BR chamber issues education strategy

• Advocate business staff
• Published: May 14, 2008 - UPDATED: 1 p.m.

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The Baton Rouge Area Chamber released a strategy paper on education this morning that emphasizes the importance of the region’s public education in building long-term economic growth.

“Connecting Learning With Economic Growth: Supporting Legislative Action to Improve Public Education” hits five major points:

--Early childhood education should be expanded to bolster math, reading and language skills in all 3- and 4-year-olds.

--Incentives should be awarded to highly trained, effective teachers. Market-based compensation could lure some talented teachers away from other professions, the chamber concluded.

--With the state possessing one of the highest dropout rates in the South, Louisiana needs retention programs, such as the Louisiana School Dropout Prevention Act of 2008 that would give the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education additional power to retain students, the chamber said.

--Families with children in failing school districts need well-funded alternative school options, including charter schools, the chamber report said.

--Louisiana must continue to fund public school accountability measurements to ensure higher student achievement.

“It’s critical that we invest in public education now for our regional and statewide economic development efforts to be successful in the future,” said Adam Knapp, the Baton Rouge chamber’s president and chief executive. “It is equally important that we strengthen and protect the initiatives that have been successful in the past.”