[CharterSchools] Louisiana Schools Rank Near Bottom on Two National Surveys: How We Can Change

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

>From State Senator Cheryl Gray and House Speaker Pro Tem Karen Carter 

Peterson

Good Air Quality. Excellent School Facilities.
Are they important to you and your community?
Of course they are.

EXCEPT IN LOUISIANA.
 - According to two national studies released last week, Louisiana tied South 
Carolina for the second highest need per pupil in the entire country!

    * based on the methodology used in the study, it is unlikely that this 
increase is due to Hurricane damage.

 -Louisiana IS one of only nine (9) states where facilities needs more than 
doubled from 2001 to 2008

 - Half of all schools in Louisiana are in the worst quartile of schools 
nationwide for exposure to cancer-causing toxics and other toxic chemicals

 Our children deserve better.

What can we as a community do to make sure our children are learning in 21st 
century schools that they deserve?

For starters, please stay informed on upcoming legislation led by Senator 
Cheryl Gray and Representative Karen Carter Peterson that will help improve 
learning environments for LA schools by visiting http://education.tulane.edu.

The American Federation of Teachers and USA Today have put out studies that 
rank Louisiana near the bottom of all 50 states in facilities needs and air 
quality. Please click here for summaries and for more information.

LINK TO

     * The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) just released a report 
titled “School Infrastructure Funding Need: A state-by-state assessment and an 
analysis of recent court cases.”   The report’s authors estimate that schools in 
Louisiana have a total of $7.3 billion in facilities needs – or over $10,000 
per student across the state.   Louisiana is tied with South Carolina for the 
second highest need per pupil in the country.

Louisiana was one of only nine (9) states where facilities needs more than 
doubled from 2001 to 2008.   Need in 15 states decreased over this time period.

The authors began by reviewing statewide assessments of school facilities 
needs for states with such assessments.   The authors determined that Louisiana 
was one of 22 states that lacked a statewide assessment.   To estimate need in 
Louisiana, the authors matched our state with other states in our region based 
on enrollment trends and poverty among students.

 

The report is available online at 
http://www.aft.org/topics/building-conditions/downloads/BMMB_Funding.pdf.

 

     * USA Today printed a special report titled “The Smokestack Effect: 
Toxic Air and America’s Schools.”   The report contains a series of stories 
analyzing and explaining the levels of toxins in the air near schools.   The 
authors used an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model to track the path of 
industrial pollution and mapped the locations of almost 128,000 schools to 
determine the level of toxic chemicals outside those schools. 

Half of all schools in Louisiana are in the worst quartile of schools 
nationwide for exposure to cancer-causing toxics an d other toxic chemicals.   
Because children breathe more air per pound than adults, small amounts of these 
chemicals can do irreparable harm.

To see exactly how Louisiana schools rank in comparison to the other schools 
mapped, 
http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/search/LA/~/~/~/name/~/1/.


To see a map of the schools that ranked the worst across the country, 
http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/interactive/4.




cheron brylski
the brylski company
3418 coliseum street
new orleans, louisiana 70115
www.brylskicompany.com
(504) 897-6110
FX (504) 897-0778
cell (504) 460-1468
cbrylski at aol.com



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