District 3:
Lottie Beebe
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Lottie P. Beebe, Ed. D., BESE District 3 representative, officially announces her bid for re-election to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
For the past four years, I have been honored to serve as the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Member for District 3. Inspired by the dedication of parents, educators, and citizens who desire a great education for all children, I am seeking re-election to BESE. With more than thirty years of experience within the education profession, I am eager to continue to be a voice of reason on the state board. I have expressed concerns and questions from parents, educators, and other education stakeholders about hastily implemented reform initiatives. These initiatives have caused a mass exodus of educators, created poor accountability, and generated legitimate concerns about Louisiana’s educational standards.
I believe all students should be afforded quality educational experiences. I was one of the first elected officials to raise concerns regarding the Common Core agenda and the developmentally inappropriate Common Core State Standards. I support rigorous standards that are developed and reviewed by Louisiana’s educational experts--educators. Classroom teachers and other educators are not opposed to raising the bar for students; many merely want to be involved in the decisions that will potentially have long range implications, particularly, when little thought is given to cognitive and developmental abilities. My objections to the Common Core Standards and the CCSS agenda were based on research, not personal feelings, or political persuasion.
As a BESE member, I have held to my principles. I have questioned policies I knew would have a detrimental effect on the classroom. I opposed policies that caused a mass exodus of quality teachers. My opposition to unfair policies favoring for-profit charter schools has slowed down the approval of these for-profit charters. I have voiced the reasonable concerns of parents and educators, and I am grateful for the progress achieved. The issues that were raised inspired lawmakers to require BESE to review the Common Core State Standards, something BESE was unwilling to do on its own. A major accomplishment during my tenure on BESE has been the increase in funding to local school districts during the past three of four years, and I am proud to support initiatives, such as Early Childhood and JumpStart, that provide educational opportunities for Louisiana's students.
Current state education policy favors for-profit, out-of-state corporations that take our tax dollars and fail to address our most at-risk population. I support the rights of local elected officials (school boards) to grant charters, but oppose the current state policy that allows BESE to grant charters to (for-profit) charter operators that are rejected by local school districts.
Four years ago, I insisted that BESE approve a candidate search prior to hiring a state superintendent of education. BESE colleagues ignored my appeal to conduct a national search. I was the only dissenting vote against a candidate who lacked the credentials for the position as required by state policy. When re-elected, I will again insist on an objective and transparent search for state Superintendent of Education to ensure that our children and educators will have the best leader possible.
As a BESE member, I have done my best to represent the constituents of District 3 and champion the concerns of students, parents, educators, and other school employees throughout Louisiana. I value public education and will do everything I can to provide responsible education reform. With your continued support and prayers, I will maintain my advocacy for responsible education policies so we can move forward in a global, competitive society.
I will make every effort to respond to questions you may have regarding my stance on education issues. I can be contacted at 337.412.2564 or email at lottieb@cox.net. I also invite you to visit my website: beebeforbese.com. I ask for your consideration of me as a candidate for BESE District 3 and your vote on Saturday, October 24, 2015.
Sincerely,
Lottie P. Beebe, Ed. D., Candidate
District 3 BESE Member
