State plans for school innovation
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Up to 130 public schools, including some in Baton Rouge, could be in for a financial windfall if Louisiana is one of the winning states in the federal “Race to the Top” contest.
The state was listed as a top contender for the money months ago by Education Week magazine.
“I still feel like we have a good opportunity,” said state Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, who is spearheading the state’s proposal.
A public hearing on the draft plan, which is triggering criticism from two teacher unions, is set for 1 p.m. Thursday.
Pastorek says the state, if it is one of 12 or so picked, could collect $250 million of the $4.4 billion federal pot of money, mostly for troubled schools.
Federal officials say they are looking for states that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform.
Under Louisiana’s plan, schools that volunteer to make sweeping changes in their operations could receive up to $500,000 per year for four years.
East Baton Rouge Parish school district officials are considering taking part, said Chris Trahan, spokesman for the district. Details of any participation have not been worked out, Trahan said.
Pastorek said state applications will be due by the first or second week of January. Winners are expected to get the money in time for the 2010-11 school year.
What schools that get the funds would have to undergo depends on the school performance scores they received in the annual state report card.
A top score is 180-200. The state average this year is 91. Schools that score below 60 face state sanctions and eventually takeovers if they fail to improve.
If 130 schools take part that would represent about 10 percent of the statewide total.
The state’s tentative proposal calls for:
-- 100 schools with scores below 79.9, which are dubbed failing or high priority.
Those schools would have to undergo drastic changes.
Options include new principals, teachers or conversion to public charter schools, which are supposed to offer innovative techniques and are run by independent boards.
-- 30 schools with scores of 80-99.9, which the state calls emerging schools.
Those schools, some of which have already undergone staff and other changes, would have to make less-sweeping changes, such as giving principals new authority to improve operations.
Schools that take part would also be off-limits to any state takeovers for up for four years, Pastorek said. That could entice some school districts, especially since state education leaders are considering an increase in the minimum score that schools have to achieve to avoid sanctions.
However, the contest is also triggering questions and criticism.
Joyce Haynes, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, said her group has “legitimate and serious” concerns about the state’s draft proposal, including the possibility of more charter schools.
Haynes said in a prepared statement that charter schools generally fared worse than traditional public schools in the state’s most recent report card.
“Should Louisiana really rely so heavily on charter/takeover schools as the model of reform?” she asked in a recent letter to the editor.
Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, said officials need input from teachers and others before they make wholesale changes to schools.
“There can be serious, unintended consequences for reform efforts,” Monaghan said.
Pastorek countered that schools have options other than conversion to charter operations.
“It is not charter-centric,” he said of the plan.
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