Iberville Parish Schools Superintendent Dr. Louis Voiron is one of several public school leaders across the state to discuss how proposed state legislation will impact the future of K-12 education in Louisiana. I am deeply concerned.
The proposed education savings account, backed by Gov. Jeff Landry, is one of the biggest concerns for Voiron, a veteran educator and administrator in Louisiana's public school system.
Superintendents across the state are concerned about how much money could be siphoned from public schools, but accountability is also a big concern.
The plan does not outline standardized testing, which is the backbone of the public school system.
“The biggest disappointment is that the accountability part is not aligned with public schools,” Voiron said. “I feel like they’re trying to dismantle the public school system.”
The Senate Finance Committee last week voted 4-3 in favor of a revised version of the ESA program. Under that plan, implementation could be delayed and smaller than originally proposed.
The program, called LA GATOR, allows families to apply for state funding to send their children to the private schools of their choice.
Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, proposed an overhaul that would base funding for the program on research into the state's existing educational resources. The study is expected to be completed by December.
The ESA proposal comes at the same time the state faces a $500 million revenue cut when the 0.45-cent sales tax expires on June 30.
Voiron said he understands lawmakers' argument that parents have a right to choose, but if the issue goes to the Supreme Court, state funding for religious concerns would be an obstacle. He said it was possible.
Even with those factors in mind, Voiron's biggest concern is performance.
“Schools participating in voucher programs are performing very poorly, based on any metric,” he said. “I feel like they’re trying to dismantle the public school system.”
He is also disappointed that the state has opted to provide a new one-time benefit, but the amount has not yet been finalized.
BESE sent out a package asking for $2,000 stipends for teachers, which Governor Landry included in his budget, but the House reduced it to $1,300. Now, the package passed by the House of Representatives gives him $1,700 in benefits.
“When it comes to teacher pay, we need permanent raises,” Voiron said. “We don't know what the outcome will be. We hope to get up to $2,000 back… It's better than nothing.”
When it comes to public education, school systems generally need to become more creative in providing options to parents.
He doesn't think it's an issue in the Iberville Diocese.
“We are working in that direction, and we are already doing some of that work here in the Diocese of Iberville, but public schools remain the backbone of the state's education program,” he said.
As with other organizations, including law enforcement and municipal/parish governments, the proposed constitution poses unique concerns for Voiron.
Rewriting is the biggest problem, he said.
“I don't necessarily agree that we need to redo the Constitution. We have books on revising it. But I don't necessarily agree that the purpose behind it is to protect funding for public education. “If it's about taking away people, that's a more dangerous form of law than other laws.''What else are they considering there?'' he said. “We can't keep pitting utilities against each other.”
Voiron has been around long enough to see governors come and go, and said Landry is probably the most powerful governor he's seen since Edwin Edwards.
He remains hopeful that somewhere in the clouds there is a glimmer of hope.
Despite the controversy over fiscal and philosophical issues, Voiron said the Jindal administration had some good legislation.
One of the most important pieces when it comes to education is Section 1 of the 2012 Act, which aims to remove politics from many of the day-to-day operations of the school system and allow superintendents to do their jobs.
“It was a very good thing coming out of that administration,” he said. “Ultimately, I hope that there will be a positive outcome from what happens next.
“It’s scary to think that funding for public education could be lost, and it’s just ridiculous that something like that could happen. I hope they understand the importance that education plays in this state.”