Education
More states line up to serve free school meals to all kids
During his long career as a high school teacher, New York state Sen. John Mannion often reached into his own pocket to cover the cost of lunches for kids who didn’t have the funds. “I watched kids get to the end of the line and not have enough money on their cards,” the Democrat said […]
Louisiana legislators are in agreement to give teachers $2,000 raise
Louisiana lawmakers appeared to have settled on giving public school teachers and other school staff $2,000 and $1,000 annual raises, respectively, legislators across the political spectrum said this week. Conservative House members said they are now willing to put a teacher pay raise directly into the state budget, removing the most significant opposition to doing […]
Anti-tenure legislator backs off controversial bill to put tenure practices into law
A proposal to place tenure policies for higher education faculty into Louisiana law is dead for the year after its author has decided not to pursue the legislation. Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, confirmed in an interview Senate Bill 174 is not going anywhere this session because he never requested a hearing for it in the […]
Controversial library bill clears final committee, goes next to Louisiana House
The Louisiana House Education Committee advanced a controversial bill Tuesday that seeks to restrict minors’ access to material it defines as sexually explicit, possibly putting it one step away from final legislative approval. Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, would require libraries to create a card system so parents could prevent their […]
Where did $8 million for cameras in special education classrooms go? Lawmakers want answers.
Louisiana lawmakers want more information from state education officials about what they’ve done with $8 million set aside last year to put cameras in special education classrooms. “I want direct answers to what has happened to the cameras,” Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, said Monday during a Louisiana Senate Finance Committee hearing. Advocates for children […]
Ultra-conservative groups craft parental rights legislation for Louisiana lawmaker
A change to the Louisiana Constitution that says “parents have the paramount right to raise their children” — and not co-parent with the government — will likely get a second chance at life this week, even though the proposal fell short of passage in the House of Representatives last week. Conservative groups, some with leaders […]
What the House Republican budget proposal means for higher education
Near midnight Thursday, LSU students received a “shots fired” text from university police. The next morning, they awoke to the news that a man had been shot and killed at an apartment building next to campus. Such occurrences are becoming increasingly common for the state’s flagship campus, where the academic year began with a kidnapping, […]
U.S. House GOP questions education secretary on transgender athletes, student loans
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Tuesday grilled the secretary of education about student debt cancellation and protections for transgender student athletes during a lengthy hearing on the president’s proposed budget request for the Department of Education. While the subject of the five-hour House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing was the fiscal 2024 budget […]
Students inspire bill to improve response to mass shootings on campus
A state Senate committee agreed Monday to support a nearly $9 million plan to help Louisiana public schools better prepare for mass shootings. The idea for the legislation came from a panel of students who told lawmakers current emergency drills don’t account for incidents that happen when they’re not inside a classroom. Sen. Barry Milligan, […]
Louisiana Senate approves restrictions on children’s library access
The Louisiana Senate approved a proposal Monday that would limit children’s access to library material. The vote took place without any lawmakers voicing opposition to what up until now has been a controversial proposal. Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, would require libraries to create a card system so parents could prevent […]
Louisiana House advances bill to prohibit COVID-19 vaccine requirement for schools
The Louisiana House of Representatives gave final passage to a bill that would prohibit schools from requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a requirement for attendance. House Bill 182, sponsored by Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, would apply to both public and private schools from the K-12 to university level. No public K-12 schools […]
Louisiana Senate leaders plan to push for teacher pay raise
Louisiana Senate leaders intend to push to give public school teachers a pay raise in their budget proposal, setting up a showdown with House members over the state’s annual spending plan that must go into effect July 1. “I think the teachers will get a raise,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mack “Bodi” White, R-Central, said […]