We Need Transparency in our Schools

By Daniel J. Erspamer

04/06/2021

Taxpayers should know where the government is spending their money.

TAGS: BESE, Charter Schools, Education, Education Reform, Louisiana Legislature, Transparency

Celebrate School Choice Week with Pelican

By Daniel J. Erspamer

01/25/2021

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...

TAGS: Education Reform, Education Savings Accounts, Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy, micro schools, National School Choice Week, School choice, virtual schools

Pelican’s New Plan to Transform Education in Louisiana

By Daniel J. Erspamer

08/19/2020

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...

TAGS: Charter Schools, COVID-19, Education Reform, micro schools, pod schools, School choice

Education Savings Accounts would help Louisiana students during COVID-19

By Daniel J. Erspamer

08/18/2020

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...

TAGS: a school that fits, Back to School, Education, Education Reform, Education Savings Accounts, School choice

Pelican Back to School Week Offers Solutions to Transform Louisiana Education

08/17/2020

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...

TAGS: a school that fits, Back to School, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Education, Education Reform, School choice

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

07/31/2020

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...

TAGS: CARES Act, COVID-19, Education, Education Reform, SAFE Grant Plan

School Choice Champions Earn Major Victory in SCOTUS’ Espinoza Decision

06/30/2020

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...

TAGS: Blaine Amendments, Education Reform, Espinoza, School choice, SCOTUS, U.S. Supreme Court

Getting Louisiana Students Connected

06/05/2020

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...

TAGS: broadband internet, distance learning, Education, Education Reform

Pelican Lists Qualities it Seeks in Next State Superintendent

05/07/2020

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...

TAGS: BESE, Education, Education Reform, State Superintendent of Education

Pelican Responds to Calls to Extend Louisiana School Closures

04/09/2020

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...

TAGS: Education, Education Reform, innovation, online learning, technology

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future

A Tax Plan for Our Brighter Future paper-digital In Louisiana’s Comeback: A Tax Reform for Our Brighter Future, the Pelican Institute identifies the state’s significant tax problems and proposes a path to set the state in a brighter direction, including flattening the personal and corporate income taxes to 3.5% rates, reducing the number of tax preferences, eliminating...

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