Testy exchanges over seized schools' performance

Schools that have been seized by the state are not performing up to expectations, and lawmakers want to know why.

That's the gist of the action at Wednesday's meeting of the joint House and Senate Education Committees, reported here by The Advocate's Will Sentell.

They got few answers from Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Penny Dastugue.

Both said that the schools taken by the state had been failing their obligations to students for years, but that wasn't what the senators and representatives were asking. They wanted to know why many schools, some operated by independent charters and some by the state Recovery School District, aren't faring any better under the new management.

In testy exchanges, Pastorek said that "dozens" of the 180-plus schools seized by the state have shown major improvements.

But with some 200 schools under consideration for seizure, lawmakers were seeking assurance that the department of education can guarantee improvement. They got no guarantees.

Pastorek takes blame for loss of stipends

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek is taking credit for the loss of $16.3 million for stipends paid to nationally certified educators, according to this Associated Press article in the Shreveport Times.

Pastorek says the stipend payments would have deeply cut his education department budget, so he asked Governor Jindal to veto the line item.

Says LFT President Steve Monaghan, "This is very disappointing, demonstrating a breathtaking lack of understanding for the effort educators have made to enhance their skills and improve our schools."

Pastorek: State will take over 10 schools; 23 others on watch list

Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek today released a list of so-called failing schools that will be taken over by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Out of 33 schools that Pastorek says are eligible for takeover, 10 will be taken by the state – eight in East Baton Rouge Parish and two in Caddo Parish.

Pastorek said that Requests for Proposals have been issued for charter organizations interested in running the schools. If suitable charter organizations cannot be found, he said, the department of education will operate the schools itself.

The 23 remaining schools will operate under local board authority, Pastorek said, but will have a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the state department. If the local school board does not live up to the requirements of the memorandum, he said, BESE will then move to take over the schools.

For more information, including a list of schools involved, please click here.