Governor Edwards’ anti-reform agenda goes cold at the legislature

Well, Gov. John Bel Edwards aimed to roll back school choice, but missed. Back in March the governor made a high profile pitch to curb the growth of charter schools and to limit publicly funded scholarships to private schools for students in public schools rated C, D, and F.

For the Louisiana Association of Educators and other groups with interests in traditionally operated public schools it looked like a break from school reform.

But it all fell apart.

With several bills already on life support, Gov. John Bel Edwards has pulled the plug on his high-profile education proposals to restrict access to vouchers and curb the growth of charter schools.

“We don’t have the support we need to advance those bills,” said Erin Monroe Wesley, special counsel for Edwards who also oversees legislative affairs.

The proposals, like most of the governor’s public schools agenda, have been battered for weeks.

Most of Edwards’ public schools package is dead, stalled or in disarray.

Even the governor’s own sponsor of a bill to curb access to vouchers — Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan “Blade” Morrish, R-Jennings — said he will not push the bill.

Read more at The Advocate.