Education
University of Louisiana System adopts paid parental leave for employees
The University of Louisiana System will offer paid parental leave for all employees, system President Jim Henderson announced at a Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday. The policy, similar to the state Civil Service rule and Gov. John Bel Edwards’ executive order that offers the benefit to most state employees, will offer employees of any gender […]
U.S. House Democrats and advocates push for additional federal child care funding
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democratic leaders on Wednesday called on Congress to pass President Joe Biden’s $16 billion supplemental child care funding request. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts gathered with child care activists and other House Democrats at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol. Child […]
Louisiana Ethics Board accuses former LSU professor of unlawful lobbying
A former LSU professor has been accused of allegedly using a graduate assistant with whom he was reportedly having an affair to lobby the Louisiana Legislature to approve legislation targeting critical race theory. The professor denies the accusation, and a university investigation has cleared him of wrongdoing. Charges from the Louisiana Ethics Administration allege David […]
Florida congressman proposes federal funding to help schools fight book bans
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost unveiled legislation Tuesday to combat a nationwide surge in book bans. Frost, a Florida Democrat, is pushing the “Fight Book Bans Act,” which he discussed at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol alongside fellow House Democrats and advocacy groups. Frost’s bill would provide funding for school districts so […]
BESE president revokes emergency order for failed LEAP test appeals
The president of Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) defended a policy she supported that allows certain seniors to appeal low standardized test scores that prevent them from graduating, but she has withdrawn an emergency rule that put the policy into effect a few weeks earlier than intended. The emergency rule created unnecessary […]
LSU faculty, staff take aim at retirement disparity
The LSU Faculty Senate approved a resolution that calls on the Louisiana Legislature to undo a provision of state law that has kept some faculty members from retiring. The Staff Senate is expected to pass an identical resolution when it meets in December. In the early days of their higher education careers, professors and staff […]
Financial and enrollment cliffs worry LSU’s president
LSU President William Tate listed tax policy as his primary concern going into the first year of Gov.-elect Jeff Landry’s tenure with a new legislature being seated. He shared his thoughts Wednesday in an address to the school’s Faculty Senate. The university has benefited from increased appropriations in the past several legislative sessions, but such […]
Jefferson Parish to vote on tax break for company that crawfished on 100 jobs
The Jefferson Parish Council and its school board will both consider a multi-million dollar tax break next week for a Texas fertilizer company that reneged on its promise to bring more than 100 six-figure-salaried jobs to the parish. Both are scheduled to meet Dec. 6 and will likely call for a vote on a $3.6 […]
Louisiana considers education access for the incarcerated — including those on death row
Whether Louisiana should spend more money and provide more options for the education and job training of its incarcerated population — including those who’ve been sentenced to death — is being explored by a task force that met for the first time Tuesday. The task force, made up of higher education representatives, corrections officials, formerly […]
Local election results could forecast future Louisiana library battles
As results rolled in Saturday evening, Louisiana elected a slate of new Republicans to statewide offices. Hidden among local election results were outcomes that could offer insight into the future of library battles around the state. For several years, conservative activists have protested against certain library materials — primarily those with LGBTQ+ themes. But over […]
Cursive makes a comeback — by law — in public schools
In 2016, California Democratic state Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva sat with then-California Gov. Jerry Brown at an event where he signed baseball-type cards featuring the image of his dog, Colusa. But many of the recipients of the cards couldn’t read his cursive signature, Quirk-Silva recalled, much to the Democratic governor’s dismay. “The governor asked me what […]
Southern University to split chancellor, system president roles into two positions
The flagship of the nation’s only historically Black college and university system will get its own president again after the position was consolidated with the main campus’ chancellor position in 2015 due to budget constraints. The Southern University System Board of Supervisors voted in September to split the positions. A search committee for a new […]