Lafayette Reporter

Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana delivered a passionate speech on the Senate floor today, emphasizing the importance of school choice as a means to improve educational outcomes for students and families in his state. He highlighted the alarming statistics regarding the academic performance of Louisiana students and the urgent need for change.

Kennedy started by expressing his concern over the low reading proficiency levels among students in Louisiana, stating, "I regret to say, Mr. President, that roughly half of my students in Louisiana, in grades K through three, are not reading at the grade-level. Half. Only one-third of my kids in grades three through 12 are at grade-level in the four subjects that the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, we call it the LEAP, tests."

He then drew attention to the distressing reality of inadequate performance in many of Louisiana's school systems, saying, "In fact, we have, in Louisiana, 24 school systems—24—in which fewer than a quarter of our students—fewer than a quarter—have proficient LEAP exam scores." Kennedy firmly believes that the education system was already faltering before the pandemic, and he urged leaders to take action.

"The fact is—the unhappy fact, the miserable fact—is that too many of our schools in America and in Louisiana are failure factories. They're failure factories where violence is common and learning is rare," Kennedy lamented. However, he acknowledged that some states have taken a different approach by implementing school choice programs, which have yielded positive results.

Kennedy emphasized the fundamental principle underlying school choice programs: "Parents should be allowed to take their children out of failing schools and put them in schools that can help those children thrive and certainly do better." He emphasized the need to empower parents and give them the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their children.

The senator compared the freedom of choice that parents have in selecting breakfast cereals for their children to the lack of control they often have in choosing their child's school. He criticized the current system, stating, "And, there's little that most parents—too many parents—can do to change that, even though it is patently absurd to force children to attend failing schools when parents could enroll those kids, and invest the money that pays for their education, in better schools."

Kennedy concluded his speech by expressing his unwavering belief in a brighter future for America and Louisiana, but stressed that substantial improvements in education are necessary for this vision to become a reality. He underscored the responsibility of Louisianans to take charge of their own educational system, stating, "I believe as much as I'm standing here that America's future and Louisiana's future can be better than our present, and it can be better than our past—but not if we don't improve our schools, and no one is coming to save our schools in Louisiana but ourselves."

Senator John Kennedy's impassioned plea for expanding school choice in Louisiana highlights the urgent need for educational reform. By allowing parents to choose the best educational environment for their children, Kennedy believes that Louisiana can overcome its educational challenges and pave the way for a brighter future.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/press-releases?ID=D49079DB-5C97-44FF-A013-385F12409690