Our Views: Not the way to get reform in education

We’ve heard all the talk about a new day for public education policy in Louisiana, but we’re skeptical about the prospects for reform when the new polices are advanced with the same old secrecy that’s plagued Louisiana government for years.

A case in point involves conference calls that included members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, staffers for the Louisiana Department of Education and Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White to discuss agenda items ahead of BESE meetings.

BESE Executive Director Catherine Pozniak said she monitors such conference calls to ensure there is never a quorum of the board. But the law also forbids “walking quorums,” a practice in which members of a public body confer in a series of smaller groups to avoid triggering the public notice requirement reached when a quorum is present.

Except for a few stipulated exceptions, the Louisiana Open Meetings Law requires that public bodies give citizens 24 hours advance public notice before the body meets to discuss business, and those meetings must generally be open to the public.

But over the years, public bodies have proven endlessly ingenious in devising ways to deliberate and debate public policy in private, instead. That means that important issues can be decided before a public meeting ever takes place. The citizens that government is supposed to serve need a clear view of how their government is being run. Secretive tactics such as these conference calls among top education officials seem like a cynical ploy to avoid basic standards of transparency.

Two BESE members, Carolyn Hill and Lottie Beebe, said they refused to participate in recent calls scheduled before BESE members were slated to vote on accountability criteria for nonpublic schools participating in the state’s voucher program. Hill and Beebe said they were concerned about the lack of transparency created by the conference calls.

“If we continue to not be transparent, we will continue to have mistrust from this community,” Hill said.

We couldn’t agree more.

Accountability and transparency go hand in hand.

If state education leaders want accountability from teachers, school administrators and parents, they should practice what they preach, and conduct their business in full public view.

Comments

1) Comment by 8.3 - 07/08/2012

Just make a deal at the American Crossroads at the stroke of midnight. It will make you rich.

2) Comment by 8.3 - 07/08/2012

But isn't all of this just to verify a certain governor's bona fides as a strict adherent to conservative gospel as written in the book of ALEC?

3) Comment by timesright - 07/08/2012

I'm clapping my hands loudly! The editorial writers need a standing ovation on this one!

4) Comment by warreni - 07/08/2012

@spqr: The editorial board's position on the governor's voucher program has been consistent since its inception. Maybe the parents who have been fooled into thinking that they will see some benefit from this diversion of public monies to private institutions will start to see the light.

5) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 07/08/2012

The evidence already admitted to and presented, along with the clear and convincing evidence of a total lack of discussion of major issues before BESE ought to be enough evidence that BESE is violating state law. The problem is, it appears that the Attorney General of this state has take the position that since they might be called upon to defend a public body in the case of charges being brought against the body, they they cannot enforce our own state laws. This has happened recently in a case where the Department of Education was not responding properly to requests for information under LA law by refusing to release public documents in clear violation of the law, and the AG said his office could do nothing. There has been a total lack of accountability, and total lack of transparency. Lots of muddy waters.

6) Comment by [e-mail] - 07/08/2012

You have a point but I don't know how you control the devious spirit within us; it happens in all cases that people try to advance their agenda by convincing their peers to support their position in advance of any public vote or discussion of it. I saw it even as head coach when picking 10 yr olds for the all star team in baseball; the discussions outside the meeting were what decided how the voting went. My goodness, if they can't play on the straight and narrow in kiddie baseball, there's no hope for anything else.

7) Comment by Chucky - 07/08/2012

go back to the education of the early 1900's many great people came out of that education.

8) Comment by spqr - 07/08/2012

John White is not the reformer you think he is. He is not even a qualified educator in this state. Maybe the Advocate is just beginning to figure it all out.

9) Comment by Traveler - 07/08/2012

Thanks, Advocate! The editorial writer is absolutely right!