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ACCESS TO EDUCATION

Increasing Latino access to community colleges ~ Despite the labor shortage in Louisiana, many new and returning residents lack the job skills and career counseling necessary to attain the most desirable jobs. The community college system is a vital part of developing a strong, stable and well-trained working and middle class – those who lack access to it are missing out on a powerful wealth-generating tool. While there are programs available to members of the Latino community, they go largely unused due to the difficulty many Louisiana community colleges have effectively recruiting and educating the Latino community about these programs.

At the request of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), Louisiana Appleseed is working with school leaders to identify and implement programs aimed at attracting a larger number of Latino students and develop a strategic plan for outreach, program design and appeal. The administration at LCTCS has made this project a top priority.

Project partners: Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Ford Foundation, University of Virginia School of Law and law firm Stone Pigman.

Ensuring equitable funding for special needs children ~ Comprehensive and coordinated special education remains a major problem across public schools in Louisiana. One issue arises due to the fact that special education money in some districts is allotted at the district level instead of following students to the schools they attend, resulting in inconsistent support for schools serving students with multiple types of disabilities. Money is not allocated based on student needs and the neediest students do not receive the services the funding is intended to provide.

Louisiana Appleseed and the Louisiana Bar Foundation have recruited volunteer attorneys to: (1) research Louisiana Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) formulas and school budgets; (2) understand current policies across the state; and (3) develop policy recommendations to promote equitable distribution of funds. Appleseed, along with its community partners from the Cowen Institute and Loyola Law School, will then advocate at the state and district level to see that special needs children are not overlooked in Louisiana’s school funding. Results will include public awareness of this issue and an allocation system that does not negatively impact those students with the most special needs.

Project partners: Louisiana Bar Foundation, Loyola School of Law, Student Hurricane Network.