The Louisiana House Education Committee convened on May 20, 2025, to discuss House Bill 391, which aims to address issues surrounding student absenteeism and teacher evaluation systems. The bill proposes that both excused and unexcused absences be considered in teacher evaluations, a change from current law that only excludes unexcused absences.

Cynthia Posey from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers emphasized the need for fair and accurate evaluations, arguing that current metrics do not adequately account for the impact of absenteeism on student learning and, consequently, on teacher effectiveness. She highlighted that chronic absenteeism rates in Louisiana are among the highest in the nation, with significant implications for both student learning and teacher morale.

Posey pointed out that the existing law, enacted in 2014, allows for the exclusion of students with ten or more unexcused absences from teacher evaluations. However, she argued that excused absences should also be included in this provision, as they similarly disrupt the educational process. The bill seeks to provide teachers with the discretion to account for all types of absences when assessing their performance.

Committee members raised questions about the implications of the bill, including how it would affect teacher evaluations and whether the Department of Education had taken a position on the matter. Representatives expressed concerns about the fairness of evaluating teachers based on students who are not present in class, as this does not accurately reflect a teacher's instructional impact.

The committee ultimately voted to report HB 391 favorably, signaling a step towards reforming the teacher evaluation process in light of absenteeism challenges. The discussion underscored the broader issues of teacher retention and morale, as well as the urgent need to address chronic absenteeism in Louisiana schools.

In addition to HB 391, the committee also introduced House Resolution 98, which requests a study on the impact of a law banning student possession of telecommunications devices during instructional hours. This reflects ongoing efforts to address various challenges within the educational system in Louisiana.