Tagged: education

The state education department has received more than 10,000 applications for Louisiana's statewide voucher program set to start in August that will use taxpayer money to send students to private and parochial schools.

Superintendent of Education John White announced the applicant numbers Wednesday.

As many as 2,000 of the applicants are in an existing New Orleans voucher program. The others will be vying for slots available to new students under the statewide program pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

A policy institute at Tulane University has released its annual look at the progress and problems of public education in New Orleans.

A Baton Rouge judge has refused to prevent the start of a statewide voucher program that will use tax dollars to send children to private and parochial schools.

The decision Tuesday by Judge Tim Kelley means the program pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal will begin in August, while a lawsuit by teacher unions and local school boards over the constitutionality of the voucher program continues to wind its way through the court.

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board has appointed Assistant Superintendent Herbert Smith to the position of interim superintendent.

The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/LCUuQ3) Smith will serve as the temporary replacement for Superintendent Courtney Millet, who announced last week that she would be retiring from her post at the end of this week.

Smith, whose appointment was approved unanimously at Monday's special meeting, has been an educator in the district for more than 40 years and assistant superintendent for about 13.