The state at the moment is trying to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and with racial injustice that is making headlines across the country. The Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) is asking citizens not to forget the role education plays in dealing with both of those issues.

Barry Erwin, president of CABL, in a commentary in The Advocate, said, “It’s an important moment for us to think about all of this, and what it means with regards to the education of our people.”

Erwin reminds readers that Louisiana has an equity gap in education and the percentage of young black students performing at appropriate levels in reading and math are 20 points or more behind their white counterparts.

“We see a similar situation with graduation rates, where African-American students finish high school at a rate about 10 points behind whites,” Erwin said.

Both of these gaps lead to a significant impact on the state’s workforce, he said. Half of African-American adults have no credential beyond a high school degree, which Erwin said compares with 34 percent of whites. He added that only 16 percent of African-Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Four areas are highlighted by these equity gaps. Erwin said, Louisiana’s overall level of education attainment is low, the population lacks the education and training to meet workforce needs, low education perpetuates poverty and young and old African-Americans are disproportionately impacted by the other three.

The state can do better, Erwin said, because it does have plans to create a better education system. Early childhood education advocates have created an understanding of how important early training can be. The coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible to increase funding in that area at this time, but hopefully it won’t delay it too long.

Erwin said there is also a highly regarded education framework for K-12 schools. It provides federal assistance to every school district in Louisiana, requiring the state to raise the education attainment levels of “historically underserved students.”

The state Board of Regents has a higher education master plan that targets both high school students and working-age adults. The goal is to help them upgrade their education and skills that will give them greater access to high-wage jobs and a pathway to greater prosperity.

Yes, the state is facing two serious problems at the moment. However, Erwin is correct when he says focusing on more equitable educational opportunities would help solve both problems and ensure that this moment of reflection doesn’t go to waste.

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This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Crystal Stevenson, John Guidroz, Mike Jones and Jim Beam.