Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education reform agenda could be coming to a
head in the Louisiana State Senate this week where the vote is
expected to be close on some key bills. Jindal has proposed
converting the New Orleans voucher program into a statewide option,
expand the number of charter schools, and interlink tenure with
student and teacher performance. The governor has encountered stiff
opposition from the state’s two teachers unions—the Louisiana
Association of Educators and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
Jindal is also now the target of a recall effort initiated by
individual teachers whom the unions have not yet formally
embraced.
But unlike Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker is now under siege
after taking on the public sector, Louisiana is a right to work
state where business interests are on more of an even keel with the
power of organized labor. If Jindal is successful, his reforms
could reverberate across state lines.
Under the legislation enacted in 2008, the Student Scholarships
for Educational Excellence (SSEE) program provides low-income
families in Orleans Parish with the option to select a public or
private school. Over 1,800 students in grades K-6 have received
scholarships in the current 2011-2012 school year.
To be eligible, household income cannot exceed 250 percent of
the federal poverty guidelines, which would be $55,875 for a family
of four in 2011. Moreover, the student must have attended an “F”
rated public school the previous year, or be entering kindergarten.
The Louisiana Department of Education has published a list of the
schools participating in the Orleans Parish program.
Sen. Conrad Appel, the Republican chairman of the Senate
Education Committee, cautions against thinking the voucher proposal
will initially impact a substantial number of students. But he is
hopeful the program can grow over time as more seats become
available.
“When you compare the voucher proposal with the legislation that
could be used to open more charter schools, the modifications to
teacher accountability, and the [re-defined] relationship between
school boards, superintendents and principals, we are talking about
a very small change,” Appel said. “I think the voucher concept is
very valid, and it does create opportunities for certain families,
but in practice what we are talking about is not as far reaching as
the other proposals that are part of the education reform
package.”
Under Sen. Appel’s bill (SB 597), any Louisiana student enrolled
in a school with a C grade or lower would be eligible to apply for
a voucher. That student must also be part of a household with an
income that does exceed 250 percent of the federal poverty rate.
This means about 380,000 students would be eligible to apply,
according to state figures.
Catholic school officials have concluded that about 2,000
additional seats could be opened up across the state if the voucher
legislation is passed.
The Black Alliance for Educational Opportunity (BAEO) conducted
a survey by direct mail this past December that showed over 90
percent of parents with scholarship students were pleased with
their child’s school and their academic progress. The Pelican
Institute has also
released a study that shows Louisiana students stand to benefit
from school vouchers and other choice initiatives.
