La. Schools Chief Reorganizes Education Department

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LouisianaSuperintendent of Education John White has reorganized the leadership of his department, trimming salary costs as he reshuffled top jobs.

White announced the revamped structure Thursday, saying he had assembled a "team of experienced problem-solvers."

The reorganization comes nine months after White was hired as superintendent — and after Gov. Bobby Jindal successfully pushed changes to teacher evaluations and charter school regulations and creation of a statewide voucher program that White oversees.

Among the changes, White has established five "network leaders" who act as liaisons with local school districts on classroom issues and performance standards.

Salaries for White and his 15 top department officials are $2.4 million, down from $2.6 million the jobs previously paid, according to education department data. The department has 50 fewer positions than last year.