The reports of fraudulent registration of students for courses in the Louisiana Department of Education’s (DOE) Course Choice program continue to filter in with more reported signups and solicitations in East Baton Rouge, Calcasieu and Claiborne parishes.
And while State Superintendent of Education John White is certainly culpable in the whole sordid mess, it is significant that only one of 28 legislators who are members of either the Senate or House Education Committees took the opportunity to address two emerging education issues when asked to do so by LouisianaVoice.
We sent emails to each member of the two committees (along with a select few other legislators). We identified ourselves at the outset and said that we had been writing about the leaking of teacher evaluation data by White, which would seem to be in clear violation of Act 54 of the 2010 Legislature.
We also said we were continuing work on the developing story about 1100 students in Caddo and Webster (a story that has since grown to include the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Calcasieu, Claiborne and Bossier) who were signed up for courses by Course Choice providers without either the knowledge or consent of the students signed up or their parents.
Course Choice providers like Fast Start and FastPath are paid one-half of their tuition, which ranges from $700 to $1250 per course, up front with the remaining one-half being paid upon the student’s completion of the course. Course Choice providers are given wide latitude in deciding whether or not a student completes his or her course.
We posed the question of whether or not an investigation should be conducted into how FastPath and Smart Start received students’ names and other personal information in order to sign them up for the courses.
One member, Rep. Rob Shadoin (R-Ruston), responded to our inquiry, saying, “I do not know enough details on these matters to give you a comment. I have general knowledge of what you speak but no specifics. I’m sorry I ain’t much help to you on the subject.”
Might we suggest, Mr. Shadoin, that as a member of the House Education Committee you might wish to bring yourself up to speed on education issues such as these—or resign from the committee?
But at least Shadoin did respond, such as it was.
That was a little better than the deafening silence from the all but one of the other members of the two committees.
State Rep. John Bel Edwards (D-Amite) said of the leaking of evaluation data on three Caddo Parish teachers to State Rep. Alan Seabaugh by White, “It would seem that whoever disclosed the information in the DOE in blatant disregard for the statutory protections affording teachers the right to keep certain specific evaluation information from public view is just the latest indication, among many, that those folks (in DOE) have no respect for the rule of law.”
Edwards also was critical of the Course Choice registrations. “The roll-out of Course Choice is proving to be every bit as scandalous and controversial as the roll-out of vouchers: unfit providers offering inferior educational opportunities while aggressively seeking to profit at taxpayer expense and while mal-educating our children and deceiving their parents.”
Here are the responses of the members of the House Education Committee:
• Stephen Carter (R-Baton Rouge), Chairman: Silence;
• Patrick Jefferson (D-Homer), Vice Chairman: Silence;
• Wesley Bishop (D-New Orleans): Silence;
• Christopher Broadwater (R-Hammond): Silence;
• Henry Burns (R-Haughton): Silence—in fact, deleted our email without reading it;
• Thomas Carmody (R-Shreveport): Silence;
• Simone Champagne (R-Erath): Silence;
• Cameron Henry (R-Metairie): Silence;
• Paul Hollis (R-Covington): Silence;
• Barry Ivey (R-Baton Rouge): Silence;
• Nancy Landry (R-Lafayette): Silence (Readers may remember Landry as the member who attempted to ram through a rule that teachers testifying before the committee in 2012 should be compelled to say whether or not they were on annual or sick leave);
• Edward Price (D-Gonzales): Silence;
• Jerome “Dee” Richard (I-Thibodaux): responded he would have a statement, but never sent it;
• Pat Smith (D-Baton Rouge): Silence;
• Jeff Thompson (R-Bossier City): Silence);
• Alfred Williams (D-Baton Rouge): Silence;
• Ex Officio member House Speaker Chuck Kleckley (R-Lake Charles): Silence;
• Ex Officio member Walt Leger (D-New Orleans): Silence.
Senate Education Committee members and their responses:
• Conrad Appel (R-Metairie), Chairman: Silence;
• Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte), Vice Chairman: Silence;
• Dan Claitor (R-Baton Rouge): Silence;
• Jack Donahue (R-Mandeville): Silence;
• Elbert Guillory (D-Opelousas): Silence;
• Mike Walsworth (R-West Monroe—still trying to learn if humans can be grown from high school lab cultures): Silence;
• Mack “Bodi” White (R-Baton Rouge—obviously too busy trying to get his breakaway school zone in South Baton Rouge approved): Silence;
• Interim member Page Cortez (R-Lafayette): Silence.
Nine House Education Committee members—Carter, Ivey, Smith, Alfred Williams, Jefferson, Henry Burns, Carmody, Jeff Thompson and Kleckley— and two Senators—Claitor and White—represent parishes into which these Course Choice providers have already moved to begin registering students and yet they still choose to remain silent on the issue.
Yes, it’s easy to point the finger at the snow cone stand mentality of DOE management by White and Course Choice ramrod Lefty Lefkowith but by their overwhelming silence in this matter, these committee members are every bit as complicit as anyone in the Claiborne Building.
It’s as if these people live in a vacuum. Take the computer-generated response we received from Sen. Neil Riser (R-Columbia):
“Thank you for contacting Senator Riser regarding your thoughts and concerns. He appreciates hearing from you. He will keep this in mind as they go thru the legislative process.”
Now that’s taking an issue head-on.
Meanwhile, Course Choice peddlers have moved into East Baton Rouge and Calcasieu to sign up students. Two in Calcasieu have been rejected thus far; one was a student signed up for two courses deemed inappropriate for the student’s grade level and another student registered for five courses (at $700 to $1250 each—half up front, remember) was not enrolled at the school the student said he/she was.
Course Choice representatives have begun canvassing neighborhoods in Homer in Claiborne Parish to sign up students and offering them free iPads.
Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Claiborne are all contiguous parishes in northwest Louisiana.
Claiborne Parish school officials have issued public announcements that the local school board has no connection to the Course Choice representatives.
Meanwhile, from the House and Senate Education Committees, to borrow a line from Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence:
Silence Like a Cancer Grows.
Louisiana Voice 
They’re like deer in headlights.
Give Pat Smith a call and see if she is on board, please. I don’t think they get half of their emails.
when will this nightmare end?
Geauxteacher: Let’s do the contacting ourselves. Each of us that has a legislator from an area involved in this blooming scandal should make contact. Mr. Aswell’s already more than done his part. We have to carry this fight now. Mr. Aswell has shown us the way, now let’s get busy and do our part.
John Bel Edwards already had my vote in the next governor election. His response makes me wish the election was tomorrow. He is the kind of leader we need and need now. In the meantime, “A Jindalized Citizen” is right.
I have contacted Barry Ivey on FB about my concerns with Common Core and how it relates to all of this, he immediately responded. He gave me he word that he would do his research on this. I then ran across this article and emailed it to him and he again responded quickly and assured me he would respond to this email. I supported him during his campaign and believe he will do the right thing. I will be watching to make sure.
John Bel Edwards already had my vote in the next governor election. His response makes me wish the election was tomorrow. He is the kind of leader we need and need now.
January 9, 2016 – Jindal’s last day in office – can’t come too soon!
I am a principal in North Louisiana, I was called about a month ago about Course Choice. I told the state department employer our school has no students enrolled. We are an elementary school. She said we must have your school confused with another one of the same name. Last night I get email ablout a student who has changed her registration. The student is not one of my students. Now I am on hold with the DOE to let them know the student does not belong to me. I am still on hold!
What is the recourse for parents of students who are victims of
Course Choice identity theft? Surely one parent might be interested in protecting their child’s information. Obviously our legislators don’t care or maybe they are too shy to respond to Tom’s inquiries. And yes, John Bel Edwards is looking good. He’s educated, experienced, thoughtful and articulate – and I think he has a heart for humanity. Plus, I do believe he knows what’s in the constitution. He is probably too smart and reasonable to be elected governor here since being a nutcase seems to weigh heavily with voters. I would love to have a leader who did not embarrass or victimize me on a daily basis.
Tom, I think I know why so few legislators responded to your questionnaire. The only ones who could repond to a written questionnaire were those who could both read and write.
Have you considered video? Maybe Morley Safer-style 60 Minutes ambushes would have higher response rates. I’m pretty sure they’d be entertaining. I wish your in-person records request had been videorecorded.
Tom,
Your story made the Shreveport Times today. White defended the whole thing! Amazing! Good work for bringing this to light. I have written my senator.
I have contacted my legislators from Vermilion
Parish numerous times…the silence is deafening.
After reading your comments about not responding, I want to let you know that my silence is not to be considered as not caring about this issue. It is my intention to request an oversight hearing on this issue as well as others regarding layoffs in the department. These are difficult to do during the regular session so the chair, Carter, will have to approve a hearing. More to come.
We understand that you care because we have seen evidence of that. The point is, we attempted to get our elected legislators to address this issue and only one chose to respond. We hope you understand how it frustrates us in our attempt to do our job when you choose not to speak when given the opportunity.
Tom Aswell
QUESTION: Why does the DOE and John White have to subcontract computerized education? The state has all the necessary resources at its fingertips to provide online educational support. We have the schools, the teachers, the necessary computers and the audio visual equipment available to produce the same programs the DOE will have pay outside suppliers from $700 to $1,300 dollars per course. In addition, there are free online educational courses offered through such sites as KAHN ACADEMY. Samuel Khan, the founder, is from New Orleans and recently received an honor from Orleans parish for his contribution to education. The program has received accolades from Bill Gates and receives partial funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The site is available to anyone with a computer and completely free. So I have to ask, why does the DOE have to pay third party contractors to supply a service when:
1. the DOE has the assets(teachers, computer systems, recording equipment, universities) available to produce courses specific to DOE requirements and/or;
2. could interface with free systems such as KAHN to develop and offer specific programs that would permit home learning and tutoring for Louisiana students?
OK John White and Bobby Jindal, I just saved the state of Louisiana hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. It’s time to see something productive on your part. Now, get to work!
I guess the contracts for all this are rewards to those who support Jindal and White. At the rate they are going they will have so little support here they won’t be able to hail a cab and will have to have one come from D.C.
I write to legislators, no one answers. They all need replaced. Patricia Smith COULD have responded that she is asking for an investigation. If Tom says she is supportive then I will trust his opinion, but she could have responded.
I think legislators, like the rest of us, get so many e-mails, it’s hard to keep them straight. Returning phone calls has become a thing of the past. Legislators do pay attention to letters to newspapers and they also pay attention to actual letters on actual paper sent through the actual mail and we should all do more of these.
Legislators should be obligated to pay attention to whatever correspondence or communication is sent to them. It’s not as if they are handling this on their own; they do have assistants. As a former teacher, I couldn’t use the “too many emails” excuse as a reason for not responding to parents. I doubt businesses could afford to not be diligent in communicating. If legislators can’t keep up with emails, then they’re inefficient.