One Voice in Public Education Launched to Foster Collaboration
Plaquemine, Louisiana – Members of Louisiana’s education community, State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek and Stephen Waguespack, Governor Bobby Jindal’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy, met Wednesday night and engaged in a spirited, but productive conversation. In fact, leaders from statewide education organizations have formed a new group: One Voice in Public Education (OVIPE). The meeting this week in Plaquemine was the second meeting for the group, and was facilitated by Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Linda Johnson.
Members of the group say they share a common interest—to provide every child in Louisiana with the opportunity to receive a high quality public education. They say it’s a goal that requires all stakeholders to bring their ideas to the table.
“We can’t all agree on all the issues, but there are clearly some efforts where we can work in collaboration to achieve the greatest impact for our children,” Johnson said. “Given the tremendous challenges we face in education, we must find a way to put aside our differences on some of the highly debated issues long enough to dialogue around some of these critical initiatives, such as Louisiana’s Race to the Top application. I’m very pleased that so many of our statewide organizations are participating in the dialogue.”
Leaders from the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA), Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS), Louisiana Parent Teacher Association (LAPTA) and Johnson met with Pastorek and Waguespack for more than two hours in a private setting.
While Ms. Johnson represents District 8 as a member of the state policy making board, she said the group was not formed on behalf of BESE or in her role as a BESE member, but in her role as a concerned citizen, who recognizes that if adults are unwilling to move past their own issues it will be to the detriment of Louisiana’s children. Pastorek shared a similar sentiment.
“I’m very encouraged by the participation of all these groups, and I’m grateful to Ms. Johnson for her leadership in bringing us together and for including me in the discussion,” Pastorek said. “An honest, open exchange of ideas is critical for the accomplishment of any task. My hope is that the dialogue we engaged in this week will continue. The reality is that to overcome the challenges we face, we must work together. There may be times where we disagree on a particular issue, but we must always strive to find common ground.”
The meeting on Wednesday night focused on Louisiana’s Race to the Top (RTTT) application and strategy. Johnson confirmed that during the meeting the group came to consensus and agreed to work together to craft a RTTT proposal to meet the needs of thousands of children in schools across Louisiana. Louisiana has been named a top contender for the competitive federal grant valued at nearly $5 billion.
Johnson said the group will focus on just a handful of issues, including the Recovery School District and finding ways for the rest of the state to benefit from the resources of the special state-run district.
“We intend to focus our attention on the most critical issues,” Johnson explained. “I am optimistic that through our work together, with all of our various perspectives, insight and experience, we can devise the best plans and solutions for supporting our schools and students.”
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