Louisiana schools
State money will follow students reading below grade level
Louisiana could soon give parents and guardians of students struggling to read the option to pull them out of public school and provide them money for private school or homeschooling. Money for the subsidies would come out of the state budget. Sen. Sharon Hewitt’s Senate Bill 203, creating the Reading Education Savings Account program, passed […]
Louisiana schools that require COVID vaccine could soon face lawsuits
Public schools and government agencies that require COVID-19 vaccinations could face lawsuits from anyone barred entry for failing to comply, according to a proposal the Louisiana Legislature approved Monday. House Bill 54, authored by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, passed the House and Senate after multiple rounds of amendments. Bagley, a retired educator, chairs the House […]
Author kills Louisiana’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
For now, Louisiana teachers will still be allowed to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 classrooms. Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, author of what’s been labeled Louisiana’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, told the Illuminator she has voluntarily shelved her bill for this legislative session. Her bill would have made it illegal for schools to […]
Schools, public agencies that require vaccinations could be sued under Louisiana proposal
Public schools and government agencies that require vaccinations could face lawsuits from anyone who’s barred entry for failing to comply, according to a proposal advancing in the Louisiana Legislature. House Bill 54, authored by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, advanced from a state Senate committee Tuesday by a 4-2 vote. Bagley, a retired educator, chairs the […]
Louisiana lawmakers encouraged to serve as substitute teachers
Louisiana students may soon see their local state representative as their new substitute teacher. The state House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 99 Thursday. It requests each House member to volunteer as a substitute teacher in a public school. “Most of us have been sitting on the bench, and now’s the time when the […]
Corporal punishment ban passes in Louisiana House on 3rd try
Despite two failed previous attempts to pass the legislation, the Louisiana House passed a ban on corporal punishment in public schools unless a parent or guardian provides written consent. House Bill 649, authored by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans, would outlaw “the use of physical force that causes pain or discomfort to discipline a student” […]
Louisiana teachers could soon have to pay for an additional criminal background check
Right now, Louisiana K-12 teachers are required to undergo a single criminal background check for their teaching certificate and during the hiring process. They may soon have to go through a subsequent review, paid for partially out of their own pockets. House Bill 156, authored by Rep. Barbara Freiburg, R-Baton Rouge, would require teachers to […]
Struggling Louisiana students could soon use state money for private or home schooling
Louisiana could soon give parents of students struggling to read the option to pull them out of public school and provide them money for private school or homeschooling. A bill that would pull these subsidies out of the state’s public education budget moved closer to final passage Wednesday in the Louisiana Legislature. Sen. Sharon Hewitt’s […]
Corporal punishment ban for Louisiana public schools one vote shy of approval
For the second time this legislative session, the Louisiana House struck down a ban on corporal punishment in public schools. House Bill 649, authored by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans, would have outlawed “the use of physical force that causes pain or discomfort to discipline a student” in Louisiana schools. Correctional employees are not allowed […]
Bills to shield unvaccinated students advance in Louisiana Legislature
Louisiana schools may soon have to change how they handle vaccinations and vaccine exemptions among their students. Multiple bills that would weaken a school’s ability to enforce a vaccine mandate passed Tuesday in the House Education Committee. House Bill 531, authored by Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, would allow parents of unvaccinated children to sue a school […]
Bill to ban racial oppression as subject in Louisiana schools is shelved
A proposal that would have made it illegal for schools to teach that students of any race or national origin face oppression was voluntarily shelved Tuesday by its author. House Bill 808, authored by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, would have added to the “Parents’ Bill of Rights for Public Schools” that “the school shall […]
Another attempt to ban corporal punishment in Louisiana public schools fails
The bill failed in a 51-42 vote, needing 53 votes to pass. A dozen House members were absent, and Hilferty can bring her proposal back for reconsideration if she gets more support.