Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Taking "Education" Out of the Louisiana Department of Education

Tomorrow the Louisiana House Committee on Education will meet to "discuss" Representative  Carter's HB 650.

Carter wants to retain the office of the state superintendent, the office of management and finance, the Special School District, the office of district support, and "such other offices as created by law".

Carter wants to get rid of

  • the office of literacy
  • the office of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
  • the office of career and college readiness
  • the office of department support
  • the office of innovation


The superintendent will have the authority to

  • employ, appoint, remove, assign, and promote personnel as is necessary for the efficient administration of the executive office of the superintendent
The bill seems to give increased control and power to the superintendent.


Sounds like it will be a business now.  If you read the bill, it takes out supports and offices for the very thing the department is there for.  Education. I think I know why.  Since John White has become the superintendent, he has gradually filled positions in the department with Teach For America alumni or Broad Superintendent alumni.  When one looks at their backgrounds, most have degrees in public policy or business. Not education.  Their teaching experience rarely goes past the two years required by TFA.

I'd list them, but the staff list has disappeared from the department's "website".

3 comments:

  1. Things always seem to disappear from the La. Dept. of Ed. website. I wonder why?

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  2. Go, Vicky! Expose 'em!


    --Mercedes

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  3. 2) Comment by Ohsofedup - 03/18/2013, The Advocate Newspaper

    A quick peek indicates that some of the unclassified salaries seem to proliferate in the Department of Education: • John White, Superintendent: $275,000; • Michael Rounds, Deputy Superintendent: $170,000; • Howard Drake and Gayle Sloan, Liaison Officers: $160,000 each; • Kerry Laster, Executive Officer: $155,000; • David Lefkowith, precise title still a mystery: $146,000; • Kunjan Narechania, Chief of Staff to John White: $145,000; • Gary Jones, Executive Officer: $145,000; • Deirdre Finn, part time PR Director (working from home in Tallahassee, FL.): $144,000; • James P. Wilson, Director (of what?): $142,000; • Melissa Stilley, Liaison Officer: $135,000; • Elizabeth Scioneaux, Deputy Superintendent: $132,800; • Debra Schum, Executive Officer: $132,000; • Hannah Dietsch, Assistant Superintendent (someone please explain the difference between an assistant superintendent and a deputy superintendent.): $130,000; • Nicholas Bolt, Deputy Chief of Staff (as opposed to assistant chief of staff): $105,000. Perhaps you may have noticed in that lengthy laundry list of high-paying position, there was not a single name followed by the title “Instructor” or any other title that would indicate classroom experience. But even with all the featherbedding at DOE, there’s one appointment in particular in the Division of Administration (DOA) that stands out as the poster child for Jindal cronyism.

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