The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was created during the 1973 Louisiana Constitutional Convention, called by then Governor Edwin W. Edwards. It was codified as Article VIII of the resulting document, the 1974 Louisiana Constitution

Louisiana Constitution

The Constitution of the State of Louisiana is the cornerstone of Louisiana state law ensuring the rights of individuals, describing the distribution and power of state officials and local government, establishes the state and city civil service systems, creates and defines the operation of a state...

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Purpose

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is the administrative policy-making body for elementary through secondary schools in the State of Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. The BESE provides leadership in setting an education agenda for the continuous improvement of public education as measured by student and school achievement. BESE also strives to improve financing of public education as measured by the effective and efficient use of human and financial resources.

Membership

The BESE consists of 11 total members: eight elected members from the eight BESE districts along with three members-at-large appointed by the Governor. The elected members serve 4 year terms, concurrent with the Governor.

Duties

The powers and duties of the State Board can be broadly grouped into six main categories, which include:

• Enacting policies and adopting regulations governing the state-wide operations of public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, including special schools and entities in Special School District # l;

• Exercising administrative oversight over functions of the state's three special schools (blind, deaf, physically handicapped), and Special School Districts #1 and #2, including personnel, budget, and program operations;

• Administering and serving as the fiscal agent and as program control agent for the Education Quality Trust Fund (8(g) programs;

• Conducting administrative hearings and serving as the "court of last resort" prior to judicial proceedings in cases/controversies deriving from Board actions;

• Exercising budgetary and fiscal control over the educational programs and services at the elementary and secondary (state and federal funds);

• Preparing the MFP and presenting it to the Legislature for approval and distributing funds to local school systems.

Other activities

The Board has other more specifically defined duties assigned to it by law. These include:

• Approval of certification requirements for school personnel, including approval of National Teacher Examination scores for classroom teachers and school administrators;

• Adoption of policies for the assessment and evaluation of teachers/administrators;

• Adoption of policies for the assessment of student performance, including the Graduation Exit Exam (GEE), and policies for remediation of students performing below standard;

• Awarding of diplomas and certificates for successful completion of programs of study;

• Serving as local school Board for the state special schools for blind, deaf, and physically handicapped;

• Coordinating the educational programs in the state correctional institutions and mental health facilities (Special School Districts # 1 and # 2);

• Approval of textbooks, library and reference books purchased with state funds;

• Administration of school food service programs in all schools;

• Adoption of operating standards for public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools;

• Administer the 8(g) Quality Trust Fund Program;

• Administer the state's Charter Schools Program.

Current Membership

The following members were elected from the 8 BESE Districts in 2007:

• 1st District: James Garvey, Jr.
• 2nd District: Louella Givens
• 3rd District: Glenny Lee Buquet
• 4th District: Walter Lee
• 5th District: Keith Guice
• 6th District: Charles "Chas" Roemer (Son of former Governor, Charles "Buddy" Roemer)
• 7th District: Dale Bayard
• 8th District: Linda Johnson

The following members were appointed by Governor Piyush "Bobby" Jindal upon assuming office in 2008:

• John L. Bennett
• Penny Dastugue
• Tammie McDaniel