FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Zoey Reed, 504-333-2800
Lacandidates.com launches to educate Louisiana voters on who’s vying to represent our families and school communities
Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools announces a web-based platform featuring special election candidates answering charter-specific questions
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Ahead of the March 20, 2021, special election, the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) announces the launch of lacandidates.com, a close-up on candidates vying to govern and represent communities in Louisiana. LAPCS is launching the site with interviews of Congressional District 2 candidates. LAPCS asked leading candidates to answer questions specific to public charter schools, three accepted the invitation: Troy Carter, Desiree Ontiveros, and Karen Carter Peterson.
After overwhelming support of its OPSBcandidates.com platform in the 2020 election, LAPCS set out to launch a statewide website that will interview candidates in critical races such as Congress, Senate, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and local school boards. The goal is to connect educators and families with charter-specific answers from candidates running for seats that will influence public education in Louisiana.
“We were excited to see the level of engagement with OPSBcandidates.com and received feedback from our community that it was a helpful resource for voters making their decisions,” said Caroline Roemer, Executive Director of LAPCS. “That sparked us to build a larger platform for current and future races. Our hope is to engage with candidates statewide in critical races, so educators and families can inform themselves on who is asking to represent them.”
Roemer emphasized that she and her organization will continue to listen to their membership and the community on which future races to feature on the site next.
The platform showcases candidates answering several charter-specific questions within about 60 seconds per question. Each candidate page takes viewers through roughly seven minutes of interviews, answering questions ranging from, “What do you believe is the most important responsibility of a U.S. Congressperson?” to, “What is your position on federally mandated school assessments?” to, “Do you support the ongoing expansion of high-quality charter schools?”
The website aims to support Louisiana voters, educators, and public school families in educating themselves on candidates. Public school employees cannot ask their communities to vote for or against any candidate, but they can share information to help educate their school communities on the candidates. The site also includes information on the upcoming elections, where to vote, finding your district, and accessing your sample ballot.
“It is important to provide community access and unbiased, accessible, and valuable information on candidates and their plans to support schools and families,” said Roemer.