News -> INDReporter THU, OCT 20 10:50AM by Heather Miller

Polls gauge community opinion of LPSS

The public has spoken, and it’s ready for more accountability, better allocation of resources and a “shared vision” between the Lafayette Parish School Board, education officials and stakeholders in Lafayette Parish.

The results of the school system’s online surveys and six public forums held to gauge public input on the search for a new superintendent were compiled by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and released recently in a 30-page report, days before the Lafayette Parish School Board met Tuesday and narrowed down the superintendent search pool to 10 applicants.

The analysis provided by the UL Communication Department shows that the public was asked four basic questions:
What does the public perceive as the most important problems faced by schools in Lafayette Parish?
What does the public perceive as the top priority of the new superintendent?
What should be the professional qualifications of the incoming superintendent, as perceived by the public?
What should be the human qualities of the incoming superintendent, as perceived by the public? Poor school board/superintendent governance

Both participants in the focus groups and respondents to the survey highlighted a wide variety of problems. Some of these problems seemed to recur more often. Overall, there were four major areas that generated concerns: Resource management, communication with stakeholders, and participation, student performance, and students’ quality of life

Overall, 405 respondents logged into the survey site, although only 218 (53.8%) finished the survey. Of all those who started the survey 57.1% (n = 230) were parents, while the rest were not. The vast majority of those who answered the gender question (n = 202) were female (73.8%, n = 149).

Although most income levels were represented, those of higher household income seemed to be overrepresented. Thus, 40.4% reported incomes above $80,000 and 19.1% reported incomes between $60,000 and $80,000.

Although the polls were designed to gauge what the public wants to see in a new super, the UL report dually serves as an outlet for the public to give its biggest gripes (more than a dozen strong) on the direction of public education in Lafayette Parish.

Read the report here .

The 10 superintendent applicants will be interviewed at future public meetings in this order:
-Gary Jones, Rapides Parish School System
-Katie Landry, Lafayette Parish School System
-Wayne Alexander, Hartford, Conn., Public schools
-Craig A. Fiege, Canton, Mich., Community schools
-Don Aguillard, St. Mary Parish School System
-Sheila Guidry, Louisiana Department of Education
-Luis Gonzales, Harrisburg, Pa., Central Dauphin School District
-Pat Cooper, New Orleans Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation
-Maria Pitre-Martin, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
-Walter Gonsoulin Jr., Starkville, Miss., School District

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Comments (5)

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written by Whip it good , October 20, 2011 - 05:48 pm

"concerns: Resource management"
--------------------

Talk about! You would think Lafayette schools are in a race to see who is worse, Lafayette or St. Landry.

Over the years, look who gets elected (school board), a cocaine user, a prostitute John, and another who does not pay his taxes.

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written by Hope , October 20, 2011 - 09:17 pm

They've mismanaged, wasted, heck, maybe even stolen so much money intended to educate children & maintained schools. Who in their right mind is going to support giving them more money to waste, throw away or give to friends & relatives? Not me that's for sure. I'll not gamble my home, my job - my employer's prop taxes will double! esp without the superintendent having been chosen. And not for the school board to give pay raises or benefits in a few yrs with the "freed up" money. I don't trust the process, period.

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written by Hope , October 23, 2011 - 12:58 pm

Sun: a.m. property owners & homeowners demonstrate their opinion of a billion $$$ tax increase, further demonstratin their distrust of LPSB. I believe there are thousands who want to support the education of children, but cannot not afford to throw away more money. I am surprised this was not a closer vote. Maybe it IS time to replace the school board system. I hear a whole lot & have heard for years about a very top heavy "office", of "personnel" in the office working part time, getting paid full time, to further their own "education". That's not right... Waste, waste, waste and if "custodians" won't do their job, replace them! Quit robbing maintenance funds & allowing the schools to crumble. BUT, the main thing I've learned is its time for the public to demand more from the school board and that may take "butts in the seats" at school board meetings. We don't want to pay more, but maybe my a show of #s, that we also expect the school board to perform & to demand performance from employees, from the custodians & cafeteria workers, to the office personnel in ea school, not just teachers. And when the LPSB & schools demonstrate to me, the taxpayer, they are willing to do more with less, I might feel as if more financial sacrifice on my part is worthwile.

And those people in "commercial construction" can take their yard signs down now. Yeah, we know who you are & that your own kid have been out of school for a loooonnng time.

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written by Morrow , October 23, 2011 - 04:10 pm

Babineaux, in his arrogance, has declared the prop tax will come up again & we can just get ready, this prop tax just must be passed. He insuates, we the ignorant 69 %, just didn't understand the proposition..... I believe Mr. Babineaux does not understand, we knew exactly what we were voting against!

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written by Justsaying , October 24, 2011 - 12:38 am

Now can someone please use a pressure washer on the outside of Laf. High? Cut the grass & do the trim work too.

For your informations: The people who voted no, they're not all Tea Party members, so don't go giving all the credit to them. A large percentage of us aren't and we absolutely knew & understood the attempted highway robbery proposition and voted accordingly.

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