Interfaith, a nonpartisan faith based political organization, has been involved in seeking improvement for education and educational opportunity in the surrounding communities.
The organization hosted an Education Summit and Accountability Session on Thursday to discuss the state of higher education.
The meeting focused on informing citizens and elected officials about ‘The Right Fight’ and on ‘Building Community Together.’
Representatives from ULM spoke about the budget cuts in higher education.
Faculty Senate President John Anderson, Staff Senate President Lindsey Wilkerson and SGA President Jana Robinson were present.
Anderson said that the effects of the budget cuts in higher education are widespread.
“The danger is so widespread. There is no area of higher education that is not feeling the burden,” Anderson said.
Anderson said that for every dollar invested in higher education the community gets back $8.
Mass incarceration in Louisiana was another concern addressed at the meeting.
Bryan Johnson of the Southside Community Involvement Association said that every year 15,000 students drop out of school, and every year there are 15,000 people incarcerated.
Johnson said that people in the outside world need to be educated and kept healthy in order to prevent such incarceration rates from increasing.
He believes this responsibility falls on all people.
“What makes a difference is you and I coming together… Nothing is bigger than community,” Johnson said.
Johnson is also an Interfaith leader.
Denny Garner of St. Patrick Episcopal Church in West Monroe and William Smart discussed the context of Interfaith’s work and gave a political timeline.
“We’re going to be educating the public and meeting with candidates and potential candidates to develop relationships,” Garner said.
The elected officials present at the meeting were given the opportunity to respond and asked to commit to working with Interfaith on the issues of public education, public higher education, healthcare, mass incarceration, tax revenue and work in Louisiana.
Krutzer said that students will have the ability to perform well in school and to master skills if they are better instrcuted.
“Support our teachers, and get our kids to school,” Krutzer said.
Approximately 100 people attended the meeting, including State Rep. Charles Chaney, Bishop Rodney McFarland and Vickie Krutzer of the Ouachita Parish School Board.
Krutzer and School Board member McFarlin signed the Statement of Commitment.
The Statement of Commitment is a document of the organization’s six goals and those who sign it will be working with Interfaith for future projects.
“In order to build a community, we must work together,” McFarlin said.
Chaney said that his commitment to Interfaith is to work with the group personally and try to identify ways in which he can help and to do what he is able in working with his colleges in Baton Rouge.
Chaney also signed the statement of commitment.
Rev. Bette Kauffman, archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana and communication professor at ULM, shared the theologies of justice and a reading from Nehemiah.
Kauffman said that people must come together in order to accomplish goals for the greater good and they should not expect others to do for them what they can do for themselves.
Kauffman believes that the common good happens when people recognize that, despite their differences, some things are too big for individual people or single families to accomplish on their own.
“Let us set ourselves to the common good,” Kauffman said.
Families from various church congregations and members of the community shared their stories and concerns about education, higher education and mass incarceration.
“It’s important for education reform to be about education,” said Kathy Grey, a guidance counselor.
Rev. Whit Stodghill of St. Albans Episcopal Church and Eva Dyann Wilson of Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church acted as co-chairs for the evening.
They discussed the diversity and agenda of Interfaith.
Interfaith seeks to cross barriers of race, religion, political parties and geography in order to accomplish political goals.
Wilson said that where there is diversity, there must be great voice to ensure that every side is heard.
According to Cindy Smith of Jesus Good Shepard Catholic, North and Central Louisiana Interfaith was started over 15 years ago.
The group spans from Shreveport to Alexandria to Lake Providence, and has 65 members.
Smith said that the general population has a big significance in political decisions.
“The office belongs to the people, not to the person who is elected to hold it for a season,” Smith said.
Chaney said that all of the concerns of Interfaith were valid and of great significance. Chaney also said that in order to accomplish all of the goals, healthcare and education are the places to begin.
Sen. Francis Thompson and State Rep. Candidates Neil Riser and Vance McAllister were invited to the meeting but they declined.
