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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Governor John Bel Edwards clearly has different ideas about how to improve Louisiana education than former Governor Bobby Jindal.

ESAs provide more choice to parents and students while allowing the state to save money. This is quite the opposite of the conventional public school system that often produces poor results and fails to offer a range of alternatives for families.

It is appalling that a federal agency charged with protecting our civil rights would use its considerable powers to deny Louisiana children access to a better education.

The view from Robert Mann’s ivory tower in Baton Rouge does not offer a clear perspective on the educational successes unfolding in New Orleans and around our state.