Education
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 […]
Recess could be required for K-5 students
Louisiana public schools would have to schedule at least one 15-minute recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade under a proposal that advanced Wednesday from a legislative committee. Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Schriever, excluded charter schools from House Bill 121 because state law allows them to establish their own policy on classroom time versus recess. […]
Louisiana House passes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
The Louisiana House of Representatives passed a so-called Don’t Say Gay bill Tuesday that would prohibit teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation, and it would protect only teachers and parents who hold conservative views of transgender rights. House Bill 466, sponsored by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, passed in a 67-28 vote. Six Democrats […]
TikTok could soon be banned on college campus WiFi in Louisiana
TikTok could soon be expelled from Louisiana’s colleges and universities under a bill advancing through the legislature. House Bill 361, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville, would ban the app on all state-owned devices and state administered networks, meaning the popular video sharing app could soon be inaccessible on university WiFi. Deshotel has pitched the […]
College bartenders stop overhaul of Louisiana’s minimum age law
In the face of immense pushback from young service industry workers, a proposed law to prohibit 18- to 20-year-olds from entering or working in bars in Louisiana underwent major changes Tuesday that removed most of the age restrictions. In its original form, Senate Bill 194, sponsored by Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, would have made it […]
Louisiana House approves bill to let teachers reject student’s pronouns
House lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would back school employees who refuse to use a student’s chosen name or pronouns that differ from the ones given to them at birth. It would also allow a teacher to overrule a parent’s approval for their child to go by a different name. House Bill 81, sponsored […]
House passes bill requiring ‘God’ motto in Louisiana schools
House lawmakers passed a bill Monday that would require all public and charter school classrooms to display a poster with the motto “In God We Trust.” House Bill 8, sponsored by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, passed the chamber in a 98-4 vote. It will next head to the Senate for consideration. The proposed law requires […]
Book highlights Huey Long’s patronage of LSU, legacy of purple & gold politics
Huey Long’s presence is palpable at LSU. An average Saturday night during football season will tell you as much. A stroll across campus will take you past the fieldhouse named in his honor and to the Greek theater, where the marching band he led so often rehearses the songs he helped write on the stage […]
Debate over holding back third graders roils state legislatures
Should third graders who don’t read well enough to pass a standardized test repeat their grade? That question is roiling states, with some choosing to keep the practice, some to modify it and others to scrap it. Most states require students to take standardized tests that measure progress in reading and math in the third […]
Louisiana lawmakers consider softer qualifications to attract more uncertified teachers
With educators finding better pay in other fields, Louisiana lawmakers are considering altering the profession’s qualifications in order to bring a new crop of applicants into the education system without having to raise teacher salaries. Senate Bill 197, sponsored by Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Bossier City, would change the qualifications to be a school teacher in […]
Controversial library bill advances from Louisiana Senate committee – again
After approving a bill without hearing from the opposition a week ago – a violation of the Louisiana Legislature’s norms – the Senate Education Committee was required to reconsider the proposal Thursday to restrict children’s access to content deemed sexually explicit. Once again, members advanced it. Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, […]