Louisiana

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Louisiana
A copy of the Ten Commandments hangs alongside other historical documents at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. Similar displays in schools are now at the center of court battles in Texas and Louisiana.
A copy of the Ten Commandments hangs alongside other historical documents at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. Similar displays in schools are now at the center of court battles in Texas and Louisiana.
John Bazemore/AP
Law & Courts Appeals Court Heightens Stakes Over Ten Commandments School Laws
A full federal appeals court will review Texas and Louisiana laws requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools.
Mark Walsh, October 29, 2025
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2 min read
Jackson County High School in Kentucky posts the Ten Commandments in the front hall of the school, shown here in 2000, and in every classroom, on June 25, 2025. A group of North Texas reverends filed a federal lawsuit this week to challenge a new state law that would require posting the Ten Commandments in each public school classroom.
The Ten Commandments were seen on display at Jackson County High School in Kentucky in 2000. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, in New Orleans, will review a Louisiana law that requires the display of the commandments in public school classrooms.
<a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?artistexact=Lexington%20Herald-Leader">Lexington Herald-Leader</a>/Getty Images
Law & Courts Louisiana's Ten Commandments Law Gets Full Federal Appeals Court Review
The full 5th Circuit threw out a panel decision that blocked a Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools.
Mark Walsh, October 7, 2025
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2 min read
GettyImages 1165535297
E+
Early Childhood How Old Should a Kindergartner Be? Parents and Districts Clash Over Cutoff Dates
As some districts and states strictly enforce kindergarten cutoff dates, parents feel the squeeze.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 12, 2025
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6 min read
Tanya Bryant, CEO of ReNEW Schools for Education Week.
Tanya Bryant, the CEO of ReNEW Schools, visits the ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans' 9th Ward on July 31, 2025. The school serves students in pre-K through 8th grade and is part of the ReNEW charter school network that Bryant leads.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management The Storm, Aftermath, and Recovery: How Katrina Shaped This Educator's Career
An educator's pre- and post-Katrina work shows how a generation of teachers had a front-row seat to dramatic changes in New Orleans schools.
Evie Blad, August 19, 2025
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9 min read
Amber Powell, a first grade teacher, and Dr. Vera Triplett, CEO/Founder, of Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning.
Vera Triplett, the CEO and founder of Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning, right, walks with Amber Powell, a 1st grade teacher, on Aug. 6, 2025. The school, located in the East Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, will convert to a private, independent school this school year.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management Q&A This School Leader Still Sees the Effects of Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later
Vera Triplett is concerned about the number of schools that have shut down in her city in the years since Katrina.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 19, 2025
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6 min read
A student works on math problems in a fourth grade classroom in Compton, Calif. on February. 6, 2025.
A student works on math problems in a classroom in Compton, Calif. on Feb. 6, 2025. At least one state, Louisiana, is now investing in training all its middle school math teachers on how they can build on skills learned in elementary math.
Eric Thayer/AP
Professional Development Why This State Is Requiring 50 Hours of Math Training for Teachers
Some teachers said they still wanted more practical strategies to support students who were multiple grade levels behind.
Sarah Schwartz, July 30, 2025
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8 min read
katrina 20a
In this Aug. 30, 2005 file photo, people walk through floodwaters on Canal Street in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. On seeing this scene one day after the storm hit land, photographer Bill Haber recalls, "Thats when we really realized how bad it was, and we had no idea how bad it would get."
Bill Haber/AP
Special Report Katrina at 20: Voices of Two Career Educators
Katrina at 20: Voices of Two Career Educators
July 25, 2025
The Caldwell Parish School Board meets in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025.
The Caldwell Parish School Board meets in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025. Two years earlier, the board narrowly approved a school merger plan.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management How to Successfully Merge Schools: Key Practices For Community Buy-in
While school mergers have shown promise, the approach comes with plenty of challenges.
Alyson Klein, July 25, 2025
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5 min read
Schools in Caldwell Parish, La., merged to create grade band campuses.
Schools in Caldwell Parish, La., merged to create grade band campuses.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management What Makes—or Breaks—a District's School Merger Plan
District leaders in a rural, red area and a progressive city took different tones on rezoning.
Alyson Klein, July 25, 2025
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11 min read
A dilapidated modular home sits in the foreground across from Union Central Elementary School in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025. The home and its location was a point of contention for parents opposed to the restructuring of the schools.
A dilapidated modular home sits in the foreground across from Union Central Elementary School in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025. The home and its location was a point of contention for parents opposed to the restructuring of the schools.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management How One District Reimagined Elementary School
Caldwell Parish, La., merged three elementary schools in part to bolster racial and socioeconomic diversity.
Alyson Klein, July 25, 2025
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27 min read
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks alongside Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill during a press conference regarding the Ten Commandments in schools Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. Murrill announced on Monday that she is filing a brief in federal court asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s new law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks alongside Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill during a press conference on a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools on Aug. 5, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. A federal appeals court on June 20 upheld an injunction blocking the law from taking effect.
Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP
Law & Courts Federal Appeals Court Upholds Block on Louisiana Ten Commandments Display Law
Louisiana's law requiring the Ten Commandments in every classroom likely violates the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled.
Mark Walsh, June 20, 2025
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3 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Curriculum Opinion This State Is Achieving Impressive Reading Gains. Why?
How content-rich curricula is fueling a rise in reading scores.
Rick Hess, May 22, 2025
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7 min read
Teacher tutoring a young student while sitting in a classroom.
Yuri Arcurs/E+
Student Achievement Tutoring Programs Are in Limbo After the Expiration of COVID Relief Aid
Some districts have had to terminate tutoring programs or scramble to find alternate sources of funding.
Olina Banerji, April 25, 2025
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9 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
States Opinion How One State Improved Its NAEP Scores
Louisiana's state schools chief discusses the importance of reading and math instruction and "letting teachers teach."
Rick Hess, April 3, 2025
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6 min read
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