legislation Archives

in LaLege

Support Equitable College Access In Louisiana House Education Committee To Consider TOPS Equity Bill On Wednesday

by Peter Cook 10 May 2017, 00:26

Louisiana’s House Education Committee will convene Wednesday morning to consider a number of important proposals, including House Bill 390 from State Rep. Gary Carter (D-New Orleans), which would ensure that TOPS college scholarship awards are equitably distributed in the event of future funding shortfalls. The program that eventually became TOPS was originally launched in 1989 […] More

in LaLege

Will Louisiana Slip Backwards Or Slide Toward Equity? Lawmakers Should Ensure TOPS Works For Students Of All Backgrounds

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by Peter Cook 6 April 2017, 00:45

For almost 20 years, Louisiana high school students who graduated with a 2.5 G.P.A. and a score of 20 on the ACT exam were eligible for a TOPS scholarship that would cover the cost of tuition at a state college or university. Not only did the TOPS program reward students’ academic achievement, but it allowed […] More

in Louisiana

The Madness of John Bel Louisiana's Governor Extends Losing Streak On K-12 Education Policy

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by Peter Cook 31 March 2017, 12:47

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I would venture to guess that most people are familiar with this aphorism, which is usually (although inaccurately) attributed to Albert Einstein. I say “most people” because the behavior of Governor John Bel Edwards suggests that he hasn’t […] More

in Louisiana

Quick Take: An All-New Low For The Louisiana Federation of Teachers LFT Opposes An Innovative Charter School Serving At-Risk Kids

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by Peter Cook 13 June 2016, 18:38

It has long been clear that the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) does not work in the best interests of students. After all, LFT has been on the wrong (and losing) side of several debates over past several years. They joined with Tea Party-aligned lawmakers in an attempt to repeal Common Core. They have supported […] More

in LaLege

Don’t Let TOPS Changes Become Barriers For Poor Students Changes To The Scholarship Program Should Put Equity First

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by Peter Cook 7 April 2016, 01:53

It’s safe to say that when it comes to K-12 education policy, Governor John Bel Edwards and I often disagree. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly support several of the Governor’s other policy objectives, particularly those which seek to improve the welfare of low-income families, such as his efforts to increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and […] More

in LaLege

Governor Unveils K-12 Legislative Agenda Edwards Wants To Chip Away At Accountability and School Choice

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by Peter Cook 18 March 2016, 03:16

Ever since John Bel Edwards’ upset victory in the gubernatorial race last fall, education reform supporters have worried that the Governor would try to roll back many of the policies that have helped raise student achievement across the state. After all, during his tenure in the Louisiana House of Representatives, Edwards opposed Common Core and […] More

in NOLA

Check Your Privilege Lusher Officials Stoke Fears Over Proposed Funding Formula

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by Peter Cook 26 January 2016, 13:10

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post that called out Lusher Charter School officials for making misleading, alarmist claims about an upcoming change to their school funding formula. Now, unfortunately, it appears that Lusher officials have decided to take their misinformation campaign a step further. On Monday, Lusher CEO Kathy Riedlinger and Board […] More

in NOLA

Quick Take: Kathy Riedlinger’s Pre-Emptive Strike Lusher Officials Exaggerate Impact of Changes to Funding Formula

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by Peter Cook 10 December 2015, 15:57

Dear Lusher Parents: No, the sky is not falling. Contrary to what you might have read on Saturday in the Uptown Messenger, Lusher is not about to be pushed off the edge of a $1.2 million fiscal cliff. Lawmakers in Baton Rouge have not conspired to punish New Orleans with a law all its own. […] More

in OPSB

New Orleans Needs To Reform Its School Board Before RSD Schools Return, OPSB Needs To Make Equity Its Priority

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by Peter Cook 11 June 2015, 16:39

The question of whether eligible Recovery School District (RSD) charters should be returned to the control of the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) has gotten a lot of attention in recent weeks, thanks to House Bill 166, a proposal from Rep. Joseph Bouie, which would have forced eligible RSD charters to return to OPSB within […] More

in LaLege

Jindal vs. Common Core: Round 3 Three things to keep in mind about Jindal’s latest attack on the Common Core State Standards

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by Peter Cook 22 March 2015, 17:53

Bobby Jindal wanted to be a contender. He wanted to be somebody… …specifically, President of the United States. And for a while, at least – back in the days before his disastrous State of the Union response – everyone thought Jindal was the next big thing. However, over the course of his tenure as Governor, […] More

in LaLege

It begins… 55 days to go until the 2015 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature

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by Peter Cook 17 February 2015, 21:42

We’re just 55 days out from the start of the 2015 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, and once again, I’ll be covering all of the edu-legislative action this spring over at my other blog: PE + CO: Louisiana Education Legislation Update. In the meantime, read more about the upcoming legislative session below… More

in NOLA

Fact-Checking Kristen Buras’ Flood of Lies Objective Truth Drowns in Attack on New Orleans Schools

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by Peter Cook 23 January 2015, 10:23

In the past few years, Georgia State University professor Kristen Buras1 has tried to make a name for herself by bashing the progress made in New Orleans’ public school system since Hurricane Katrina. She recently reached a new low with an article she wrote for The Progressive entitled, “Charter Schools Flood New Orleans.” For those […] More

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