Surrounded by legislators, educators, school kids, and community leaders, Governor Jeff Landry signed into law monumental bills that will transform our education system and bring back common sense in our classrooms.
Governor signed the LA Gator Scholarship Program into law, which ensures every child has the opportunity of a great education, regardless of where they live. Governor Landry’s Louisiana GATOR (Give All a True Opportunity to Rise) scholarships will allow parents to choose the school that best suits their child’s needs. GATOR Scholarships provide parents with a scholarship account that allows them to customize their child’s education. These scholarship accounts can be used for school tuition and fees, tutoring, educational therapies, textbooks and curricula, dual enrollment courses, uniforms, and transportation.
Also signed into law on June 19 were common sense bills that prioritizes learning over government bureaucracy, returns our curriculum back to the basics, and allows our teachers to teach.
One is HB 71, Rep. Horton: Ten Commandments:
Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate – Proposed law requires each public school governing authority to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom in each school under its jurisdiction.
Proposed law applies to charter schools and public postsecondary education institutions. Further requires the display of a context statement with the display of the Ten Commandments in K-12 public schools.
Proposed law authorizes the display of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance in K-12 public schools.
Proposed law requires governing authorities, management boards, and institutions to either accept donated displays or to spend donated funds to purchase displays.
Proposed law requires that the Ten Commandments:
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(1) Be displayed on a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches.
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(2) Be the central focus of the poster or framed document.
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(3) Be printed in a large, easily readable font.
Other bills signed into law:
HB 46, Rep. Edmonston: Removes Covid-19 vaccine requirement
HB 47, Rep. Edmonston: School immunization communications
HB 908, Rep. Amedee: Prohibits discrimination based off vaccination status
HB 320, Rep. Owen: Let Teachers Teach
HB 121, Rep. Crews: Requires parental consent for preferred pronouns
HB 122, Rep. Horton: Let Kids be Kids
SB 205, Sen. Miguez: Teacher compensation
HB 334, Rep. Amedee: Chaplains
SB 508, Sen. McMath: Tutoring
HB 244, Sen. Hughes: Literacy
HB 267, Rep. Carver: Numeracy
HB 644, Rep. Dickerson: Home study
HB 967, Rep. Riser: Teacher retirement
HB 647, Rep. Romero: Teacher regulations
HB 424, Rep. Phelps: Grading scale
HB 940, Rep. Turner: Deferred maintenance
SB 313, Sen. Edmonds: Education Scholarship Accounts
“Today, we fulfilled our promise to bring drastic reform to our education system and bring common sense back to our classrooms. A strong education system leads to a strong economy and a strong state. Our historic Dream Big Package puts the focus back on our kids, and allows Louisiana to follow in the footsteps of our neighbors in the South. I am thankful to the legislature for their commitment to making the education system in Louisiana one that students, parents, and teachers can all be proud of,” said Governor Jeff Landry.
