Why Louisiana Needs Paycheck Protection

By Ben Kilpatrick

05/01/2015

Paycheck Protection makes sense because it gets Louisiana taxpayers out of the business of political fundraising for special interests.

TAGS: paycheck protection, public sector unions, teachers unions

The Case for Reform: Jefferson Parish Edition

By Ben Kilpatrick

06/20/2013

The Jefferson Parish Public School System is benefiting from a remarkable initiative for accountability and reform within the school district.

TAGS: COMPASS, Dr. James Meza, Education Reform, Jefferson Parish, JPPSS, LEAP, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, teachers unions

Lessons for Legislators from Margaret Thatcher

By Ben Kilpatrick

04/23/2013

With the Louisiana legislature now in session, this is an opportune time to apply some lessons from Margaret Thatcher to what may be the most important public policy issue facing our state: education reform.

TAGS: Education Reform, Hayek, Louisiana Legislature, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, School choice, teachers unions

The Louisiana Teacher Union Paradox

By Editor

11/01/2012

Teacher union challenges to real education reform continue to exist, though often in ways that are not measurable or reportable. If you dig deeper, the unions’ power and influence, particularly at the local school district level, remain strong in this state, challenging education reform efforts at every step of the electoral, legislative and policy implementation processes.

TAGS: BESE, Bobby Jindal, Charter Schools, Education Reform, Louisiana Association of Teachers, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, paycheck protection, School choice, teachers unions, tenure reform

Teacher Evaluations Highlight Divide Between Unions and Reformers

By Matt Cole

09/19/2012

The new system of evaluating teacher effectiveness often includes “value-added” data that measures the extra value a teacher adds to a student's standardized test score. Value-added data offers an objective measure of teacher effectiveness that did not previously exist.

TAGS: Act 54, Bobby Jindal, Education Reform, Louisiana, Manhattan Institute, marcus winters, rayne martin, stand for children, teacher evaluations, teachers unions, value added

Louisiana Teachers Union Threatens Voucher Schools with Litigation

By Editor

07/26/2012

In a stunning move, attorneys representing the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) have threatened litigation against schools participating in the state’s voucher program.

TAGS: Education Reform, Louisiana Association of Educators, School choice, teachers unions, Vouchers

Louisiana Voucher Applications Roll Forward Despite Union Lawsuits

By Kevin Mooney

07/02/2012

Thousands of school voucher applicants who want to exit unsafe, ineffective public schools made history on Friday. That was the deadline for eligible families to apply for scholarship funds that can be used to cover the cost of private school tuition.

TAGS: Bobby Jindal, Charter Schools, Education, Education Reform, Friedman Foundation, Heritage Foundation, Louisiana Association of Educators, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, School choice, teachers unions, Vouchers

Commentary: Louisiana Education Budget Cuts Highlights Need for Vouchers

By Jamison Beuerman

11/18/2010

Voucher programs not only provide students with access to better schools of their choosing, but cost as low as a quarter per student compared to public schools.

TAGS: Education Reform, School choice, state budget, teachers unions, Vouchers

Commentary: New Jersey’s Christie Provides Template for Reducing State Expenditures

By Jamison Beuerman

07/21/2010

Given our state’s looming budget deficit budget deficit and recent blows to the oil and shipping industries, Louisiana should take into consideration New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s proposed agenda to rein in superfluous state spending. Gov. Christie has been anathema to unions throughout the state of New Jersey due to his refusal to genuflect to...

TAGS: Chris Christie, Gov. Christie, Labor, Taxes, teachers unions

Commentary: Teachers’ Union Rhetoric Distorts Benefits of New Education Law

By Jamison Beuerman

07/06/2010

"The LTF is insinuating that [HB 1368] will allow BESE to make arbitrary policy decisions against the schools’ wills. This is blatantly untrue.

TAGS: BESE, HB 1368, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, teachers unions

Antitrust & Enforcement: Letting Markets Work without Empowering Government

In their report “Antitrust & Enforcement: Letting Markets Work without Empowering Government,” Ted Bolema, Ph.D., J.D., Antitrust and Competition Fellow at the Innovators Network Foundation, and Vance Ginn, Ph.D., Chief Economist at the Pelican Institute, write that while the current frustrations with the size of large tech companies and censorship practices may be warranted, giving...

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