I could not believe my eyes last week. Jeff “18% Governor” Landry is paying $11 million of state taxpayer money to an out-of-state private company to manage the tuitions for his ESA program, which benefits private, faith-based, home schooling and takes one more step toward dismantling and destroying public schools. My husband also saw the article and stated, “I’m surprised the state legislature hasn’t tried to segregate the public schools again.” My answer was – “They did.”

While private school choice is for several reasons, the truth be told, the main reason is parents just don’t want their children to be exposed to what they consider public-school “issues.” Private schools choose to whom they will accept or deny admission, effectively avoiding federal and state regulations. They do not accept children with disabilities or with behavioral issues, but they do accept selected children whose parents can pay the tuition – effectively eliminating their children’s exposure to the real world of economic, cultural and racial diversity. Volunteer segregation.

AND most private, faith-based and home-schooled children don’t take State required Nationally-Normed achievement tests, which compare schools across the nation to determine student progress and measure educational program accountability. These schools aren’t held to the same criteria as public schools. So what guarantee is there that what parents (and now the rest of LA taxpayers) are paying results in more academically valid, pedagogically sound education?

Landry, who was “resoundingty” elected by only 18% of qualified voters in the state, is implementing GOP Project 2025, which includes dismantling the Department of Education and public schools favoring, instead, private schools over public and “Parents Education Right” on the state level. By supporting ESA’s, Landry is ensuring the gap between the “haves” and “have nots”. The Advocate reported a Louisiana half billion-dollar state budget shortfall which “18%” plans to fix by cutting public teacher salaries and benefits. Anyone can see whom he prioritizes. He is intentionally cutting public schools and public-school teachers off at the knees, adding to teacher shortage and public-school failure.

In a state where we not only have a teacher shortage and rank close to the bottom in education (#47), we also rank at the bottom of all states in the US. We ARE #50! Louisiana ranks #50 in Crime/Corrections and Economy. Louisiana ranks below #40 in Fiscal Stability, Health Care, Infrastructure, National Environment, and Opportunity AND Insurance – all insurance. All these problems stem.from.a.lack of a.solid public school system. and NONE of them are just “Public school issues”. They affect each of us. But, We’ve got guns and we “lock ’em up” and throw away the key. We’ve got the Ten Commandments in the public classrooms. We’ve got our National Guard cooling their heels at the Texas border for show ($4 million). And most egregious, we’re subsidizing unassessed, unaccountable private, faith based, home schools and dismantling public schools.

If we successfully “fix education”, then the rest of Louisiana’s problems can be eliminated, but “18%’s” ESAs are not going to fix education and are merely a biased band aid which panders to the minority.

Kathryne C. Delcarpio, proud retired 35-year public school teacher

New Iberia, LA