Pastorek seeks dramatic changes in schools

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Dec 18, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said Wednesday that a dozen public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish and about 20 others across Louisiana under intense state scrutiny have “utterly failed” and need dramatic changes.

But Pastorek said he is undecided on whether to recommend the state take over the schools, which EBR Superintendent Charlotte Placide and other district leaders vehemently oppose.

“What I am trying to do is to come up with a solution we can agree on so we don’t have bloodletting,” Pastorek said.

He said he will spell out his recommendations on 33 failing schools statewide on Jan. 9.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is set to decide the fate of the EBR schools and others a few days later.

Opponents of state takeovers of EBR schools have promised to turn out in force for the meeting next month.

Pastorek made his comments during a 90-minute meeting with editors at The Advocate.

Placide, who was called on Wednesday evening, could not be reached for comment.

Chris Trahan, a spokesman for the East Baton Rouge Parish school system said eight of 12 EBR schools under review have shown academic progress.

All the schools face state takeovers because they have failed to achieve minimum performance scores for at least four consecutive years.

Those results are based on LEAP, which fourth- and eighth-graders have to pass for promotion; iLEAP, which students in grades three, five, six, seven and nine take; a test required for high-school graduation; and dropout and attendance rates.

Similar problems led to state takeovers of four other EBR public schools earlier this year, which Placide also opposed. It was the first such action for area public schools.

State education officials just finished detailed reviews of all the schools under scrutiny now, which fill a loose-leaf notebook that is more than 3 inches thick.