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A Recommendation to BESE

Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009  ·  Comments (8)  

Today I publicly announced my recommendation that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) place 10 public schools in the state’s Recovery School District (RSD). BESE will take action on that recommendation tomorrow, determining the future for these schools and 23 others that have been labeled Academically Unacceptable Schools (AUS) for at least four consecutive years.

 

The 10 schools the Department of Education (LDE) recommends placing in the Recovery School District include two schools from Caddo Parish and eight schools from East Baton Rouge Parish.

 

I want to reassure the communities that are affected by this recommendation that the decision to place these schools in the RSD came after careful consideration and thorough analysis. In the end, we made the recommendation based on our responsibility to provide the children in these schools with a high-quality education that adequately prepares them for a successful future. We believe the right choice in the case of these 10 schools is to place them under the direct control of the RSD.

 

For the other 23 schools eligible for state takeover, we are recommending a type of receivership to be carried out through a Supervisory Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). While the district can continue to operate the school, it will do so with the supervision of the Recovery School District. However, operating under receivership and remaining in the jurisdiction of the local district depends on whether the respective school board agrees to the requirements outlined in the Supervisory MOU between the District and LDE, including a related school Recovery Plan. 

 

If the district fails to comply with the terms of the Supervisory MOU or fails to make progress toward the implementation of the school Recovery Plan during the first year of the agreement, the Department may exercise its option to place the school into the RSD.

 

Nevertheless, either action, placement in the RSD or operation under a Supervisory MOU, involves continued cooperation between LDE, the local district and the school community. As we make progress toward our ultimate goal of improving academic achievement at all 33 of these schools, I look forward to working with these school communities. 

 

Specifically, I want to emphasize that there are many talented and dedicated teachers and administrators in these schools. I want to say to them that we realize these decisions have undoubtedly brought uncertainty into your lives, and over the next few weeks we will reach out to you to address your questions and concerns through faculty meetings and other communication. We value the tremendous effort you have put forth and look forward to working with you as we explore workable solutions to these complex challenges.   

 

And last, but certainly top of mind, we want to emphasize to the students and families in these schools that the Department is determined to see to it that every child in this state receives a world-class education.  And we will do whatever it takes to achieve that vision. 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog, and I look forward to receiving your feedback.  Also, for your reference, the link to today’s press release and Frequently Asked Questions around today’s announcement can be found at this link: www.LouisianaSchools.net.

Comments 
It is incredible that there has been absolutely no information provided to the public about the specific criteria used to select your 'recommendations' on the schools. Are you afraid to actually provide the public with the details of the process and the analysis which led to your decision? Are we supposed to blindly trust in your infallibility? No comments at all on the demographic patterns others have mentioned...or the clustering of the schools you are selling off to charters, vs the schools 'left' to the districts as long as they are willing to sign off on the blank checks?
Comment By Amicus Brief At 1/28/2009 8:28 PM
I am a teacher at Capitol Middle-one of the schools slated for placement in the RSD. Quite naturally, most of the faculty and staff are concerned about their employment prospects for the upcoming school year, and many are even outraged that a relatively new facility will no longer be managed by the school system which worked so hard to have it built. (I remember that penny tax push!!) However, we must be mindful that we are here for the sake of our students. Whether they are educated in a school managed by EBRPSS or the RSD matters very little as long as our students are being served by teachers and administrators who truly believe that they can make a positive difference in the lives of our students. We need to look beyond discussions of schools, for they are just buildings, and focus on discussions centered around how to best serve our students. Such discussions quite naturally must include teachers, who have so often been left out of the decision-making process.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
Comment By Dedicated Teacher At 1/29/2009 6:50 PM
I agree with the above post about the criteria that is used to determine what makes a school 'Unacceptable' being made public. I wonder if all of these determinations are a result of the one test that is given to supposedly measure our childrens' academic level. Is this the only standard or are there others? I live in one of many poor parishes in this state and feel that although our school seems to perform well on this test that there are many other areas of improvement that need to be addressed. ie. having actual certified teachers, having teachers for the courses these students are required to take instead of online courses where they seem to retain little to nothing. I would like to know that the state has a vested interest in EVERY parish school and not just those with the most to offer economically.
Comment By Concerned Parent At 3/6/2009 12:37 PM
It would be nice if Mr. Pastorek would update his blog, but he seems to busy pushing his agenda to maintain a blog. It appears that decisions about state takeover of schools have been willy-nilly at best. Furthermore, the schools that have been taken by the state are doing as poorly or worse than they were before. Leadership starts at the top, and Mr Pastorek, you are doing a poor job of leading. You need to go back to the law profession and let someone with the competence to lead education in Louisiana take your place. When the state department of education doesn't have a clue, takeover of schools is fruitless. Local school systems are doing the best that they can on low budgets, yet the state is spending large amounts of money and getting no results.
Comment By Louisiana Citizen At 4/29/2009 3:04 PM
Shame, shame, shame. Cutting the budget for Louisiana's best high school, LSMSA. We are already the shame of the nation when it comes to education. Now we deprive our best and brightest!!!!!! We should bow our heads in shame. I can't wait to put together Ireport videos with the students and parents of LSMSA and send to all the local and national news media. Also, I will petition that all elected officials are required to send their children to public schools. How do you guys sleep at night? I can't wait for the next election.
Comment By Sheree Bandukwala At 5/1/2009 12:29 PM
Thank You Mr. Pastorek for genuinely caring about the children of this state.
Comment By Marsha At 8/10/2009 8:16 PM
Interesting thread on Mr. Pastorek

http://www.newshorn.com/forums/viewthread/29920/

Keep up the good work
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