Leaders for a Better Louisiana

10/02/2026

🎉Positive Friday!

Louisiana leads the nation in growth in Advanced Placement performance since 2019. The share of AP exams earning a qualifying score jumped from 37.4% to 69.1% in just seven years.

This is a big win for Louisiana students and educators. 👏

Read the full story from New Orleans City Business: Louisiana leads nation in AP score growth | New Orleans CityBusiness

09/29/2026

📍Louisiana in Oxford

Our Chief Policy Officer, Barry Erwin, joined more than 20 Louisiana leaders, legislators, and policymakers in Oxford, England to develop strategies for expanding work-based learning opportunities across the state.

09/25/2026

📈Friday win for Louisiana!

Louisiana just hit a record-high educational attainment rate, with more residents earning degrees and credentials.

It’s another sign of progress for the state’s workforce and a reason to feel good about where we’re headed.

Read the full story from The Advocate here:

The news is cause for celebration but also a reminder of how far the state has to go in its education rankings, advocates say.

09/24/2026

💼The Better View:

A new Louisiana report offers a closer look at how education connects to earnings, career pathways, and whether graduates stay in the state.

The findings raise some important questions about how we approach higher education and workforce development.

The answers could have major implications for Louisiana’s higher education funding, workforce strategy, and efforts to keep talent here.

Read Better Louisiana’s 10 takeaways from the latest LEO report 👇:

10 Surprising Findings from the Blanco Center’s Report on Higher Education Outcomes

09/17/2026

🏫Twenty years can change a lot.

New Orleans schools have made remarkable gains in student achievement, moving from near the bottom of Louisiana’s rankings to 39th of 68 districts.

The progress is proof that meaningful change takes time, persistence and a commitment to the policies and investments that move students forward.

Read more in the latest Better View 👇

Before Hurricane Katrina, more than 60% of schools in New Orleans were considered “academically unacceptable” and ranked 67th out of 68 districts. Now those schools rank in 39th place and higher than some of the state’s other major school districts.

09/15/2026

📚New Orleans went from one of the state’s lowest-performing school systems to leading the nation in academic growth.

What changed, and what can Louisiana learn from the progress?

Read the latest from The Better View here👇:

Before Hurricane Katrina, more than 60% of schools in New Orleans were considered “academically unacceptable” and ranked 67th out of 68 districts. Now those schools rank in 39th place and higher than some of the state’s other major school districts.

09/11/2026

📚How does Louisiana stack up when it comes to funding higher education?

Louisiana ranks among the lowest states in the nation for per-student funding, while community and technical colleges face growing pressure to train the workforce needed for the state’s economic growth.

A new legislative task force is taking a closer look at what comes next.

Read the full Better View here👇:

A new legislative task force is undertaking a comprehensive review of Louisiana’s higher education funding in general and its postsecondary funding formula in particular.

09/10/2026

🎓The Better View: Louisiana is taking a closer look at higher education funding.

A new legislative task force is reviewing the state’s funding formula as colleges face financial pressures and community and technical colleges work to meet growing workforce needs.

The big question is whether changing the formula can help address these challenges or if Louisiana needs to invest more in higher education overall.

Read more here👉:

A new legislative task force is undertaking a comprehensive review of Louisiana’s higher education funding in general and its postsecondary funding formula in particular.

09/04/2026

🌟Positive Friday!

The Louisiana International Terminal has received its key federal permit, clearing the way for construction to begin as early as this fall. 🚢

The project is expected to bring 4,300 + new jobs and $33.3 million in new annual tax revenue to St. Bernard Parish at full buildout.

A major step forward for Louisiana’s economy, workforce, and future. 👏⚓

Read more here:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the federal permit authorizing construction of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), clearing the way for the nation’s only new greenfield container port currently under development – a project positioned to turbocharge the economy of Greater Ne...

09/03/2026

Bringing Louisiana’s health leaders to the same table. 🤝

The inaugural Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows session connected leaders across health care, business, education, policy, and community organizations to share ideas and explore new opportunities to collaborate.

Read more here: https://betterla.org/news/what-we-learned-from-the-first-leadership-louisiana-health-fellows-session/