In spite of all of the public discourse regarding the corruption of government, there is something to be said about the value and importance of having experienced and knowledgeable people in positions that shape the policy and direct the operation of government agencies. With that said, I am uncertain as to where the failure occurred, […]
I have been writing this blog for just over three years, now. While I occasionally write about things that are specific to my school district, I generally try to provide information about laws and policies implemented at the state level that affect our teachers, schools and students, globally. Sometimes, I get questions from people that […]
Raise your hand if you’ve ever checked your weight against one of those charts that tells you how much you should weigh based on your height. You know. The ones with unrealistic goals that you immediately dismiss because of their ridiculousness. Well, I have. I can tell you that in all my 35 adult years, […]
On February 28th, in what proved to be the most exciting meeting of the MFP task force, to date, Superintendent Doris Voitier suggested that the $1000 raise for teachers, recommended by the governor, is not enough and stated that she’d like to give teachers a $10, 000 raise. Voitier also happens to be a member […]
Every year around this time, I start to get an onslaught of questions from teachers and parents about state administered standardized tests and whether, or not, students are required to take them. I can only touch on the subject, here. If you want to delve deeper, just use the search feature on this site and […]
Two years ago, I started this blog in an effort to educate parents, teachers, and community members on the education reforms that are perpetrated on our public schools by corporate interests, and how they affect our students, parents, and teachers. For decades, business and industry has feigned efforts to address civil rights issues in education […]
Today, I earned the distinction of being the first person to ever petition the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to consider a rule change. BESE president, Dr. Gary Jones, joked that because I was the first to attempt to navigate the process, they would put my name on a plaque and hang it in […]
In Part 1 of this blog, I explained the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) and how it tilts the economy in favor of business/industry. In the closing, I stated that returning the economy to a more balanced state isn’t as simple as reining in ITEP. I hope to explain my reasoning, here, in Part two. […]
Despite enormous push back and passionate testimony from citizens, on Friday, December 14th, the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved what is arguably the largest property tax exemption ever granted in the nation. Tellurian Inc., the applicant of the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), could potentially be relieved of two billion dollars in property […]
I’ve tried to prepare for today for almost fifteen years. Since his second heart surgery, I’ve known that Daddy’s time was limited. I just always thought it would happen quickly because his heart would stop. I never dreamed it would be this way. My grandmother used to tell me that my father wanted a puppy […]
