Louisiana
State Government
Governor
Jeff Landry (R)
State Senate
11
Democrats,
28
Republicans
State House
32
Democrats,
73
Republicans
Economic well-being - Louisiana
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.2
Minimum wage
7.3
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.4
Poverty rate
18.7%
Unemployment rate
4.4
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
7.7
Poverty by demographic - Louisiana
Child poverty rate
0.3
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
N/A
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
225000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
51000
Senior poverty rate
14.2 %
Women in poverty
2,308,952
Times-Picayune, March 14, 2012: Scholarship bill easily clears House panel
"Talbot, joined by Jindal's policy chief Stafford Olivia Palmieri, pitched his proposal as another choice for parents of low-income children. Palmieri said the contribution-rebate model would dovetail with the governor's separate proposal to use the state's public school financing formula to pay tuition for certain low-income children."
The Associated Press, February 13, 2012: N.O. schools tasked to homegrown educator
"The similarities among schools in urban and rural settings where he worked New Orleans, Tensas, Baton Rouge were strong, he said. 'One of the biggest things we had in common is the poverty and the background these kids come from. It wasn't so much about race as much as poverty,' said Dobard, an African-American."
The Advocate, December 30, 2011: Faulkner talk inspired new La. school chief
"John White, who is expected to be Louisiana's next state superintendent of education, said he decided to become an educator while working on his senior thesis in English at the University of Virginia."
The Times-Picayune, November 29, 2011: Tulane and KIPP form partnership to help boost graduation rates
"Tulane University and one of the country's most prominent public charter school operators plan to sign a new agreement today with the dual aim of boosting college graduation rates among at-risk students and producing more qualified teachers."
Times-Picayune, November 2, 2011: Exam scores tick up in La.
"The data, released by federal officials on Tuesday, also showed mixed results for Louisiana over the long term in narrowing the chasm between test scores of white and black students, as well as those from low-income vs. middle class backgrounds."
The News-Star, October 17, 2011: PAR urges lower dropout rate
"In its report on the high dropout rate in public high schools, titled "A Future at Risk," the Public Affairs Research Council makes the point that not only the dropout's future, but also the state's future is at risk."