Budget cuts to public education, from kindergarten through college, are threatening to derail Louisiana’s educational progress and darken the state’s economic future, said Steve Monaghan, President of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
Monaghan was in Southwest Louisiana on Monday to talk about the cuts.
“This budget is a study in unfortunate choices,” Monaghan said.
“It puts public education at all levels on the wrong side of a clearly drawn line.”
The proposed budget includes $219 million in cuts to colleges and universities, and $200 million in cuts to the elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana.
“The administration’s $219 million cut to higher education will slash important programs in every college, university, community college and technical school in the state,” said Monaghan.
“The permanent damage these cuts will cause to the economic development of the state is incalculable.”
Monaghan explained that the Louisiana legislature has, in over the past six years, included $2.4 billion in tax cuts and incentives, and of the 1,200 bills to be introduced at the upcoming session, 400 of them will dismiss even more revenue that could be used to help fund the education costs of the state.
“They have willingly given up new revenue streams,” Monaghan said on tax cutting measures.
One of the many items that the LFT would like to see lawmakers reconsider is the state’s accountability plan.
“Currently, the standardized testing industry drives everything from the school calendars to curriculum in our schools,” explained Monaghan.
“There are only six other states that place such high stakes on a standardized test.”
Louisiana currently spends over $150 million on contracts that facilitate the standardized tests from developing the test, to printing, distributing, collecting, and scoring the exams.
“It’s time we ask hard questions about this expense,” Monaghan asked.
“Are we purchasing good diagnostic information for educators to use in their classroom to improve student achievement? Or, have we invested in a blurred snapshot that has contributed to a narrowing of curricula and has inadvertently promoted mediocrity.”
Monaghan continued, saying that the teachers in the classroom need authority in the classroom returned in cases where a student underperforms on the exam but has a positive record in the classroom in regards to knowledge of the curriculum.
Jean Johnson, President of the Calcasieu Federation of Teachers, said that the cuts in Calcasieu Parish near the $5 billion dollar mark, including the dismissal of 80-85 teachers and para professional personnel.
“It’s a battle to get the basics,” Johnson said.
“We train locally the workers the community needs.”
Johnson and Monaghan both encourage the public to contact their local state representative and show their concern for the budget cuts for the state school system.
