NEW ORLEANS (AP) — While state education officials touted new school and school district performance scores, a teacher union called the grading system a gimmick.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has been highly critical of many aspects of the state's accountability system over the years. On Thursday, LFT president Steve Monaghan issued a statement saying that giving single letter grades to schools ignores individual schools' missions.

The LFT said school grades should be based on an index that would assess — and publicize — the condition of a school's facilities, whether the school is safe and orderly, the health and economy of the surrounding community, the availability of instructional materials in the school, teacher and staff retention, and the physical and emotional health of the students.

 

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