Here is a summary of a recent annual address.
LOUISIANA
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) • April 13
Gov. Jindal used his final State of the State address to continue his call to “rid” Louisiana of the Common Core State Standards, whose adoption he said represented “federal coercion” and an attempt to “blackmail” taxpayers using their own money.
In a speech that sounded familiar themes, Gov. Jindal, who is leaving office after this year having served two terms, said he would support legislation barring the federal government or any third party from controlling Louisiana’s education standards and replace the common-core standards with state-crafted ones.
The governor, widely believed to be considering a 2016 presidential run, said the debate over the common core was not about high standards. Instead, Gov. Jindal said, according to his prepared remarks, that the debate was “about the federal government deciding that they need to set the standards for us because we are not sophisticated enough to do it on our own.” A former supporter of the common core, Gov. Jindal has been embroiled in a long-running legal battle to end the standards’ implementation in Louisiana and has clashed with the state’s education chief, John White, on the issue.
Gov. Jindal also highlighted some of the education changes he said have taken root during his tenure, including higher graduation rates, a reduction in the number of the state’s failing schools, and increased accountability for teachers. He also pledged to roll back some corporate benefits to the tune of more than $500 million, which he said could go toward paying for higher education and health care.
