THE HEWITT BLUEPRINT

EDUCATING OUR KIDS & GRANDKIDS

"I believe that a great education is the silver bullet to transforming lives. Education opens the door of opportunity, overcomes poverty, and gives students a strong path to success. As Governor, I will unlock the potential of our students to excel academically so they can flourish and thrive." -Sharon Hewitt

Governor Candidate Sharon Hewitt with Children

Every child will read

During my first term, K-3 students will be reading at or above grade level, building on the work I began through SB222 in 2021. With half of Louisiana third graders reading below grade level, we have a crisis in our schools. This year, Louisiana earned recognition for being one of only three states with reading scores that improved, a strong indication that our “back to the basics” teaching of phonics is working.

Back to Basics

I will make sure our schools go back to the basics in teaching math skills to our 4th – 8th graders, where data shows that student math skills are currently dropping during this critical time in their development. As Governor, I will finish the work I began as a Senator with legislation (SB163) to ensure our students enter high school with the foundational math skills they require to succeed in algebra and beyond.

Technology-rich curriculum at every grade level

As parents, we know that our students are thirsty for more technology in their curriculum. And our employers need employees that can compete in a digital economy. As Governor, I will ensure we have a computer science curriculum in every K-12 grade level, computer coding in our high school curriculum, and a much more STEM-rich educational experience for all of our students. School curriculum will be focused on education, not indoctrination.

High quality teachers paid at or above the Southern average

Receiving a quality education begins with having highly qualified teachers. As the daughter of a 4th grade teacher and as a longtime PTA President, I know that most teachers do not teach for the money but teach because they love children and want to be a positive influence in their lives. I will value our teachers with competitive pay, empower our teachers to do what they do best – teach, and be innovative in recruiting and retention programs to address our teacher shortages in critical areas.

High quality early childhood education

The education of our children can’t start at kindergarten or even pre-kindergarten. The research and the science of cognitive learning tell us that the most critical time in a child’s development is birth to 3 years old. When children are exposed to early learning experiences, they start school more prepared to learn and succeed. I will replicate the early childhood learning centers that are proven to work and provide early care and education funding to ensure that every child starts school ready to learn and that parents can work or further their own education.

More parental choice

Most of all, I know that parents want to choose the best educational setting for their child, utilizing their state education dollars to give their child the best opportunity to succeed. My 2023 legislation directed the Department of Education to develop an implementation plan for Education Savings Accounts that will be executed after I am sworn in as Governor.

THE HEWITT RECORD

Sharon Hewitt has a strong record of results that has positively impacted education in Louisiana. As a State Senator and Senate Majority Leader, Sharon authored legislation that is already improving student outcomes on key predictors of future success. Because of her tireless efforts, Louisiana is one of only three states that showed improvements in reading scores last year.

As a State Senator, Sharon Hewitt has:

Worked to create an Education Savings Account (ESA) to give parents more choice in providing the best educational setting for their child. This bill would allow parents with a K-3 child reading below grade level to move their child to a private, parochial, or homeschool and use their state education dollars to offset the costs. To date, the Governor has vetoed all ESA legislation. But through SCR 25, work is underway to develop the plans for implementation of an ESA program that we will implement immediately when I become Governor. (SB 203 of 2022 RS – Vetoed by Governor, SCR 25 of 2023 RS)

Created a nationally-recognized, statewide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) ecosystem by creating and funding the LaSTEM Advisory Council and nine (9) Regional STEM Centers to oversee the creation, delivery, and promotion of STEM education programs and to align them with future workforce needs to provide jobs for our citizens in high-demand, high-paying careers. In addition, LaSTEM requires a focus on encouraging and training more women to enter STEM careers, shrinking the gender pay gap. (Act 392 of 2017 RS)

Improved the literacy of our youngest readers by establishing phonics, or the “science of reading,” as the methodology for teaching reading. The Superintendent called this the most comprehensive literacy bill in recent history. It includes a new K-2 accountability system, universal screeners performed three times a year to identify reading gaps, interventions for teacher and parents to improve reading skills, and a new higher education curriculum for teaching the “science of reading.” In 2023, Louisiana was one of only three states with improved 4th grade reading scores during the pandemic. (Act 438 of 2021 RS.)

Created the Louisiana Early Literacy Commission to study and make recommendations relative to improving reading proficiency for our younger students. (SR 133 of 2021 RS.)

Addressed the declining math scores from 4^th grade to 8^th grade by shifting how math is taught to “back to the basics,” beginning with new teacher development programs on foundational math skills. (Act 260 of 2023 RS)

Established and funded the Computer Science Education Act, which requires that computer science skills be taught in K-12 grades to provide our students with the skills they need to compete in a digital economy. Work is underway to develop the curriculum and train the teachers. Louisiana has fallen behind the rest of the country, as only 29% of our high schools offer computer science classes as part of their curriculum. (Act 541 of 2022 RS.)

Allowed high schools to offer computer coding as a foreign language choice to meet the high school graduation requirements and TOPS requirements. (Act 502 of 2022 RS)

Reorganized the Special School District to oversee and improve the education of our blind, deaf, deaf/blind, and hard of hearing students. (Act 128 of 2022 RS.)

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