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Citing recent progress in infrastructure, employment and ethics-related bills in the legislature, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is now focusing his efforts to improve public education with significant reform proposals.
It's a topic - buoyed by declining school test scores - that has initiated comprehensive structural changes in several states, with many more eyeing the developments.
Speaking at the Louisiana Press Association luncheon in West Monroe Thursday, Jindal, recently sworn in for his second term, said children's future and the economic prosperity of the state are at stake.
“The way forward is for more choices. Our children grow up only once,” Jindal said.
A contingent of representatives from Bastrop attended the luncheon, including Morehouse Police Jury President Terry Matthews, Bastrop-Morehouse Chamber of Commerce Director Dorothy Ford and its board of directors' president, the Rev. Chad Ballard.
They, along with about 500 guests, heard Jindal speak on three basic educational areas his administration is focusing on revamping, including:
* Fostering equal educational opportunities for families.
* Re-assessing teacher effectiveness and salaries.
* Enabling school-system administrators to spend tax dollars in innovative, effective ways on the local level.
Jindal cited previous speeches by members of Congress and President Obama that emphasize that it's the right of all children to receive a quality education - and not one predicated on race, background or zip code.
“Many families move to locations where the schools are good, others send their children to private schools. Good for them,” he said. “But the reality is that too many families don't have those choices because they can't afford” to relocate. “Parents should not be trapped in a (poor performing) school district.”
In response, the governor wants the legislature to give families more access to school vouchers, the formation of more charter schools, more business, online and university-led courses, and a loosening of restrictions that inhibit families' ability to transfer to other districts.
He spoke at length about studies that have revealed how much the impact of a teacher can make or break a student's future and aggregate income level.
According to studies, an effective fourth-grade teacher can affect whether a student goes on to college and decrease the chances of teenage pregnancies, he said.
He said more efforts are needed to eliminate the gratuitous bureaucratic paperwork that teachers tackle every school year.
Making structural changes that could replace less effective teachers with proven quality teachers is likely to draw criticism from teachers unions due to the current tenure policy, Jindal acknowledged.
“Some will argue for the status quo, but now is the time to realize the need for change,” he said.
With regards to localizing decision-making, Jindal said that while there are school districts facing problems, the ones that are working well in both flourishing areas and in impoverished areas all have one common denominator. They are innovative.
“We must do what we can so schools can do more” independently, including giving them flexibility, Jindal said.
Citing recent progress in infrastructure, employment and ethics-related bills in the legislature, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is now focusing his efforts to improve public education with significant reform proposals.
It's a topic - buoyed by declining school test scores - that has initiated comprehensive structural changes in several states, with many more eyeing the developments.
Speaking at the Louisiana Press Association luncheon in West Monroe Thursday, Jindal, recently sworn in for his second term, said children's future and the economic prosperity of the state are at stake.
“The way forward is for more choices. Our children grow up only once,” Jindal said.
A contingent of representatives from Bastrop attended the luncheon, including Morehouse Police Jury President Terry Matthews, Bastrop-Morehouse Chamber of Commerce Director Dorothy Ford and its board of directors' president, the Rev. Chad Ballard.
They, along with about 500 guests, heard Jindal speak on three basic educational areas his administration is focusing on revamping, including:
* Fostering equal educational opportunities for families.
* Re-assessing teacher effectiveness and salaries.
* Enabling school-system administrators to spend tax dollars in innovative, effective ways on the local level.
Jindal cited previous speeches by members of Congress and President Obama that emphasize that it's the right of all children to receive a quality education - and not one predicated on race, background or zip code.
“Many families move to locations where the schools are good, others send their children to private schools. Good for them,” he said. “But the reality is that too many families don't have those choices because they can't afford” to relocate. “Parents should not be trapped in a (poor performing) school district.”
In response, the governor wants the legislature to give families more access to school vouchers, the formation of more charter schools, more business, online and university-led courses, and a loosening of restrictions that inhibit families' ability to transfer to other districts.
He spoke at length about studies that have revealed how much the impact of a teacher can make or break a student's future and aggregate income level.
According to studies, an effective fourth-grade teacher can affect whether a student goes on to college and decrease the chances of teenage pregnancies, he said.
He said more efforts are needed to eliminate the gratuitous bureaucratic paperwork that teachers tackle every school year.
Making structural changes that could replace less effective teachers with proven quality teachers is likely to draw criticism from teachers unions due to the current tenure policy, Jindal acknowledged.
“Some will argue for the status quo, but now is the time to realize the need for change,” he said.
With regards to localizing decision-making, Jindal said that while there are school districts facing problems, the ones that are working well in both flourishing areas and in impoverished areas all have one common denominator. They are innovative.
“We must do what we can so schools can do more” independently, including giving them flexibility, Jindal said.
