Legislative Update for May 16, 2010

The Cowen Institute is pleased to share with you the latest in K-12 education policy at the local, state and federal levels. Don't forget to join our Facebook page and to follow us on Twitter.

Paul Pastorek Resigns as Louisiana Superintendent of Education

Paul Pastorek announced last Tuesday that he will be stepping down as State Superintendent of Education after more than four years on the job. Last Friday, May 13, marked his last day in office. Pastorek is moving on to the Washington, D.C. area where he will be the chief counsel for the aerospace and defense contractor EADS North America. Deputy Superintendent Ollie Tyler will lead the department until an interim superintendent is chosen. Governor Jindal has put his support behind John White, the new Superintendent of the Recovery School District, to replace Pastorek on an interim basis. The appointment of the new superintendent must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The Times-Picayune has coverage of Pastorek’s resignation here, and of Jindal’s choice for interim state superintendent here. Additionally, click here to watch a video of Pastorek’s announcement that he is stepping down.

Paul Pastorek has long been a driving force in reforming public education in the state of Louisiana, as an active community leader, a member of BESE for nearly eight years, and most recently as State Superintendent. During Pastorek’s time in office, Louisiana has seen impressive academic gains, with fewer schools deemed Academically Unacceptable, a declining achievement gap between white and African-American students, and more students staying in school and receiving a high school diploma. The Cowen Institute thanks him for his deep commitment and proven dedication to Louisiana’s children, and we wish him the very best in his next endeavor. We look forward to working with the next State Superintendent.

RSD Superintendent John White Presents Goals and 100-Day Plan

John White, who took over just last week as Superintendent of the Recovery School District (RSD), held a press conference last Friday, May 13, to outline his goals and make key appointments. White announced that Patrick Dobard will join the RSD as Deputy Superintendent for Community and Policy, where he will focus on community and government relations. Dobard was previously the Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs for the Louisiana Department of Education. He began his career in the classroom as a middle and high school teacher for 11 years. The Cowen Institute is pleased to have the opportunity to work with him in his new position.

Additionally, White announced the creation of four task forces that will gather input from parents, students, educators, and community stakeholders over the next 100 days. Dr. Scott Cowen, President of Tulane University, along with Dr. Norman Francis of Xavier University, was appointed co-chair of the educator task force. Other task force co-chairs include New Orleans City Council Member Cynthia Hedge-Morrell and former Executive Director of the New Orleans Parent Organizing Network Aesha Rasheed (parent task force); Dryades YMCA President Douglas Evans and Executive Vice President of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans Erika McConduit (student task force); and, Executive Director of Orleans Public Education Network Deirdre Johnson Burel and Chief Executive Officer of New Schools for New Orleans Sarah Usdin (community task force). Each task force will meet three times during the 100-day planning period, from May 16 to August 22, and focus on a set of key questions and create a list of recommended next steps for the RSD.

White’s ambitious goals, summarized during the press conference, center on academic excellence, equity in enrollment, and involving neighborhoods and the community. He will hold another press conference on August 23rd, at the conclusion of the planning period, to present specific strategic priorities based on the task forces’ recommendations. Click here to read more in the Times-Picayune.

Cowen Institute Releases Report on the RSD in Louisiana

The Cowen Institute is pleased to release its latest report, The Recovery School District: Louisiana’s Accountability System. The brief, four-page document provides an overview of the Recovery School District (RSD) in New Orleans and Louisiana, including how schools become eligible for takeover, what happens once a school is found eligible, and the RSD’s role and performance in New Orleans. The report will be included as an addition to The 2011 State of Public Education in Louisiana as an additional resource for state legislators and key stakeholders.

Click here to download The Recovery School District: Louisiana’s Accountability System. To view the rest of The 2011 State of Public Education in Louisiana report, click here.

Teacher Layoffs Imminent for the RSD

The Recovery School District (RSD) announced last week that it will lay off nearly 250 teachers this summer in New Orleans as its directly operated schools are closed or converted to charters. Layoffs will not be limited to schools that are closing; they will also include any teacher who performed poorly on the RSD’s teacher evaluation. Additionally, teacher evaluations will be used to determine which teachers at closing schools have the opportunity to apply for another job at the RSD. This is the first time the RSD will use teacher evaluations to make layoff decisions.

The RSD’s evaluations give teachers a score ranging from one to five based on classroom observations by principals. A total of 87 teachers who scored either a one or two will be laid off regardless of seniority or tenure, while 159 teachers who work at closing schools and who scored a three, four, or five on their evaluations will be given priority to apply for other RSD positions. This year the RSD employed about 700 full-time teachers at its directly operated schools, eight of which will be closed or converted to charters following this school year. Click here for more information about the layoffs in the Times-Picayune.

SUNO-UNO Merger Moves to the House Floor

H.B. 537, which provides for the merger of Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) and the University of New Orleans (UNO), will be debated on the House floor today. It needs a two-thirds supermajority to pass.

The contentious legislation, introduced by Speaker Jim Tucker (R-Algiers), was approved by the House Appropriations Committee last Monday, May 9, in a 17-4 vote. It was previously approved by the House Education Committee. The Appropriations Committee discussed the potential costs of the merger, which the Legislative Fiscal Office estimates could be anywhere from $2.2 to $3.2 million over two years. The Senate version of the bill, S.B. 183, will be taken up by the Senate Education Committee this week. The merger of SUNO and UNO, if approved, will have a profound impact on higher education opportunities for high school graduates in New Orleans. The Times-Picayune has more on today's vote online here.

Legislation Would Allow Corporations to Reserve Seats in Charter Schools

The House Education Committee voted 12-2 last week to approve H.B. 421, which would authorize charter schools to reserve space at the school for the children of employees of a corporation that makes a major donation to the school. It would also authorize charter schools to reserve space on their governing board for the corporation. To qualify, the corporation would have to donate the parcel on which the school is built, donate an existing building for the school's use or pay for major renovations to an existing school building. In exchange, the corporation would be entitled to up to 50 percent of the school’s enrollment spaces, so long as students who are currently enrolled are not displaced, as well as control of up to 50 percent of the seats on the school’s governing board.

Governor Jindal has endorsed the legislation, which is scheduled for debate on the House floor on May 18. Proponents argued that H.B. 421 will serve as a tool for economic development. Opposition centered around two major concerns: first, that there is no minimum donation specified and that the bill requires only a one-time donation; and second, that the percentage of seats reserved for corporate donors should be smaller. The Times-Picayune has more about the legislation here.

House Education Committee Activity

Last week, the House Education Committee met on Wednesday, May 11 and Thursday, May 12 and considered the following bills:

H.B. 31 (Hardy) – This bill requires BESE to adopt a policy requiring at least a "C" average for public school students in grades six through 12 to participate in interscholastic athletics. It was amended and reported favorably.
H.B. 78 (Edwards) – This bill provides for changes to the auditing requirement that must be met for a school system to no longer be defined as academically in crisis. It was amended and reported favorably.
H.B. 100 (Carter) – This bill changes the standard for the instrument used to measure student readiness before kindergarten. It was reported favorably with recommendation to recommit to House Appropriations.
H.B. 101 (Hardy) – This bill provides that school bus operators whose first date of employment with the school system is July 1, 2011 or later are not eligible for tenure, and provides specifications for the removal of certain operators. It was reported favorably.
H.B. 112 (Badon) – This bill provides that in public school policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying of students by students, terms are further defined to include acts motivated by characteristics such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, physical characteristic, political persuasion, mental disability, and physical disability as well as attire or association with others identified by such categories. It was reported favorably.
H.B. 311 (LaBruzzo) – This bill requires public school employees to report an arrest for certain sexual offenses involving minors. It was reported favorably.
H.B. 323 (Seabaugh) – This bill authorizes the Caddo Parish School Board to name the football field at Youree Drive Middle AP Magnet School in honor of Coach Tom Knox. It was reported favorably.
H.B. 419 (P. Smith) – This bill creates the Remedial Education Commission for the purposes of studying and reviewing educational services provided in public elementary and secondary schools and remedial education provided at public postsecondary education institutions and recommending best practices and strategies. It was amended and reported favorably.
H.B. 421 (Carter) – This bill authorizes a charter school to reserve space at the school for children of employees of a corporation that makes a major donation to the school, and to provide for membership on its governing board for representatives of such a corporation. It was amended and reported favorably.

This week, the House Education Committee will meet on Wednesday, May 17 at 9:30am in Room 1. The agenda is not yet available. The Cowen Institute’s presentation of The 2011 State of Public Education in Louisiana scheduled for last Wednesday was deferred, so we will present at this week’s meeting.

Senate Education Committee Activity

Last week, the Senate Education Committee met on Thursday, May 12 and considered the following bills:

S.B. 46 (Shaw and Long) – This bill creates the Louisiana Virtual School within the Louisiana Department of Education to provide online courses for high school students that may not otherwise be available. It was deferred.
S.B. 59 (Donahue) – This bill requires that when BESE prepares and adopts guidelines for the appropriate use of seclusion, physical restraint, and mechanical restraint of students with exceptionalities, they do so in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. It was amended and reported favorably.
S.B. 80 (Nevers) – This bill provides for the reorganization of the Department of Education. It was reported favorably.

This week, the Senate Education Committee will meet on Thursday, May 19, in the John J. Hainkel, Jr. Room upon adjournment of the regular floor session. The agenda is not yet available.

Updated Lists of K-12 Education Bills

Each week we update our lists of bills and resolutions related to K-12 public education with the current status of each. Click the following links to download the lists:

For more information on the 2011 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature, please see http://www.legis.state.la.us/.

Monday, May 16, 2011