Why the Ten Commandments Won’t Save Louisiana’s Schools
Thou Shalt Not Pander to the Conservative Vote
Imagine a classroom where the Ten Commandments loom over students as they solve math problems or conduct science experiments. This isn’t a biblical fantasy but a new mandate in Louisiana’s public schools. On Wednesday, Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana signed a law requiring every public school classroom in his state to post a copy of the Ten Commandments. The law is practically identical to a Kentucky law that the Supreme Court struck down in 1980, but Governor Landry doesn’t care.
“I can’t wait to be sued,” he said at a fundraiser on Saturday.
Beyond its legal implications, this mandate risks alienating non-Christian students and undermining the educational focus on literacy and numeracy in Louisiana’s struggling public schools. I only wish he cared as much about fixing his state’s schools as using their students to score political points. As of 2023, Louisiana’s public schools ranked 46th in the country. Making every classroom display the Ten Commandments isn’t going to improve Louisiana kids’ literacy or numeracy.
As we’ll see, this law is plainly an attempt not just to inject religion into public schools but also to send a message to Louisiana’s non-Christians to make sure they know Louisiana…
