Louisiana is in dire need of local school board reform

Louisiana has about 700 local school board members across the state.

Local school boards are charged with establishing policy that results in quality education for students and they are the stewards of hundreds of millions of tax dollars collected for schools.

In January, the national education journal Education Week published its annual “Quality Counts” issue, wherein states are ranked according to the journal’s assessment of various educational quality indicators. Louisiana’s nationally recognized accountability program ranked high, coming in at number two in the nation.

Also as expected, our student achievement ranking was one of the lowest in the U.S., coming in at number 47. Soon, almost one-third (500) of Louisiana’s public schools will be considered academically failing.

Quality public education is the key to economic development. There is a huge disconnect between state law and policy and implementation at the local level, where education reform really must occur to be effective.

Implementation falls directly into the hands of local school boards.

Though some boards operate efficiently and are student-focused, many are bogged down in the micromanagement of their district’s day-to-day operations, leaving student achievement behind as a priority issue.

Last year, Rep. Steve Carter approached LABI and other groups to discuss a local school board reform legislative package he was considering introducing during the next legislative session.

This coalition began to work with Rep. Carter and the result is four bills that attempt to refocus school boards on the mission of improving student academic achievement. The bills would:

• Take the profit out of local school board service – local school board members would be prohibited from being able to participate in local district health insurance plans (in 1996 they were prohibited from participating in retirement plans).

Further, members may currently receive up to $800 per month in compensation. This bill would limit pay to $200 per month, plus expenses.

• Institute Term Limits – local school board members would be subject to the same term limits as BESE, the State legislature, and many other boards: three four-year terms.

The goal of this legislation is to shake up the entrenched status quo that exists in some districts and encourage new citizens to get involved in education reform.

• Define the roles of the board and the superintendent – this bill seeks to get members out of hiring, firing and transferring school employees and creates penalties for those who violate this law.

The bill also would require a two-thirds majority of school board members to hire and fire a superintendent.

• Tighten the Nepotism Law – tightens the law regarding the employment of superintendents’ immediate family members.

This legislation will in no way affect board members who do not try to influence hiring and firing. Currently, accountability exists at every level of public education except the school board level.

Students are accountable every time they take a LEAP or GEE test. Teachers are being held to ever higher standards, from their university training to their performance in the classroom. Schools receive report cards and districts receive scores.

These bills do not strip elected members from important governance functions, including setting standards and policy, and engaging in procurement. They have taxing authority and spend the local, state and federal tax dollars entrusted to them.

These bills are not about blame but, rather, about trying to be the best we can be. It’s about being thorough at every level. Nothing in these bills stops “good” school boards from continuing their good work.

It’s an important step to Louisiana’s economic development efforts and providing better educational opportunities for students.

Editor’s Note: Brigitte Nieland, vice president and council director for LABI’s Education and Workforce Development Council, contributed to this column.