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Appeals Court Rules that Louisiana Department of Education Violates Louisiana Records Act
Photograph Source The Advocate
By Raynard Sanders, Ed.D. | Originally Published at EmpathyEducates. September 20, 2014
By Raynard Sanders, Ed.D. | Originally Published at EmpathyEducates. September 20, 2014
On Friday September 19, 2014 Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled “in favor” of Research on Reforms (ROR) citing that the Louisiana Department of Education was wrong in not releasing the public documents as required by Louisiana Public Records Act
ROR is a New Orleans based research group whose mission is to contribute to the improvement of the New Orleans Public Schools by conducting research on reforms, and publishing research findings, so the successful reforms can be replicated, and failing practices can be eliminated (researchonreforms.org).
Over the years and following Hurricane Katrina ROR, researchers and other citizens were able to get student data and de-identified student data upon request from the Louisiana Department of Education. Research on Reforms produced some brief annual reports that didn’t agree with the “miracle” narrative state education officials and charter school proponents have been spreading around the country. In 2011, ROR data was cited in the Washington Post. A year earlierNewsweek magazine that dispelled the myth of “unprecedented student achievement”. Afterwards the Louisiana Department of Education begin to refused practically all student data requests and begin removing all historical student data from their web site. As researchers made data requests, state education officials stalled their requests with unnecessary forms and questions about the requester’s use of the data. Eventually state officials denied the requests and told ROR and other researchers that student data was private information.
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After two to three years of going back and forth with state education officials ROR decided to file suit. In its lawsuit, ROR asserted violation of Louisiana’s Public Records Act.
Dr. Barbara Ferguson of Research on Reforms [ROR] stated in an article that one of the greatest safeguards of the public good is Louisiana’s Public Records Act. Under this law, state agencies cannot hide information. However, when an agency does not want to disclose the requested information, it generally asserts a challenge as to whether or not the requested information fits the definition of a “public record”. ROR was empathyeducates – Appeals Court Rules that Louisiana Department of Education Violates Louisiana Records Act:
