The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meets today and one item on the agenda is the question of what to do about Common Core Opt-Outs. BESE member Jane Smith says parents not letting their kids take the PARCC test is a variable that punishes the school that they can’t control…

cut 11 (09) “accountability policy”

Smith says students who opt-out of taking the Common Core test won’t be punished but it’s the school that would get a zero for that student towards its performance score.

With Daylight Saving Time beginning this weekend, sleep experts have tips for preparing your children for losing an hour of sleep. Laura Swartz with Healthy Happy Sleep says you should start waking your kids up 15 minutes earlier than usual.

cut 5 (11) “of seven”

She also suggests keeping sleep patterns the same after the time has changed.

A report released this week by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera suggests that increasing oyster lease rates can increase revenues for the state in light of the $1.6 billion budget shortfall. But Sal Sunseri, with P&J Oysters in New Orleans, points out the oyster industry is not a subsidized farming industry like many industries in agriculture…

cut 8 (12) “get subsidized”

The audit report recommends raising the lease rate from $2 and acre to $5.20, which Sunseri says is just too great.

In a move to save over $1.7 million against the salary cap, the New Orleans Saints have released running back Pierre Thomas from the team. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says the move is really not a surprise, but the Saints will really miss is his pass protection skills…

cut 14 (07) “with one team”

Detillier says Thomas, who’s spent all of his 8 seasons with the team, gave New Orleans the screen game back like no one since Dalton Hilliard.