Lafayette Parish schools didn't do homework

It’s every kid’s dream, but it could turn into adults’ nightmare.

The movement to disregard homework in grading students has won over Lafayette Parish schools. It has alerted teachers that they no longer may grade homework, although they can assign it. “Homework should be practice," according to Kathy Aloisio, director of elementary schools for the district.

Ditching it as an evaluative tool didn’t come from nowhere. In recent years, some research has questioned the usefulness of homework, and some jurisdictions have taken matters a step further than the LPSD by banning its assignment completely. A number of other Louisiana districts have considered excising homework grading and will observe results from that district.

The Advocate column, Jan. 1, 2019

How Louisiana's Republicans were fooled into adding thousands of Democratic voters 
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_6f12b4a8-093c-11e9-8121-a738e099387d.html

Links:
https://www.nola.com/news/2018/12/louisiana-law-may-restore-voting-rights-to-thousands-more-than-originally-reported.html
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1103409
http://doc.louisiana.gov/briefing-book
http://senate.la.gov/Senate&Government/Default.asp

Perkins must find money to put with mouth

Wonder Boy has arrived. Political neophyte Adrian Perkins took the oath of office last weekend to run the country’s 126^th largest city, leaving as many questions as he answered with his inaugural remarks.

In his acceptance speech, the 33-year-old Democrat taking over the helm of Shreveport gave some details about his priorities. General platitudes he expressed during the campaign focused on seemingly eternal agenda items of crime reduction and increased economic development, but in a way utilizing more technology.

His statement elaborated marginally. He said more police officers would blanket higher-crime areas of town and downtown, with a greater emphasis on interactive community policing. As part of that, he told of increasing efforts to uphold property standards. Employing federal tax incentives, cutting red tape, and promoting greater online access and information provision he promised to kickstart business opportunity. He pledged to pursue an international airport designation for Shreveport Regional, and to appoint a full-time official to find and employ technological solutions to attract business, which especially included accurate billing for water and sewerage which had eluded his predecessor Ollie Tyler. Accentuating that the city had to appeal to a new generation, he stated initiatives such as city-wide broadband provision and downtown/riverfront revitalization would attract young talent.

Congress resolves own-goal issue for Edwards

Congress resolved a self-inflicted political wound to Louisiana Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, which could impact marginally his reelection chances.

Last week, S. 1520 went to Republican Pres. Donald Trump for his signature into law. This would make small but significant changes to fisheries management. Specifically, the Modern Fish Act would give greater input to recreational fishing interests in determining quotas, as well as deriving a new regime in determining limits that likely would increase them, which probably would allow a greater amount of fishing by recreational interests.

Both industry and environmental interests opposed the bill and a complementary measure in the House, authored by Louisiana’s GOP Rep. Garret Graves, as it allowed most coastal states through their regional fisheries councils to adjust catch limits higher that likely would have favored recreational fishers. But environmentalists dropped resistance upon emendation of the Senate bill to remove those provisions.