Jindal urges business community to fight for education reform

Gov. Bobby Jindal took his message of public education reform to the Capital Region business community this morning, urging executives and others in attendance at the Business Report Power Breakfast to "get off the bench" and join the fight for reform.

While acknowledging progress in public education outcomes have been made over the past decade, Jindal says improvements are not happening fast enough. He urged those in attendance at the Crowne Plaza to contact their legislators and ask them to support his reform agenda.

"Many of us in this room have the means to afford choice; why shouldn't everyone in this state, regardless of income level, have that choice?" Jindal asked. "This is not about us. This is about the children, and we can't afford to wait any longer. We can't afford to lose another generation of children so that we can satisfy the coalition of the status quo."

Jindal has made frequent public appearances over the past week to outline his public education agenda and to criticize those—especially teacher unions—who do not support the expansion of charter schools and vouchers, and do oppose teacher tenure reform and increasing decision-making authority for school principals and district officials.

"Who should make the decision when it comes to educating children: parents, or bureaucrats in Washington [D.C.] or in Baton Rouge?" Jindal asks.

The governor also used the speech to present his vision for reforming the state retirement system, which is currently saddled with an unfunded accrued liability of $18.5 billion.

The plan does little to reduce that deficit, but his package—modeled largely after most private sector retirement options—would, if enacted, keep the UAL from growing, he says.

If approved, the overhaul of the state's retirement system would not impact those employees or retired state workers currently in the system, but would largely be directed at new hires.

The Power Breakfast, which annually serves as the unofficial kickoff to the business year in Baton Rouge, attracted more than 400 business, education and community leaders.