I am writing in response to your editorial titled “Jindal Alone on Core” to express my concern as a parent about the politics being played with education in Louisiana, specifically the attempts to sabotage the adoption of Common Core and PARCC.
I am a mother in a military family. When we received orders to head to Louisiana, my biggest fear centered on the education my children would receive. Louisiana trails in academic achievement nationwide, ranking 48th in the country. Leaving DOD schools and transitioning into Louisiana schools, my kids were more than three years ahead of the curriculum being taught.
That means the majority of Louisiana’s children today graduate high school three years behind other students in the country. This is seen in lower ACT scores and lower retention rates in college. This handicaps Louisiana children who are competing for college acceptance and scholarship dollars, attempting to complete degrees and ultimately to secure jobs. It damages the state’s credibility and makes Louisiana unattractive to the growth-oriented, well-paying, and economically desirable businesses we want to attract.
Mr. Jindal, your current wind vane stance on educational standards and assessments and your pandering to political backers is a game of chicken being played with our children’s futures and the future of Louisiana. Don’t pretend to speak for me as a parent or to represent my interests when it’s evident that what you’re truly representing are your own political aspirations.
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