Governor's Education Focus

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was in Shreveport on February 11, 2009 in part to promote the need for new education legislation. There appear to be three major areas that have so far been identified. They include:

• A discipline agenda
• Value added testing
• Removal of barriers that limit or restrict faith-based organizations relationships with charter schools.

According to news reports, the discipline agenda aims to give teachers more options in controlling the classroom as well as turning up the heat on parents who fail to take responsibility for student behavior.

This site has previously suggested some type of legislative approach should be considered in the area of parental accountability. However, we also believe in balance and funding. Balance would include provisions for mental health services and adequate funding to provide these services.

It does not take much imagination or research to know that much of the student anti-social behavior has its roots in the home and that the home needs, in many many cases, mental health services.

In any event, this overall legislative package should be closely monitored by concerned community members, to make certain that thoughtful and constructive ideas are incorporated in any final product.