Monaghan: Session was "very painful"

Advocate reporter Will Sentell wraps up the legislative session's effects on education in this article.

Depending on how you look at it, this was either a wonderful session for public education, or a most painful one.

Coming down on the "wonderful" side is the Jindal administration, which pushed hard for pieces of legislation that teachers and school employees really hate. Those include an unnecessary teacher evaluation bill, and a really awful scheme that allows school boards to seek waivers for virtually any law or policy governing education.

Says Jindal's chief legal counsel, "It was an enormously successful session when it comes to education."

LFT President Steve Monaghan calls the session "very painful." He reflects the mood of the state's teachers and school employees, saying, "I don't think anybody would consider the 2010 session any renaissance of the legislative process."