March 16, 2020
Governor John Bel Edwards,
In the unprecedented times we face, we must afford our educators the most flexibility in the important
work they do. With that in mind, we have joined together to support efforts to afford them the most
flexibility moving forward.
As such we are submitting a list of statutes to be waived via your Executive Order authority. This will allow
educators to move forward and focus their attention on keeping students and teachers healthy and safe.
Regulatory Flexibilities
Through existing BESE policy (Bulletins 111, 118, and 741) and the BESE policy waivers approved by
President Holloway in the last few days, the following flexibilities are now in place:

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School performance scores, district performance scores, and early childhood performance
profiles for the 2019-2020 academic year will not be produced due to closures of 18+ days, per
BESE’s long-standing policy to address severe disaster impacts on schools, centers and students.
Teacher evaluations can be completed with no further action, other than recording in the
appropriate data system.
Diploma requirements for graduating seniors, including requirements for minimum instructional
minutes for course credit, industry-based credentials, and financial aid applications, have been
waived.

Pursuant to the authority granted to the BESE President in LAC 28: I.305.B. to make ad hoc decisions for
the board in times of emergency, and subject to ratification by the board, BESE President Holloway and
Acting State Superintendent Beth Scioneaux are committed to immediately taking the following additional
actions:
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Submitting a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education regarding 2019-2020 state
assessment and accountability requirements;
Continue to offer access to optional state assessments, as desired by schools and parents;
Exercising provisions in BESE policy that allow the Board to waive educator evaluations for the
2019-2020 year due to extenuating circumstances, thus allowing educators to renew or advance
their credential without an evaluation in 2019-2020; and
Waiving end-of-course exam requirements for graduating seniors, as well as promotion rules for
children in grades 4 and 8.

 Statutory Flexibilities
Through a Proclamation, JBE-2020-27, issued by Governor Edwards, provisions of R.S. 17:154.1 have been
waived, thereby relieving Louisiana public school systems of the required minimum number of
instructional minutes for the 2019-2020 school year.
To provide additional flexibility, we request that the following laws below also be waived for the entirety
of the 2019-2020 school year:

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RS 17:10.1 -- School and district accountability systems and the inclusion of value-added data in
educator evaluations
RS 17:24.4 -- LEAP statewide testing and pupil progression
RS 17:154.3 -- Minimum number of days a classroom teacher must work in a school year
RS 17:391.2, et seq. -- Public school accountability and assessments
RS 17:3881, et seq. -- Teacher Performance Evaluation, teacher credentials based upon valueadded data
RS 17:3901, et seq. -- Teacher evaluation, 50% of evaluation based on value-added data derived
from student assessments
RS 17:3997(D) -- Charter school teacher evaluations based upon value-added data derived from
student assessments.
RS 17:4023 -- Required student assessments for non-public schools participating in the Louisiana
Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence program
RS 17:221 -- Compulsory attendance law

In partnership,

Sandy Holloway
BESE President

Ray Garofalo
Chairman, House Education Committee