BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana High School Redesign Commission is holding a series of public forums across the state, including one for this region at Destrehan High School, to give students, parents, educators and members of the community input into a plan to make fundamental changes in the way high schools operate. 

The Destrehan forum is set Jan. 19, from 4-6 p.m.

The Commission will host seven forums to discuss recommendations that will be made to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Those recommendations include making classes more challenging and relevant, identifying students who are falling through the cracks much earlier in order to keep them from dropping out of school, focusing more instructional time on literacy and math and partnering with higher education to provide post-secondary classes to high school students.

The Commission on High School Redesign was created by Gov. Blanco in 2004 to redesign high schools so that every Louisiana student graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

The Commission includes educators, state legislators, business leaders, teachers, parents and students.

Other forums will be held in Shreveport (Jan. 11), Lafayette, (Jan. 12), Alexandria (Jan. 23), Lake Charles (Jan. 24), Baton Rouge, (Jan. 26),

&#8220Anyone who cares about the future of our high schools should take this opportunity to have a say in the changes that will be made,” said State Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard.

&#8220I especially hope that students take the time to come to one of these forums, listen to the recommendations of the Commission, and make their own suggestions. They know better than anyone else what is working, and what is not working, in our schools today,” Picard added.,

&#8220The High School Redesign Commission has put a lot of effort into coming up with preliminary recommendations to change the way our high schools operate, and I thank them for their hard work,” said Board of Secondary and Elementary President Glenny Lee Buquet.

&#8220After many long hours, we now have the beginnings of a plan that we can take to the public. It is now time for them to get involved and help us change the way our high schools operate,” Buquet continued.

&#8220Many people might wonder why we would even think about changing high schools, since they remember their high school years with such fondness,” said Linda Johnson, President-Elect of the Board of Secondary and Elementary Education, and Chairwoman of the Louisiana High School Redesign Commission.

&#8220The problem is that our schools are operating under the factory model created back in the 1800’s. That model no longer works, and our children are paying the price. The time for change is now,” Johnson said.

For more information, call the Department of Education toll-free hotline Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

That number is 1-877-453-2721.