Taxpayers should know where the government is spending their money.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Without ensuring access to a high-quality education for every child, Louisiana cannot have a vibrant and growing economy. Attracting more jobs and opportunity to the Pelican State requires a workforce with the proper training and skills to compete in the 21st century economy. Developing this workforce starts at the primary school level, which is why...

Reforms made after the storm have transformed the New Orleans public education system, with the most notable of these changes dubbed the “charter school revolution.”