Sitting up front: Over the past decade, Louisiana increased its percentage of private school enrollment from 16.6% in 2000 to 19.1% in the most recent figures, which are based on five-year estimates between 2006 and 2010. As The Times-Picayune reports, that puts the state third in the nation in private school enrollment, trailing only Hawaii and Delaware. Jefferson Parish, with 36.6% of all school-aged children in private schools, outpaced all other parishes in the state and ranked No. 2 of all counties in the United States. Read the full story here for more rankings and analysis.
A new approach: An effort to boost student success in the Caddo Parish alternative public schools may come through outsourcing them to a nationally recognized company. The board currently is reviewing a proposal by Superintendent Gerald Dawkins to contract with Ombudsman Educational Services, a division of Educational Services of America, the nation’s leading provider of K-12 alternative and special education schools and programs. If approved at the board’s May 15 meeting, Caddo would be the first district in Louisiana to bring in the company; however, 22 other states and more than 240 school districts nationwide are using the Ombudsman Program. The Shreveport Times has the full story here.
A nickel’s worth of free advice: Billionaire Warren Buffett says he avoids buying into businesses like Facebook because it’s too hard to estimate what they might be worth. Buffett said on CNBC this morning that he doesn’t really have an opinion on Facebook and Google because it’s difficult to ascertain their present value and how they will fare in the future. Over the weekend, Buffett told Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that initial public offerings are almost always bad investments. He added today that one of the worst mistakes investors make is buying or selling based on the day’s headlines. He says investors should be looking for good businesses to buy and trying to determine how those companies will fare in 10 years.
Today’s poll question: Do you think France’s election of Socialist François Hollande as president will aid or hinder Europe’s economic recovery?
