Press Release: LAE Calls on Jindal to Replace Pastorek

(Baton Rouge, July 24) Louisiana’s Association of Educators has stated that Superintendent Pastorek should be replaced because of his failed leadership and his inability to work with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to produce positive results in public education.

Over the last two legislative sessions, Superintendent Pastorek has demonstrated his unwillingness to work with educators, legislators and locally elected school board leaders, to bring about meaningful education reform for the children of Louisiana. Joyce Haynes, President of LAE said, “Superintendent Pastorek, has created conflict rather than education reform, and has assaulted public schools rather than working to improve public education. Superintendent Pastorek’s undying love of charter and takeover-schools, has produced little to no evidence to support Louisiana’s fiscal contribution to his untested system.”

Superintendent Pastorek has pushed for cutting the funding of the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), thereby reducing funding to local school boards. However, the $120 million stimulus package provided by President Obama and members of the U.S. Congress, helped to save local budgets for K-12 education. Superintendent Pastorek has also attempted to strip control from local school boards by transferring their authority to bureaucrats and political appointees in Baton Rouge. This effectively eliminates local control of schools.

LAE President Haynes also remarked, “Meaningful education reform should not be about Superintendent Pastorek and his political games; it should concern providing the best education for all of the students in the state. It has become apparent to us that Superintendent Pastorek has lost the trust of the education community, which includes school employees and elected boards of education. It has also become clear that hiring a person who lacks any professional background in education has resulted in a failed experiment, instead of meaningful education reform.”

LAE believes that the children, parents, and taxpayers of Louisiana deserve better representation for public education. Based on these events and circumstances, the Louisiana Association of Educators has asked for Governor Jindal to demand Mr. Pastorek’s resignation as State Superintendent of Education.