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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Louisiana Educator: Privatizing counseling services?

Louisiana Educator: Privatizing counseling services?:


Privatizing counseling services?

Jindal & White want to empower local school boards to privatize counseling services  and library services. The changes in Bulletin 741 proposed by White would have made professional counselors and librarians optional for local school systems and will eliminate the need for public schools to be accredited by outside accrediting agencies such as the Southern Association. It would seem that these two issues are not related but I think they are. You see, accrediting agencies require that high schools have licensed counselors, and all schools have libraries, and that all teachers be certified in their teaching areas. But the reform thrust by Jindal and White makes all of these requirements unnecessary! the only objective for all schools is that students pass the state testing. You don't need certified teachers, guidance counselors, or librarians. (for that matter you don't need real physical education. No matter that we are graduating kids that are 200 lbs overweight & are unemployable because of health risks) all a "good" school in Louisiana now needs are proven "test teachers". This is where public education in Louisiana is headed.

White is also removing the requirement that students attend class regularly in order to get a Carnegie unit of