BESE’s Roemer criticizes Jindal

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 10, 2009 - Page: 1A

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Gov. Bobby Jindal is unwilling to risk his political capital to help repair Louisiana’s public schools, a member of the state’s top school board charged Tuesday.

Chas Roemer, of Baton Rouge, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said Jindal and others have failed to tackle the fundamental problem of numerous students failing to master the basics in school.

“And the reason they do not want to focus on meaningful issues is simple and it is the reason our state continues and will continue to struggle: politics,” Roemer said in a prepared statement.

“To take on issues that matter would mean to risk some political capital — something this administration seems unwilling to do,” he said.

Roemer, the son of former Gov. Buddy Roemer, also criticized Jindal’s support for legislation that would offer public high school students a “career diploma” in a bid to trim the dropout rate.

Chas Roemer said the new curriculum would result in a “meaningless diploma” that would make it impossible for graduates to find a good job.

“If they prevail, maybe we should just send a diploma to everyone in the state, even retroactively, and declare 100 percent graduation rates for the past 20 years,” Roemer said of backers of the bill.

Roemer is one of eight elected members of the state’s top school board. Three others were named by Jindal.

However, it is unusual for any member of the board to single out the governor for criticism.

Roemer and Jindal are both Republicans.

Jindal declined a request for an interview on Roemer’s comments.

However, Jindal said in a prepared statement issued by his press office that the state school board backs the dropout bill with changes and said it has been strengthened through the legislative process.

Jindal’s prepared statement said he has “strongly supported reforms such as school board reform, expanded school choice and merit pay to help ensure every child in Louisiana receives a high quality education and will continue to do so.”