... in the News

Teacher retention key, says educators; Landrieu holds statewide forum
by Stacey MacGlashan
THE TIMES-PICAYUNE 

Unless the state can train and then keep good teachers, school reforms such as smaller classes and new reading programs won't work, state and local educators told U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu Monday during her Louisiana Conference for Education Excellence.

Louisiana's difficulty retaining quality teachers emerged as a key concern amid conversations about class size, the federal Reading Excellence Act, school construction and renovation and charter schools. Landrieu organized the forum to promote partnership among local, state and federal officials. The conference was attended by more than 120 teachers, administrators, union leaders and education officials from across the state.

"Those of us in Washington need to do a lot more listening," said Landrieu, D-La. "At least one day a year, I plan to come down here, sit and listen to what is working and what is not working."

Landrieu pointed to rising test scores and significant improvement on national reading assessments as state successes but cautioned "a lot more has to be done. If we can just make every week count, every month count, every year count and get things done sooner rather than later, maybe we won't lose a whole generation of children."

In a keynote address, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley identified family involvement, early childhood development, the establishment of higher expectations and more challenging standards for students and schools, school construction and renovation and raising teacher quality as the ingredients necessary to the educational success of all children nationwide.

"The list of challenges can seem daunting ... the key thing to remember is we're all in this together," he said.

Deputy Secretary of Education Scott Fleming outlined several federal financing proposals, including a one-year, $1.2 billion appropriation to reduce class size in grades one through three. Louisiana would receive about $30 million, with $4.5 million going to Orleans Parish and Jefferson and East Baton Rouge receiving $2.1 million each.

Under the Reading Excellence Act enacted by the last Congress, about $260 million is available in competitive grants for teacher and tutor training, college work studies and other related programs. States must apply by next month, Fleming said.

The Department of Education also has proposed a measure that would provide bond money interest-free to states. Louisiana could receive up to $600 million in bonding authority, with $125 million going to Orleans Parish, and another $110 earmarked for Jefferson, East Baton Rouge and Caddo parishes. The state would determine how to spend the remaining $262 million, Fleming said.

Many educators said the bond legislation should include some reward for districts that already have secured voter authority to raise taxes to support construction. Landrieu said she would consider proposing an amendment.

Time and again Monday, participants returned to the need for stronger teacher training, both in education colleges and among veterans. Schools must take steps to reduce the number of uncertified teachers and those teaching outside their field of certification, educators said, and the state must find ways to attract and keep quality teachers.

"We cannot ask our teachers to do a better job with students unless we help them learn how to do a better job with students," Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Paul Pastorek said during a lunchtime address on the state of state education.

In an informal poll conducted by the Public Forum Institute, which coordinated the event, 72 percent of participants said their districts would have trouble filling new positions with certified teachers if money and space for new classrooms were made available.

State Superintendent Cecil Picard, BESE President Glenny Lee Buquet and Gov. Foster co-chaired the event. Of the three, only Picard attended. Financing was provided by several corporate sponsors.

...in the News

Media Releases

Graphics

eFORUM Results