The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • 8

A3 Saturday, March 24, 2012 Voucher votes House Bill 96, creating statewide vouchers and increasing the number of charter schools, was passed by the House in a 61-41 vote. Here's how representatives whose districts include parts of Central Louisiana voted: FOR: Jim Fannin, Lance Harris, Chris Hazel, Frank Howard, Steven Pylant AGAINST: Andy Anders, James Aimes, Terry Brown, Kenny Cox, Michael Danahay, Herbert Dixon, Brett Geyrnann, Mickey Guillory, Dorothy Sue Hill, Robert Johnson, H. Bernard LeBas benchmarks would be required in the education department's accountability program. The amendments didn't mollify all opponents. Kdwards, a leader of the opposition, said Fannin's amendment should eliminate students in schools from the voucher program, not just put them on a lower priority.

"Is a kid in a school trapped in a failing school?" he asked, referring to a talking point often employed by the bill's supporters. Fannin said a school is considered "average," but insisted that parents with students in such schools should still have the option of private school enrollment. Jones, said the accountability amendment by Rep. Neil Abramson, U-New Orleans, should do more to spell out how the private schools will be held accountable. "Why in the world public school system," said Kep, Robert Johnson, D-Marksvillc.

They also accused backers of the bill of unfairly blaming teachers for the state's education ills. And they complained the bills would allow too many non-certified teachers to teach in public charter schools. Administration supporters said lack of certification was not a barrier to effective teaching. In length and contentiousness, Thursday's marathon House floor session was similar to a 16-hour committee hearing last week. One difference: After fighting off substantive amendments in committee hearings last week, the Jindal administration was amenable to some limited tweaks in the House.

One was a response to critics who have long argued that the voucher provision would improperly fund private schools with tax revenue that voters in local districts have ap schools, and that it was too broad in scope. The original bill allowed students in public schools with a or grade under the state's public school accountability system to be eligible for vouchers. A Fannin amendment, approved 8S-15, would give priority to students in schools earning a I) or an F. Another change, approved 82-21, says the state education department must develop an accountability program for schools that accept voucher students. It was a nod to some of the measure's critics, including nonpartisan research groups such as Council for a Better Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council, which said the voucher program lacked sufficient accountability and that it should be a tool for students in the worst public schools.

The language didn't describe what kind of performance proved for public schools. Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro and an administration ally, won passage of an amendment in the afternoon that forbids locally approved tax money from going to non-public schools. But it didn't end the argument. Rep.

John Bel Kdwards, D-Amite, said the Fannin amendment won't work. He said the bill would still allow state education officials in effect, use the state education budget to redirect the local money to private schools. F.dwards later tried an amendment of his own to more clearly block the use of local tax dollars in private schools. It was defeated in one of the closest votes of the night: 47 for, 50 against. Changes approved in the morning were aimed at opponents who said that the bill fails to hold private schools to the same tough, performance-based standards used to grade public Tenure Continued from A1 don't take into account factors beyond teachers' control, such as student poverty, classroom violence or low parental involvement.

Backers said the tenure bill and the voucher bill, sweeping and complex measures, will give parents more choice and provide competition that will improve schools in a state that continues to lag the nation in school performance. "I want us to give every kid in the state an opportunity to be prepared and an opportunity to have a successful life," said Rep. Steve Carter, Baton Rouge, the House sponsor of the Jindal package. Opponents said they feared the voucher bill would divert badly needed money from public schools. "This will bankrupt my would you trust the bureaucracy to draw up rules for this when you already have a standard for the public school system?" Jones asked.

Abramson said he believes allowing the education department to establish criteria was sufficient. ever, he had recently been suspended from school for five days for tardiness, his English teacher, Michelle Kypriss, told the Orlando Sentinel. School officials did not respond to a request for comment. Martin's father was not happy and grounded the teen for the duration of the suspension. Trayvon "knew he was wrong," Horton said.

Under state privacy law, only serious felonies appear on juveniles' public criminal records, and Martin did not have one. Citing the same law, San-ford police Sgt. David Morgenstern said he could neither confirm nor deny the family's statement that Martin had never gotten in legal trouble. old from Chicago who was murdered in 1954 while visiting Mississippi by a group of hite men. No one was ever convicted, but Till's killing galvanized the civil rights movement.

Jackson said he will speak at a Sanford-area church Sunday and then attend a rally in the city Monday. Since the slaying, a portrait has emerged of Martin as a laid-back young man who loved sports, was extremely close to his father, liked to crack jokes ith friends and, according to a lawyer for his family, had never been in trouble with the law. The son of divorced parents, he grew up in working-class neighborhoods north of Miami's down giving him words of advice, encouragement," Collins said. No one answered the door on a recent afternoon, and a child's plastic tricycle sat in the driveway. Tracy Martin often recounted how his son saved his liTe.

The elder Martin had begun healing up some oil to fry fish and fell asleep. The grease caught fire, and when Tracy Martin awoke and tried to put out the flames, he spilled the oil on his legs, severely burning himself. Trayvon Martin pulled his father out of the home and called 911. Martin's parents kept a close eye on him, but they didn't have to be too strict, since he stayed out of trouble, Collins said. How they played and whether they were good.

Horton recalled. He would call the mothers "Ma'am," and if they had a stroller or an item they needed help ith. Martin stepped in. "Kveryone out there loved him," Horton said. Martin was tall and lanky only 140 pounds, according to the family's attorney and his nickname was "Slimm." The teen spent a big part of his week living with his father in a one-story, peach-colored home.

Neighbor Fred Collins Jr. said he would see Trayvon Martin outside every week mowing the lawn and trimming the trees. The teen also helped Collins' son learn how to ride a bike. "He was coaching him, town. He and his father, a truck driver, were active in the Miramar Optimist Club, an organization that runs sports and academic programs for young people.

Tracy Martin, the teen's father, coached his son's football team. The boy was a sw ift athlete, according to a friend, and played a range of positions up to about age 14. After he stopped playing, he remained active in the organization, volunteering six days a week from June through November of last year to help run the team's concession stand. Martin cooked hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken wings alongside his father at the stand. He loved talking to the kids, asking them what position Slaying Continued from A1 bottom of the case, and added: "When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids." That sentiment was echoed by NBA star Dwy-ane Wade, who along with his Miami Heat teammate LeUron James tweeted photos of themselves in hoodies in a show of solidarity.

"As a father, this hits home," said Wade, who has 10- and 4-year-old sons. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Friday that Martin's killing reflects "the classic struggle of our time" and said it echoes the slaying of Emmitt Till, a 14-year- Fjj 5u IPG Hi I 2012 FIDO TRUCK1 WUBjI IIZIXT I -f8 i Ai I h. a -v i 1 1 i- 1 couirruY Trtfrv is-..