Louisiana
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Louisiana
School Choice & Charters
La. Agency OKs Storm Aid for Private Schools
Schools would get about $10 million in federal funds to rebuild after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
School Climate & Safety
New Orleans Teachers Say Modular Housing Is Too Little, Too Late
When Louisiana leaders said this month that they would provide 250 modular housing units for teachers in New Orleans, they were hoping to draw educators back to the city’s schools. But the news instead has irked some teachers displaced by Hurricane Katrina, who say that by offering them “storage pods” for homes, authorities are rubbing salt in their wounds.
Education
State of the States
Gov. Blanco Seeks Teacher-Pay Hike
Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco made teacher pay a top education priority in her State of the State Address last week, asking Louisiana lawmakers to hand teachers raises of about $1,500.
School Choice & Charters
New Orleans Charter Network Gets Under Way
As students have returned, they’ve found their old school far from the way they left it before Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the city.
School & District Management
New Orleans Panel Rethinks School System
Four months after Hurricane Katrina, an early outline of a newly configured school system is beginning to emerge.
School & District Management
New Orleans Reopens an Elementary School
Children’s voices filled the hallways at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in New Orleans last week for the first time in three months.
Budget & Finance
Bond Ratings Another Worry for Gulf Coast Districts
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita's impact on school districts’ bonded debt is just becoming clear. It could affect districts’ recovery.
Teaching Profession
Teachers’ Jobs in Hurricane-Ravaged Areas in Limbo
Many Gulf Coast school administrators remain uncertain about how many teachers and other staff members they will need, at least initially.
Budget & Finance
Hurricanes Blow Holes in School Revenues
School districts that suffered damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have reopened and scrambling to find the money to keep them solvent.
School Climate & Safety
Picking Up the Pieces
Outside of New Orleans, a high school battered by Hurricane Katrina reopens. But for many displaced students, life is far from being back to normal.
School & District Management
Louisiana Eyes Plan to Let State Control New Orleans Schools
Calling it a “golden opportunity for rebirth," Gov. Blanco asked the legislature to embrace a state control plan for New Orleans public schools.
School & District Management
Worry Mounting Over New Orleans Schools
As many jostle to play roles in the rebirth of the New Orleans public schools, worry is mounting that the process lacks a coherent vision.
States
La. Legislature Readies for Special Session
With Louisiana’s revenues greatly reduced in the wake of two hurricanes, and thousands of students still displaced from their home districts, state lawmakers will meet this month to figure out how to distribute money for the remainder of the 2005-06 school year.
School & District Management
Educators Discover That Tracking Displaced Students is a Challenge
Thousands of Louisiana students who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina may not have enrolled in school anywhere, according to the state schools chief, and Louisiana is hard-pressed to keep track of students who have dispersed to almost every state in the country.