Education group that praised La. under microscope

After education advocacy group StudentsFirst ranked Louisiana No. 1 in the nation for
pro-student policies, StudentsFirst leader Michelle Rhee has come under fire. Rhee is the former leader of Washington, D.C., public schools who went from glowing national press on the cover of Time to an unceremonious exit after three years. The Atlantic is hosting an online forum at 2:30 p.m. today examining Rhee’s career. StudentsFirst has contributed to the campaigns of several BESE members, including a $5,000 donation to Holly Boffy, who says she focuses on the students and does not keep tabs on contributors. “I never had a situation where a contributor said, ‘I gave you X amount of dollars, and this is how I expect you to vote,'” says Boffy, a former teacher in Baton Rouge. “My reality is that we have too many students in Louisiana whose needs are not being met by the school system.” Boffy says she shuns a counterproductive battle with some administration critics who have lashed out against Gov. Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Department of Education Secretary John White for touting the top ranking. Boffy says she focuses less on the vision of Jindal and White, and more on the students. “When you look at the fact Louisiana has been last on so many lists for so long, it’s incredibly important to understand what changes we’ve made to come in first,” she says. Boffy’s bottom line is improving Louisiana’s poor outcome for students. “We should focus on that; when you have government fighting, it’s the people who suffer.” —Matt Randolph