Diane Ravitch thinks Louisiana might just make the cut as the "worst state in the nation" in terms of its commitment (or lack thereof) to fostering a strong public education system that serves the needs of all students. From her blog: 

Governor Bobby Jindal has been hailed by rightwing privatizers for his bold plan to dismantle public education. And indeed, his legislation established vouchers, charters, and a punitive regime for teachers. If teachers can’t cause their students to get higher scores year after year, they will be rated ineffective and terminated. This is my personal candidate for the worst state in the nation, but I don’t know the details in every state and there are still more states vying to be even worse than Louisiana. It is just hard to imagine how much worse it can get than Louisiana, where the money for vouchers and charters will come right out of the public school budget and where teachers are treated so shabbily.

Click here to read the full post, and click here to read more of her thoughts on education policy in LA.