Public Policy Positions
Position Statement in Support of LPSS 2017 Tax Measure
The Lafayette Public Education Stakeholders Council (LaPESC), a coalition of independent education stakeholder groups, is taking a position of strong support for the upcoming tax-measure proposed by the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS).
The proposed half-cent sales tax measure to benefit school facilities represents a well thought out, per-capita investment in our public schools. More than thirty percent of revenue generated by a sales tax will be contributed by out-of-parish purchasers, further lessening the burden on our own community. It is a ‘Sunset Tax’, restricted to 10 years, at the end of which we will see significant infrastructure improvements. This is a critical step at a critical time.
Currently 6,000 students, or 20% of our student population, are educated daily in ‘Container’ buildings. Anyone who has experienced the conditions of these buildings will find them unacceptable. These temporary classrooms suffer from leaks, noise, poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding and insufficient cooling. The proposed sales tax will, over time, replace 248 out of about 450 temporary classrooms districtwide. Temporary buildings will be replaced with permanent buildings or new classroom wings. In addition, aging and insufficiently sized cafeterias and restrooms will be replaced or improved, addressing forecasts for student population growth over the next decade. The estimated cost for this project is $194.5 million.
LPSS has put forth a sensible measure, one we can afford and we should support. A clear plan has been detailed of how to prioritize and tackle the most immediate needs first. Moneys would be spread around parish schools for equitable distribution to all parts of our community. This tax measure cannot fix everything, but it will be a significant step in the right direction.
LaPESC recognizes the urgent need for improved facilities alongside of improved quality of instruction. We believe that the current LPSS Administration and Board have moved the system from an era of strife toward functioning education reform. We believe that this is a time when we should entrust LPSS with these resources. This is an investment in the future of our parish, at a fraction of the cost of previous tax proposals. Without this tax measure, we can be assured that our public education system will fall further behind state and national standards.
Great public school districts are created when the public and private sector, schools and communities work together. LaPESC’s 16 member organizations represent a broad cross-section of the community. We stand united with LPSS, business leaders and other community leaders in our support for this measure. LaPESC believes that an investment in the future of our children is an investment in the economic future of our parish.
LaPESC is encouraging all community members to learn more about the proposed tax measure. We urge you to go to the ballot on Saturday April 29th and vote in support of this tax.
The proposed half-cent sales tax measure to benefit school facilities represents a well thought out, per-capita investment in our public schools. More than thirty percent of revenue generated by a sales tax will be contributed by out-of-parish purchasers, further lessening the burden on our own community. It is a ‘Sunset Tax’, restricted to 10 years, at the end of which we will see significant infrastructure improvements. This is a critical step at a critical time.
Currently 6,000 students, or 20% of our student population, are educated daily in ‘Container’ buildings. Anyone who has experienced the conditions of these buildings will find them unacceptable. These temporary classrooms suffer from leaks, noise, poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding and insufficient cooling. The proposed sales tax will, over time, replace 248 out of about 450 temporary classrooms districtwide. Temporary buildings will be replaced with permanent buildings or new classroom wings. In addition, aging and insufficiently sized cafeterias and restrooms will be replaced or improved, addressing forecasts for student population growth over the next decade. The estimated cost for this project is $194.5 million.
LPSS has put forth a sensible measure, one we can afford and we should support. A clear plan has been detailed of how to prioritize and tackle the most immediate needs first. Moneys would be spread around parish schools for equitable distribution to all parts of our community. This tax measure cannot fix everything, but it will be a significant step in the right direction.
LaPESC recognizes the urgent need for improved facilities alongside of improved quality of instruction. We believe that the current LPSS Administration and Board have moved the system from an era of strife toward functioning education reform. We believe that this is a time when we should entrust LPSS with these resources. This is an investment in the future of our parish, at a fraction of the cost of previous tax proposals. Without this tax measure, we can be assured that our public education system will fall further behind state and national standards.
Great public school districts are created when the public and private sector, schools and communities work together. LaPESC’s 16 member organizations represent a broad cross-section of the community. We stand united with LPSS, business leaders and other community leaders in our support for this measure. LaPESC believes that an investment in the future of our children is an investment in the economic future of our parish.
LaPESC is encouraging all community members to learn more about the proposed tax measure. We urge you to go to the ballot on Saturday April 29th and vote in support of this tax.
Position Statement on Charter Schools
May 11, 2013
Background: A charter school movement emerged after Hurricane Katrina that primarily encompassed the Orleans Parish School District. During the 2011-2012 school year, 98 charter schools were in operation in Louisiana collectively serving 44,000 students. In the 2012-2013 school year, another 13 charter schools were scheduled to begin operation.
Charter schools are publicly funded, independently operated and do not charge tuition or fees. They are open to all students. Enrollment decisions must not be discriminatory. The student population of most charter schools must reflect the at-risk population in the district where the school is located. There are some charter schools that have been granted selective admission criteria based on their mission requirements, i.e. language immersion charter schools. The charter school law was amended in 2012 prohibiting any new charter schools with selective enrollment practices.
Louisiana’s charter school law dates back to 1995 when up to eight school districts were allowed to voluntarily participate in starting charter schools. In 1997, the law was expanded to establish both BESE and local boards as charter authorizers.
There are five types of charter schools.
Type 1: New start-up school authorized by local school board
Type 2: New start-up or conversion authorized by BESE
Type 3: Conversion of existing school authorized by local school board
Type 4: New start-up or conversion authorized by local school board and BESE
Type 5: School transferred to the jurisdiction of the RSD, authorized by BESE
Legislation in 2012 created the Type 1B charter school. None currently exist. Type 1B charters are authorized by nonprofits that BESE has permitted to do this work.
Charter schools are authorized for a five-year period and are subject to a three-year review. In Louisiana, charters are started by businesses, non-profits, parent groups, education groups and others. Sponsoring groups must include no fewer than three certified teachers.
Charter schools are governed by an independent, non-profit board. They are free from many laws and regulations governing traditional public schools. They have significant flexibility and autonomy to allocate resources. They are regularly monitored and must demonstrate defined academic achievement goals and must maintain satisfactory financial performance in order to have their charters renewed. They are subject to stringent standards and specific objectives that are outlined in their charter contracts with local boards or BESE.
Charter schools are required to participate in the state’s accountability program and must meet minimum standards of instructional time, as mandated by state law. Instructional faculty must meet the qualification requirements set forth in No Child Left Behind. Legislation in 2012 removed the certification requirement for all charter school teachers.
The Department of Education, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Louisiana School Board Association, the Tulane University Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives and the Picard Center are just a few of the many state and national institutions that can be referenced for data on charter school performance in Louisiana and the nation.
Belief Statement: LaPESC is providing a position statement on charter schools since charter school applications will be considered by its local school district in 2013.
LaPESC believes that every child deserves a world-class education no matter their race or income. Every student deserves public schools with sufficient resources to unlock their
transformative abilities so that 100% of our students reach their full potential and graduate from high school prepared to enter the workforce or to succeed in post-secondary education.
LaPESC advocates for the elimination of the achievement gap by both race and income and for all students to graduate from high school on time.
Accountability data shows that many school districts across the state have not been successful in closing achievement gaps and turning around failing schools. When parents are forced to send their children to chronically low performing schools, LaPESC supports empowering parents with the charter school option. Too many of our schools in Lafayette Parish are low performing. Over 40% are D or F schools for a total of 17.
We believe that our local school district is unique in that it has hired a superintendent that believes that all children can learn. He has been authorized by the school board to execute a 100% in/100% out turnaround plan that he expects will close the achievement gap by race and income and will turnaround low performing schools. This turnaround plan was adopted by the LPSS school board and is commonly referred to as the “100% in/100% out Plan”.
This turnaround plan is in its first year. While LaPESC is very optimistic about its success, it is too early to know if our school board, school system and community will sustain the plan over the long term to show major gains by the end of school year 2017-2018.
At this early stage in the turnaround plan, LaPESC believes that high quality charter schools are an important alternative for parents in our district. LPSS should consider for approval charter school applications that meet high-quality charter school standards.
LaPESC supports charter schools that meet the following high-quality charter school definition:
A high-quality charter school is a school that shows evidence of strong academic results for the past three years (or over the life of the school, if the school has been open for fewer than three years), based on the following factors:
Call to Action: LaPESC supports charter schools and advocates LPSS School Board approval of high-quality applications that meet standards of third party reviewers recognized by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. LaPESC also advocates continued support of the 100% in/100% out turnaround plan so that all LPSS schools are high performing by the year 2018.
LaPESC does not take positions on individual charter school applications.
Conclusion: All children can learn. The LPSS system has a significant history of large numbers of students, mostly poor and African American, not performing at grade level or graduating from high school, zoned to attend low performing schools. Lafayette Parish has a district superintendent and a district school board who believe that all children can learn and that our school district must show significant gains in closing the achievement gap by race and income. They also believe that our low performing schools must also be turned around and expects them to reach class A performance by 2018.
LaPESC is devoting all of its efforts to support the LPSS 100% in/ 100% out turnaround plan and encourages businesses and community organizations to also provide their support. Our public school system will need all of the support and resources that we can provide to achieve the very ambitious performance goals that are in the turnaround plan.
As our district and community do the work that is necessary to turn our schools around, students should have the option to attend high quality charter schools.
Charter schools are publicly funded, independently operated and do not charge tuition or fees. They are open to all students. Enrollment decisions must not be discriminatory. The student population of most charter schools must reflect the at-risk population in the district where the school is located. There are some charter schools that have been granted selective admission criteria based on their mission requirements, i.e. language immersion charter schools. The charter school law was amended in 2012 prohibiting any new charter schools with selective enrollment practices.
Louisiana’s charter school law dates back to 1995 when up to eight school districts were allowed to voluntarily participate in starting charter schools. In 1997, the law was expanded to establish both BESE and local boards as charter authorizers.
There are five types of charter schools.
Type 1: New start-up school authorized by local school board
Type 2: New start-up or conversion authorized by BESE
Type 3: Conversion of existing school authorized by local school board
Type 4: New start-up or conversion authorized by local school board and BESE
Type 5: School transferred to the jurisdiction of the RSD, authorized by BESE
Legislation in 2012 created the Type 1B charter school. None currently exist. Type 1B charters are authorized by nonprofits that BESE has permitted to do this work.
Charter schools are authorized for a five-year period and are subject to a three-year review. In Louisiana, charters are started by businesses, non-profits, parent groups, education groups and others. Sponsoring groups must include no fewer than three certified teachers.
Charter schools are governed by an independent, non-profit board. They are free from many laws and regulations governing traditional public schools. They have significant flexibility and autonomy to allocate resources. They are regularly monitored and must demonstrate defined academic achievement goals and must maintain satisfactory financial performance in order to have their charters renewed. They are subject to stringent standards and specific objectives that are outlined in their charter contracts with local boards or BESE.
Charter schools are required to participate in the state’s accountability program and must meet minimum standards of instructional time, as mandated by state law. Instructional faculty must meet the qualification requirements set forth in No Child Left Behind. Legislation in 2012 removed the certification requirement for all charter school teachers.
The Department of Education, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Louisiana School Board Association, the Tulane University Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives and the Picard Center are just a few of the many state and national institutions that can be referenced for data on charter school performance in Louisiana and the nation.
Belief Statement: LaPESC is providing a position statement on charter schools since charter school applications will be considered by its local school district in 2013.
LaPESC believes that every child deserves a world-class education no matter their race or income. Every student deserves public schools with sufficient resources to unlock their
transformative abilities so that 100% of our students reach their full potential and graduate from high school prepared to enter the workforce or to succeed in post-secondary education.
LaPESC advocates for the elimination of the achievement gap by both race and income and for all students to graduate from high school on time.
Accountability data shows that many school districts across the state have not been successful in closing achievement gaps and turning around failing schools. When parents are forced to send their children to chronically low performing schools, LaPESC supports empowering parents with the charter school option. Too many of our schools in Lafayette Parish are low performing. Over 40% are D or F schools for a total of 17.
We believe that our local school district is unique in that it has hired a superintendent that believes that all children can learn. He has been authorized by the school board to execute a 100% in/100% out turnaround plan that he expects will close the achievement gap by race and income and will turnaround low performing schools. This turnaround plan was adopted by the LPSS school board and is commonly referred to as the “100% in/100% out Plan”.
This turnaround plan is in its first year. While LaPESC is very optimistic about its success, it is too early to know if our school board, school system and community will sustain the plan over the long term to show major gains by the end of school year 2017-2018.
At this early stage in the turnaround plan, LaPESC believes that high quality charter schools are an important alternative for parents in our district. LPSS should consider for approval charter school applications that meet high-quality charter school standards.
LaPESC supports charter schools that meet the following high-quality charter school definition:
A high-quality charter school is a school that shows evidence of strong academic results for the past three years (or over the life of the school, if the school has been open for fewer than three years), based on the following factors:
- Student academic achievement and attainment, that shows steady increases each year, for ALL students, including children on free/reduced lunch and minority students that are served by the charter school. The rate of increase in student academic achievement should be above the historical rate of increase for the state overall, especially for students on free/reduced lunch and minority students.
- Student performance outcomes that consistently meet or exceed the yearly performance targets that are in the charter school contract.
- Significant improvement (improvement rates that are significantly greater than historical rates for the state or the district in which the charter school is located) in the closing of achievement gaps between subgroups of students, particularly by race and income.
- Above average achievement results relative to the state and the district in which the charter school is located, in statewide test results, annual student attendance, retention rates, high school graduation rates, college attendance rates and college persistence rates, especially for students on free/reduced lunch and minority students.
- No significant compliance issues, particularly in the areas of student safety and financial management.
Call to Action: LaPESC supports charter schools and advocates LPSS School Board approval of high-quality applications that meet standards of third party reviewers recognized by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. LaPESC also advocates continued support of the 100% in/100% out turnaround plan so that all LPSS schools are high performing by the year 2018.
LaPESC does not take positions on individual charter school applications.
Conclusion: All children can learn. The LPSS system has a significant history of large numbers of students, mostly poor and African American, not performing at grade level or graduating from high school, zoned to attend low performing schools. Lafayette Parish has a district superintendent and a district school board who believe that all children can learn and that our school district must show significant gains in closing the achievement gap by race and income. They also believe that our low performing schools must also be turned around and expects them to reach class A performance by 2018.
LaPESC is devoting all of its efforts to support the LPSS 100% in/ 100% out turnaround plan and encourages businesses and community organizations to also provide their support. Our public school system will need all of the support and resources that we can provide to achieve the very ambitious performance goals that are in the turnaround plan.
As our district and community do the work that is necessary to turn our schools around, students should have the option to attend high quality charter schools.
Position Statement on Governance
May 2011
Background: After careful consideration of thoughts shared with us by current and former School Board members, LaPESC has identified 5 aspirations for the Lafayette Parish School Board: focused, transparent, respectful, informed, and policy-centered. Conversations revealed a vision of the board as trustees of the school system working on the community’s behalf, with School Board members ensuring that community values and expectations are reflected in its work. We consistently heard about the need for more involvement from the community, parents and other stakeholders to better understand those expectations and values. Also expressed was the need to increase public confidence in the board as well as in the school system. Low-performing schools, graduation rates and the need to address underlying conditions which contribute to poor student performance were noted.
Belief Statement: LaPESC believes that the Lafayette Parish School Board must ensure that its school system achieve results expected by the community and deserved by students, that is having no fewer than 90 percent of students perform at grade level and graduate from high school on time. We believe that the heart of strategic governance is to build public confidence by establishing performance expectations in the form of student achievement goals and operational expectations for the system. We also believe that effective governance practices are a reflection of the board’s overall commitment to ensuring excellence in education for every student.
Call to Action: To promote student performance and school system effectiveness, the Lafayette Parish School Board should govern so that it
Belief Statement: LaPESC believes that the Lafayette Parish School Board must ensure that its school system achieve results expected by the community and deserved by students, that is having no fewer than 90 percent of students perform at grade level and graduate from high school on time. We believe that the heart of strategic governance is to build public confidence by establishing performance expectations in the form of student achievement goals and operational expectations for the system. We also believe that effective governance practices are a reflection of the board’s overall commitment to ensuring excellence in education for every student.
Call to Action: To promote student performance and school system effectiveness, the Lafayette Parish School Board should govern so that it
- Empowers the superintendent as CEO of the system with full authority to administer district affairs, including but not limited to personnel actions and other operational duties.
- Clearly defines short-term and long-term measurable goals for student performance and system effectiveness for the district
- Holds the superintendent accountable for achieving board established goals and incorporate as part of his/her annual performance evaluation
- Reviews board and system goals on student achievement and system effectiveness at least quarterly at a regularly scheduled board meeting to assure that reasonable progress is being made
- Pro-actively seeks taxpayer input and builds broad support for policy decisions prior to final voting
- Holds itself accountable to the entire community
- Works collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, including parents, faith-based organizations, business networks, non-profit organizations, government and stakeholder coalitions
- Handles conflict respectfully and ensures that comments are inquiring, challenging or solution oriented
- Publicly responds to comments and concerns expressed at board meetings by citizens and stakeholder groups
- Bases its decisions on information found in research, data, policies, best practices and alignment with board and system goals.
LaPESC Position Statement on Academic Achievement
March 28, 2011
Expectation: The Lafayette Parish Public Education Stakeholders Council has a mobilizing commitment to ensure a world-class education for every student in every public school so that by 2016 no fewer than 95% of students perform at grade level and graduate from high school on time, prepared to succeed in post-secondary education.*
Research confirms that it is possible for a public education system to deliver education in such a way that this goal is achieved for every child, no matter the race or economic status.
Call to Action: LaPESC calls for the public school system to set annual, measurable and achievable goals with a specific timetable to reach the aforementioned results and comply with the Louisiana Education Reform Plan while eliminating the achievement gap. These goals and their progress should be communicated to the public on a regular basis, updated each school year and captured on the Lafayette Parish School System website. The resultant dialogue among all stakeholders must ensure that results are achieved fully and timely.
Conclusion: Because the members of LaPESC value diverse perspectives, shared leadership, open dialogue, accountability, partnership, alignment, transparency, integrity, inclusiveness, communication and trust we stand ready to assist the school district in achieving the above stated objectives.
*”Grade level” and “graduation on time” as defined by the State of Louisiana Department of Education.
Research confirms that it is possible for a public education system to deliver education in such a way that this goal is achieved for every child, no matter the race or economic status.
Call to Action: LaPESC calls for the public school system to set annual, measurable and achievable goals with a specific timetable to reach the aforementioned results and comply with the Louisiana Education Reform Plan while eliminating the achievement gap. These goals and their progress should be communicated to the public on a regular basis, updated each school year and captured on the Lafayette Parish School System website. The resultant dialogue among all stakeholders must ensure that results are achieved fully and timely.
Conclusion: Because the members of LaPESC value diverse perspectives, shared leadership, open dialogue, accountability, partnership, alignment, transparency, integrity, inclusiveness, communication and trust we stand ready to assist the school district in achieving the above stated objectives.
*”Grade level” and “graduation on time” as defined by the State of Louisiana Department of Education.