ADVOCATE THE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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T u e s d ay, J u ly 8, 2025
Exemptions, catch-up efforts propel students in reading
$2.00X
Changes made to La. ethics laws
Supporters tout protection for public officials while critics worry about safeguards being eroded BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
third graders won’t ultimately be held back. A significant number will qualify for exemptions, including if they have dyslexia or other disabilities, while others improved their scores due to the hard work of teachers like Robertson. For example, in Rapides Parish, which includes Alexandria, about
Gov. Jeff Landry and the Legislature have changed how the Louisiana Board of Ethics operates, adding new rules to how it investigates allegations of conflicts of interest, nepotism and other forms of corruption. Supporters say they are protecting public servants against frivolous investigations over dubious allegations of ethical misconduct and ensuring those who face investigation are afforded basic due process. But critics worry the new laws chip away at safeguards Louisiana put in place in response to the state’s long history of government corruption. Beaullieu At its monthly meeting Thursday, two members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics raised concerns that the changes could undermine the board’s power and independence. La Koshia Roberts, the longest serving member, argued they will quickly render the ethics board “nonessential” and ultimately lead it to become “extinct.” The new rules could deter people from coming forward with complaints, leaving the board in the dark about problems it would otherwise address, she said. The Board of Ethics enforces ethics and campaign finance laws. It can undertake investigations into potential violations in either area as well as file formal charges against someone when it has evidence a law was broken. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana also argues the new laws “continued to whittle away at sunshine in government.” However, the changes did avoid “severe damage to our ethics code,” said PAR President Steven Procopio, who said lawmakers heeded many of his organization’s concerns and recommendations. Rep. Beau Beaullieu, a Republican from New Iberia who chairs the influential House and Governmental Affairs Committee, sponsored House Bill 674, which changed the ethics code. Beaullieu has said some of the board’s investigations have been “egregious” and led some under investigation to feel they were guilty until proven innocent. He said he committed to ensuring greater fair-
ä See READING, page 4A
ä See ETHICS, page 7A
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Lead teacher and literacy coach Lori Robertson speaks to students last month during the summer program at J.B. Nachman Elementary School in Alexandria. For third graders, it was their last chance to improve their reading scores — if they didn’t, they could be held back.
Few third graders expected to be held back because of scores BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Lori Robertson knew the stakes were high. Under a new Louisiana law, the third graders she taught this summer at J.B. Nachman Elementary School in Alexandria would have to pass a reading test or be held back. Yet Robertson, a 30-year veteran educator and the school’s literacy coach, exuded calm one morning last month as her students practiced the skills they’d soon be assessed on. One girl read aloud into a toy telephone, seeing how many words she could read correctly in one minute. Nearby, a boy read nonsense words like “soke,” a test of whether students can sound out unfamiliar words. Robertson asked a quiet third grader named Kingston to spell words like “horn” and “corn,” in which the letter R changes the vowel sound. When she challenged him to turn “corn” to “cork,” he wrote the new word correctly. “This just lights my fire,” Robertson beamed. In the spring, nearly 1 in 4 Louisiana third graders failed to earn the minimum reading score required
A paraprofessional works with third graders during the summer program at J.B. Nachman Elementary School. by the new law to advance to fourth grade, putting thousands at risk of retention. Over the past month, educators like Robertson raced to give those struggling readers a final push before they took a retest that would determine their placement this fall — and could very well shape their educational trajectory. But despite many parents’ fears, it’s likely that many of those targeted
New learning pods planned
Death toll in Texas f looding tops 100
Charter school giant sets up shop in St. George, Zachary
search for flood vicOfficials vow the tims said they will wait to address questions about to address weather warnings and why weather warnings some summer camps did not
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
The largest charter school network in Louisiana is expanding yet again, opening satellite campuses in St. George and Zachary. Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Charter Schools USA is launching these mini-schools, known as learning pods, this fall on property it’s leasing in both cities. St. George Academy is at 10420 Barringer Foreman Road at the former campus of Cypress Heights Academy, an independent Catholic school that closed in 2016. The pod will be the fourth charter school campus located in the newly created city of St. George. Its anticipated initial enrollment is about 150 students. It opens as leaders
ä See PODS, page 4A
WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 75 PAGE 6B
BY JIM VERTUNO, NADIA LATHAN and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ELI HARTMAN
First responders carry out search and rescue operations near the Guadalupe River on Monday in Ingram, Texas.
KERRVILLE, Texas — The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpassed 100 on Monday as search and rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people. Authorities overseeing
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
evacuate ahead of ä Flooding the flooding from Tropical that killed Storm at least 104. Chantal The officials spoke forces only hours dozens to after the flee N.C. operators homes. o f C a m p PAGE 2A Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced that they lost
ä See FLOODING, page 7A
101ST yEAR, NO. 8