[Voodoo]

Everybody's Schools

This is a short documentary about the public school facilities in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, produced by the League of Women Voters of Lafayette. It accompanies a 79-page study of the public school facilities completed in November 2007. The full text of the report is available at www.lwv-lafayette.org.

The video includes a tour of several of the public schools to view the issues caused by overcrowding and lack of maintenance. It also includes interviews with a range of stakeholders from both inside and outside the school system.

The League has recommended that the Lafayette School Board prepare a ten-year comprehensive plan for buildings and maintenance, with work on a new plan to begin at year eight, to keep the schools well maintained and uncrowded.

The League has high-resolution DVD's of this video available, which show well on a large-screen television. If you are interested in obtaining one of these DVD's, please contact the League at 337-406-0778.

[Dwayne_C]

Wow, I knew schools like Lafayette High were in bad shape but the video shows a lot worse. tragically, there would be another eight years before any work is even started???

[Nikhil]

This is why many people opt for a private school. Not all private schools are expensive, and many offer tuition assistance. I think we need more private schools in, or near, Lafayette.

[cajun]

This is why many people opt for a private school. Not all private schools are expensive, and many offer tuition assistance. I think we need more private schools in, or near, Lafayette.

If i could afford it my kids would go to a private school.

[Cajunrunner]

If i could afford it my kids would go to a private school.

You'd be able to afford it if liberals, teacher unions, and local government school boards weren't against school choice via vouchers.

[JF2]

You'd be able to afford it if liberals, teacher unions, and local government school boards weren't against school choice via vouchers.

My child has been in private school since K-3. The school that she attends went up on tuition almost 200.00 a month for next year in order to weed out all those who don't have money. It was a really crappy move on their part. Many of the children will be in public school next year. I know ours will.

[Cajunrunner]

"The school that she attends went up on tuition almost 200.00 a month for next year in order to weed out all those who don't have money."

Was that a religious private school? If so, and the raise in tuition was strictly for the reason you stated, then the local community needs to learn that obviously their main priority is not bringing a Christian education to as many people as possible.

Maybe they just raised tuition because they don't want to exceed a certain number of students?? But even for that, they could simply have a cut-off without raising costs to keep people out.

[JF2]

The "official" reason was to give the teachers a raise, but since the letter came out 4 teachers have left or announced that they are leaving. They have room for more students, and recently went from 1A to 2A in football.

It has become more about the money than a good education. They think they have parents over the barrel because the public schools in the area are not very good, so the parents will do whatever they have to to pay the tuition.

We can afford to send her, but choose not to be a part of the elitism. I feel bad for the parents that do not have a good public school choice.

[Cajunrunner]

Hmm...just went from 1A to 2A in football, bad government school district, and teachers up and leaving....

I wonder if that school has similar initialls to that of Orange County??

[Dwayne_C]

Speaking of public schools, I was reading an article on the recent LEAP results. Up in math and down in English. Hefner said something must be done to improve English scores. Then I read nother article about the next board meeting agenda. They want $500,000 to start a CHINESE Language program at Alice Bouchier. Our english scores are dropping so lets go blow half a miilion on a Chinese Language program...

[Watashi]

Speaking of public schools, I was reading an article on the recent LEAP results. Up in math and down in English. Hefner said something must be done to improve English scores. Then I read nother article about the next board meeting agenda. They want $500,000 to start a CHINESE Language program at Alice Bouchier. Our english scores are dropping so lets go blow half a miilion on a Chinese Language program...

Now that's really intelligent.

There are so many different dialects in the Chinese language, that a person can become fairly fluent in one, but still not be able to communicate with Chinese who speak in a different dialect.

Just another waste of taxpayer money. So what else is new?


.

[JF2]

Hmm...just went from 1A to 2A in football, bad government school district, and teachers up and leaving....

I wonder if that school has similar initialls to that of Orange County??



Right parish..........different initials!

Originally their education was above the rest, but lately athletics has come first. I love sports, but not at the expense of education.

[Nikhil]

Speaking of public schools, I was reading an article on the recent LEAP results. Up in math and down in English. Hefner said something must be done to improve English scores. Then I read nother article about the next board meeting agenda. They want $500,000 to start a CHINESE Language program at Alice Bouchier. Our english scores are dropping so lets go blow half a miilion on a Chinese Language program...

Dwayne,

I posted a response on The Daily Advertiser's forum, but I'll post another one here.

The students who are likely to enroll in the Chinese language program are probably not the same ones who are struggling with English. The Chinese language program will attract good students. The location of the Chinese language program suggests that this is another effort to bring good students to a struggling school. If the $500,000 were spent on English instead, would we really see an improvement?

[Dwayne_C]

"If the $500,000 were spent on English instead, would we really see an improvement?"

Maybe or maybe not but I do not think we should spend that much money on this when we have sooo many needs in our school system.

[Nikhil]

"If the $500,000 were spent on English instead, would we really see an improvement?"

Maybe or maybe not but I do not think we should spend that much money on this when we have sooo many needs in our school system.

We spend so much money trying to raise the scores of the bottom quintile, and comparatively little to challenge the students at the top. I think a Chinese language program would provide some of our students with an advantage in a global economy. We cannot do much for students who live here and still speak poor English. I don't understand why they don't learn to speak properly at home.

The first language I spoke was Telugu, a language of one south Indian state. As I grew older, my parents starting speaking more English at home so that I would be ready for school. Unfortunately, I lost much of my Telugu because I stopped speaking it regularly. However, I still understand it, and I can speak enough to make myself understood. I also learned French in school, and speak it reasonably well. I had no problem communicating with French-speaking musicians as a volunteer in the Artists' Hospitality tent at Festival International. I don't have the vocabulary to discuss politics, poetry, or philosophy in Telugu or French, but I can manage with the vocabulary that I have. English is my best language because I use it everyday.

I see no reason why our students cannot learn Chinese and English simultaneously. I knew many children in India who learn three languages in school simultaneously. Their accent and style of English is different from our own, but most English speakers can understand them. Our students can also learn multiple languages; we should teach them. We should also improve our English classes.

[Dwayne_C]

Oh, I agree, there is nothing wrong with learning more than one language. But when we hear everyday how the school board is short on money and we have some of the worst school buildings, half a million could be better used in other areas than Chinese language. Lets take care of the basics before we try other things.

[dusonslim]

But Dwayne, it would make it so much easier to order in Chinese restaurants and you know here in S. La. it's all about the food baby. I think I read recently where we did move all the way up to 46th in obesity in this country. Good job La., not asking for thirds at dinner and switching to light beer has really paid off.

[Dwayne_C]

Now it all makes sense. It is part of the master plan. Chinese food is low fat and healthy(ever see a fat Chinese person?) So we teach our kids Chinese and the can order healthy food and lose weight while learning a second language. I was just too blind to see it.