Public education is a critical issue in Louisiana and we send billions of dollars to local school districts with the expectation they will give our children a quality education.

But while it seems everyone has something to say about education, it’s often hard to tell where our elected stand on the actual issues that come up and that many of them will have to address while in office.

When you get past the political platitudes, there are some real world issues that are on the forefront of the education reform debate in Louisiana. Here are seven that CABL considers top priorities.

1. Protect and build upon the Louisiana School and District Accountability System.
2. Mandate clear and annual benchmarks and long-term performance goals, rigorous standards and consequences for students, schools, districts and the state.
3. Make parental choice widely available in each district so that every student has an opportunity to escape low-performing schools and learn at their highest potential.
4. Provide more opportunities for students to be prepared to enter kindergarten.
5. Maintain and protect the state Recovery School District which assumes authority and operations over chronically failing schools.
6. Increase teaching quality and school leadership.
7. District and schools must take greater responsibility for dropouts and implement strategies that will significantly reduce the number of students leaving school in grades 7-12. 

For more a more detailed explanation of CABL's Education Priorities, Click Here (PDF).