HLS 16RS-4288 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 227
BY REPRESENTATIVES JONES AND NANCY LANDRY
EDUCATION: Provides for a study of the structure of local governance of public
elementary and secondary education in Louisiana
1 A RESOLUTION
2To create a task force to study the structure of local governance of public elementary and
3 secondary education in Louisiana and to provide for the submission of a written
4 report of findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the House Committee on
5 Education not later than sixty days prior to the beginning of the 2018 Regular
6 Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
7 WHEREAS, the Constitution of Louisiana charges the legislature with providing for
8the education of the people of the state and establishing and maintaining a public educational
9system; and
10 WHEREAS, the constitution further provides that it is the goal of the public
11educational system to provide learning environments and experiences, at all stages of human
12development, that are humane, just, and designed to promote excellence in order that every
13individual may be afforded an equal opportunity to develop to his full potential; and
14 WHEREAS, the structure of school boards in Louisiana was established in the
15nineteenth century when the state was a much more rural place; and
16 WHEREAS, in today's world, many feel that there are inherent problems in having
17both the legislative and executive powers lie with the school board and that it would
18strengthen the state's public education system if school governance were modeled after
19federal, state, and local forms of government where there is a clear demarcation between
20executive and legislative powers; and
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HR NO. 227
1 WHEREAS, in these other forms of government, there are checks and balances on
2each branch of government, which is a bedrock principle of American society that is sorely
3lacking in the current school governance structure in Louisiana; and
4 WHEREAS, fundamental changes to the way Louisiana's education system is
5governed at the local level may afford the state's students their best chance of success in the
6classroom and in life; and
7 WHEREAS, other states may have lessons to offer Louisiana in terms of alternative
8education governance structures, and these merit serious evaluation and consideration; and
9 WHEREAS, in order to fulfill the state's constitutional duty of affording every
10student an equal opportunity to develop to his full potential, it is imperative that a balanced
11group of stakeholders thoroughly study the structure of local governance of public
12elementary and secondary education in Louisiana.
13 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
14Legislature of Louisiana does hereby create a task force to study the governance of public
15elementary and secondary education in Louisiana and does hereby request the task force to
16submit a written report of findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the House
17Committee on Education not later than sixty days prior to the beginning of the 2018 Regular
18Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
20following members who shall serve without compensation:
21 (1) A representative of the office of the governor who shall be selected by the
22governor.
23 (2) The chairman of the House Committee on Education or her designee.
24 (3) The member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who represents District
25No. 50 or his designee.
26 (4) A representative of each of the following organizations who shall be selected by
27the presiding officer of the organization:
28 (a) The Louisiana School Boards Association.
29 (b) The Louisiana Association of School Superintendents.
30 (c) The Louisiana Association of Principals.
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HR NO. 227
1 (d) The Louisiana Association of Educators.
2 (e) The Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
3 (f) The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana.
4 (g) The Louisiana Parent Teacher Organization.
5 (h) The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
6 (i) Progress Louisiana.
7 (j) The Louisiana Budget Project.
8 (k) The NAACP of Louisiana.
9 (l) The Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options.
10 (m) The Council for a Better Louisiana.
11 (n) The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.
12 (o) Stand for Children.
13 (p) Louisiana Federation for Children.
14 (q) Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force's report shall include an
16examination, at minimum, of all of the following:
17 (1) The advisability, feasibility, and potential effects of providing for each local
18public school district to have an executive branch, president, or equivalent with veto power
19over the school board and other powers and duties.
20 (2) The common characteristics of local public school governance structures in states
21with successful and highly regarded public education systems.
22 (3) Research conducted by think tanks or other academic research on the issue of
23local school governance.
24 (4) Recommendations, if any, for legislation related to local public school
25governance.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the representative of the governor's office shall
27be responsible for convening the task force for its first meeting by September 1, 2016, at
28which the task force shall adopt rules of procedure, a work schedule, and any additional
29measures that it deems necessary for the timely performance of its duties.
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HR NO. 227
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may seek the input of individuals
2whose fields of expertise and experience would assist the task force in conducting its duties,
3including but not limited to representatives of the postsecondary education community in
4the fields of political science and education and representatives of private organizations with
5an education mission.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
7governor of Louisiana and to the presiding officer of each of the organizations from which
8the members of the task force are being selected.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 227 Original 2016 Regular Session Jones
Creates a task force to study the governance of local public elementary and secondary
education in La. and provides for the submission of a written report of findings, conclusions,
and recommendations to the House Committee on Education at least 60 days before the 2018
R.S. Provides that the report shall include an examination, at minimum, of the following:
(1)The advisability, feasibility, and potential effects of providing for each local public
school district to have an executive branch, president, or equivalent with veto power
over the school board and other powers and duties.
(2)The common characteristics of local public school governance structures in states
with successful and highly regarded public education systems.
(3)Research conducted by think tanks or other academic research on the issue of local
school governance.
(4)Recommendations, if any, for legislation related to local public school governance.
Provides for 20 members who shall serve without compensation; that the task force may seek
input from individuals whose fields of expertise and experience would assist the task force
in conducting its duties, including but not limited to representatives of the postsecondary
education community in the fields of political science and education and representatives of
private organizations with an education mission; and that the representative of the governor's
office shall convene the task force for its first meeting by Sept. 1, 2016.
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