More than six weeks after the governor ordered school closures across the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of education in Louisiana is far from clear. While Governor Edwards emphasized that instruction during the closure should continue, it is virtually impossible to know to what degree that is happening and how much […]
Last week leaders of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education asked the governor that his executive order closing public schools be extended to the end of the school year. While that is a difficult decision to make when dealing with more than 700,000 students and their families, CABL agrees it is probably the right […]
The effects of COVID-19 are being felt by literally everyone in the country. Markets, economies, businesses, and everyday lives have all been upended as people across the country try to figure out just how to cope. The education of our children is also being dramatically impacted and it’s not too early to begin thinking about […]
In Louisiana we have been through disasters before, but the threat of the COVID-19 virus is unlike any we have ever seen. The disruptions it’s beginning to bring to lives, businesses, and the overall fabric of our state is unprecedented in its scope. In some ways it’s strangely unsurprising that on a per capita basis, […]
The 2020 legislative session begins on Monday and in many ways it will be a new day at the Capitol as term limits usher in a host of new members, and leaders in both chambers signal that they will be seeking a more independent role in the governing process. A number of those points were […]
A special task force created by the Legislature last year has issued a new report on expanding opportunities for students to earn college-level credits while they are still in high school. It’s a report that legislators and other policy makers should take a close look at because it offers a solid strategy that can help […]
Governor John Bel Edwards’ budget proposal arrived on the desk of legislators last week. And while there was once again some controversy about how much the state will have to spend, education received a large chunk of the new revenues that the administration expects to be available. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the fact that […]
Louisiana has just received some more encouraging news on the education front. The National Council on Teacher Quality released a new study that shows Louisiana is one of the top states in the country for teacher preparation programs focused on early reading. That’s important because if we are going to continue to move our children […]
Now that the inauguration is over, elected officials have been sworn in, and the leadership of the state House and Senate has been decided, it’s time for them all to begin what they were elected to do – take the needed steps to move Louisiana forward. In his inaugural address Governor John Bel Edwards said […]
Something rather remarkable has happened in public education in Louisiana over the last 24 years. During that time, the state has had only three Superintendents of Education: Cecil Picard, Paul Pastorek, and John White. Now with Superintendent White announcing that he is stepping down, BESE has a major decision to make about who his successor […]