time: our state’s education status quo is broken, and an urgent fix is required. To solve this problem, the Pelican Institute developed a comprehensive policy roadmap...

Education Savings Accounts would help Louisiana students during COVID-19

Some of Louisiana’s greatest innovations have emerged in the wake of natural disasters. Now, as we work through reopening schools, we have a new opportunity to think outside the box and solve one of our most urgent issues: empowering parents with options to choose an education that best fits their children’s individual needs. Education Savings...

Pelican Back to School Week Offers Solutions to Transform Louisiana Education

We all remember the first day of school, but this year is clearly different than any other we’ve experienced. While some students will carry a mask and hand sanitizer along with their other usual classroom materials, many are not even getting the option of returning to the classroom. Desks and textbooks are being replaced by...

Louisiana Can Learn from S.C.’s COVID-19 Education Plan

There is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting effect on the way our country delivers education. And while Louisianans are certainly no strangers to national disasters that upend normal life, our state has also demonstrated the importance of innovating in the face of adversity. Consider the case of Hurricane Katrina. Following the...

School Choice Champions Earn Major Victory in SCOTUS’ Espinoza Decision

Today, in a landmark victory for First Amendment and school choice champions, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued a ruling in one of the most anticipated cases of this term, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. At issue was whether Montana violated the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause by prohibiting families who choose to enroll...

Getting Louisiana Students Connected

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us more reliant on the internet than ever before. And while it has served as an essential tool for staying connected with our friends, family and colleagues, it has also proven especially important for one particular group of Louisianans – students. Louisiana students were in the middle of finishing up...

Pelican Responds to Selection of Next State Superintendent

Today, in an eight to three vote, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) selected Dr. Cade Brumley as the next state Superintendent of Education. The following is a statement from Ethan Melancon, director of education policy at the Pelican Institute, regarding the selection. “The Pelican Institute would like to extend a warm congratulations...

Pelican Lists Qualities it Seeks in Next State Superintendent

Today, the Pelican Institute released a list of key beliefs the next state Superintendent of Education should possess in leading Louisiana’s education system. On May 20, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is expected to select the next superintendent from a slate of its top six candidates. After recently surveying Louisiana citizens...

Pelican Responds to Calls to Extend Louisiana School Closures

This week, the Louisiana Superintendents Association requested Gov. John Bel Edwards to close schools across the state for the remainder of the education year. The following is a statement from Ethan Melancon, director of education policy at the Pelican Institute, in response to this request. “While we understand Louisiana’s leaders continue the fight to contain...

Rough Day 2? Try These Resources for Student Downtime

Within hours of the announcement closing Louisiana schools for the next month, parents, teachers, nonprofits, and companies had already begun mobilizing to share resources, links, curricula, virtual museum tours, and so much more. As uncertainty swirls around the spread of COVID-19, the community’s strong response to fill these education gaps is providing parents with a...

Louisianans Deserve Transparency in Education Spending

Despite spending more on education than most of its neighbors, Louisiana is producing worse outcomes for its students and paying its teachers less. Solving this problem is made more difficult by the lack of transparency around the details of exactly how and where taxpayer dollars are being spent on education. While we know Louisiana spends...