This year marks the 10th anniversary of Louisiana’s accountability law in public schools, a program created in 1998 by then-BESE members Leslie Jacobs and Paul Pastorek. The scores released last week revealed 80% of schools improved. The state score was a 91, up 4.7 points from last year. The target set 10 years ago was a “100,” with the first year’s score being 69.4.
Though the goal was not reached in 10 years, there has been steady progress. School performance scores, district performance scores and percentage of high school graduates [in four years] are at an all-time high.
During those 10 years, we have also seen the significant growth of charter schools, school choice and competition. Post-Katrina, New Orleans has more charter schools than traditional public schools. We have also witnessed the creation of the Recovery School District, state takeovers of failing schools and even vouchers.
This all tells me that, despite all the noise and complaining from the status quo and unions, these changes in accountability and school choice are working and challenging students and schools to get better.
A study by Education Trust said that Louisiana is the only state that is “significantly closing the gap” between minorities and whites while both groups show improvement.
Pastorek is not satisfied with these scores and believes all children can learn—and we must support his efforts. There is still much work to be done.
Pastorek told me, “Before accountability, there was no way to know whether your child’s school was performing well or not. One thing that acountability brought was the labeling of schools. I remember that an influential superintendent told us that labeling schools would destroy the morale of teachers and ruin public education. A few years later, he apologized and agreed that it had caused adults to improve the schools. It had its desired effect. Ironically, some educators drone that charters and the RSD will destroy public education as we know it. As with accountability, it will make us stronger.”
Pastorek points out that they arbitrarily set the level of what was an academically unacceptable school. He said, “In 2000 it was set at 30 [85% of kids below grade level]. In 2002, we raised it to 45 [75% of kids below grade level.] In 2004, we raised it to 60. Each time we raised the bar, fewer and fewer were academically unacceptable. When we expect more from adults we get it. When we expect more from students, we get that too.”
It is a bit ironic that Louisiana is drawing national attention for our education innovations from a decade ago, as well as having a city with the largest percentage of charters in America. You have to celebrate that, right?
Wrong! Not everyone is celebrating. Would you believe there are those in New Orleans who don’t like it and want to turn the clock back? It’s about turf, power, money and politics. Forget all about the children and the results I just shared. The current law says that after five years of state takeover, if a school is no longer failing, it can be returned to the old school board. Well, we all remember how corrupt and bankrupt the system was in New Orleans. The school board argues it has new members and wants the schools—and the money and jobs—back. But we know the traditional board will still operate the same old way, with politics driving the train.
Charter schools have an independent, local board and come as close as you get to the perfect model of removing politics from the classroom and making sure most of the money benefits the students. Board members are community volunteers in a nonprofit. This is the best example of local control and neighborhood schools. Why would you give a successful school back over to a political bureaucracy to run?
The state superintendent and BESE must address this issue in 2010, and it will be a battle. But we must demand that the needs of the children come first—and not the wishes of the politicians, teachers’ unions or even local superintendents. We must stay the course we are on because it has shown that accountability and competition [from choice] are working. In fact, we should keep pressing forward and innovating. Exploring virtual charter schools for the future would be a good next step.
No more government answers
You and I already own GM [Government Motors]. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have screwed up the housing markets. And now the president and Democrats in Washington are telling us we need to get in the health insurance business. Stop! Before it’s too late!
Even when it may sound good or look good on paper, government entitlement programs seldom work effectively or efficiently as compared to the free enterprise system. The motive, by some politician, may be a compassionate one, but let’s look at the history of results.
The Great Society of the 1960s was going to provide welfare—a helping hand to those in need—but it ended up creating a hammock with little incentive for anyone to get out and work. It also discouraged having a husband or male figure in the household by disallowing benefits. Instead of a solution, the government created generational welfare or poverty and rewarded single moms for having babies. Now, we have 70% of minority households headed by single moms.
The Advocate had a feature story on “Faces of Poverty” that noted, “A 2003 Heritage Foundation report claims marriage would reduce by more than 70% the odds that a mother and a child will live in poverty.” Today, we may hear from a lot of liberal Democrats worried about those living in poverty, but it was the same type of liberal Democrats who created the system that encouraged single-parent homes and a cycle of poverty.
Ruby Smith, featured in The Advocate as a woman in poverty, says she was one of 11 children growing up. The now 49-year-old grandmother says she was the mother of six children in seven years.
The Democrats should say, “We have discovered the enemy and the enemy is us.” Now they want to “fix” health care for us all. I say we have seen the results of their liberal policies and we want no more.
Wall Street loves La.
Our ratings are going up on Wall Street and that’s good news and money saved for taxpayers. In the last few weeks, three rating agencies have upgraded Louisiana’s financial ratings. Standard & Poor’s [two upgrades within a week] and Fitch both upgraded the state’s bond rating. Moody’s Investors Service raised the outlook on Louisiana’s credit from “stable” to “positive.” These upgrades follow presentations made to the rating agencies in September by Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis. Davis said, “Through its actions, Louisiana has sent a strong message about our improving business climate and economic success, and the upgrades show that the financial community is listening.”
Davis added, “These affirmations are also an example of how the state’s fiscal responsibility has tangible benefits to the tune of several million dollars in taxpayer savings.” The S&P report noted, “The raised ratings reflect the state’s continued strong management, which has led to its improved financial performance and position through institutionalized changes.”
Kudos to Gov. Bobby Jindal, Commissioner Davis and State Treasurer John Kennedy for managing our money well.
