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American public education has been considered the remedy by which inequality of opportunity and poverty can be reduced. Public education was thought to be the great equalizer.

Horace Mann spoke of the education of the people as being very close to his heart.

The United States in the 21st Century was to begin seeing greater ethnic and cultural diversity than in any other period in American history. Needless to say, the ball is still bouncing on the Equity Plan.

What happens in the classroom obviously affects equality, but the relationships between schools, parents and communities also matters.

For classroom interventions to work, however, teachers need training and support to develop their techniques to help those pupils who are falling behind.

Clearly, education systems need to provide strong education for all, giving priority to early childhood provision and basic schooling.

Five years ago, Huff Post stated that 2016 was a hard year for poor children and children of color in a gridlocked and cantankerous Congress.

The new Every Student Succeeds Act begins a new era but without needed federal accountability and relying on hopes that all states will fulfill their crucial responsibility to educate all their children fairly and prepare them for work and life. To ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, all of us – every parent, child and community advocate who cares about our nation’s future – will have to work very, very hard.

Every level of government has to deal with the fiscal responsibility that is needed to educate the children of this country, the state Louisiana and this school district, St. John the Baptist Parish.

It is time that our district leaders look fairly at the district maps and work together to fulfill their promises to us taxpayers and children that it is necessary to hire qualified teachers with knowledge in content areas and resources needed for each course taught.

Fiscal responsibility begins with using the allotted dollars coming into the parish wisely.

The Board and Community need to look at the lines of Parish Council and change the Board membership to seven (saving a lot of $$$).

 

Let’s Have a Great Year St. John,

Citizen Jean

Carolyn Jean Batiste