La. 'lost a giant in the field of public education'
February 15, 2007



Picard SERVICES
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Maurice. Entombment will be in the church mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, Picard's family has asked that memorial contributions be made in his name to The Cecil Picard Endowment Fund, benefiting the Early Childhood Development Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.


LAFAYETTE - Louisiana Education Superintedent Cecil J. Picard died this afternoon “after a mighty fight against a heartbreaking disease," says a statement from his family. He was 69.

Picard, superintendent since April 1996, had planned to resign May 1 because of amytrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was diagnosed in May 2005.

"Today Louisiana lost a giant in the field of public education," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. "Cecil Picard was passionate about and dedicated to Louisiana's children. He leaves behind a rich legacy of service that includes expanding quality education to all Louisianans, from pre-K through high school."

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted earlier this week to name an interim superintendent next month.

The state Education Department released the statement from Picard's son Tyron Picard.

"In his final days he was surrounded by our family and his closest friends who all knew of his love for the state of Louisiana and especially its children," he wrote. "As a family, we ask that the public respect our privacy as we mourn his loss. We ... hope that all who loved him will join us in remembering this great educator and statesman.”

Cecil Picard, from French Settlement, had been a state senator for 18 1/2 years when BESE chose him unanimously over two other finalists to replace Ray Arveson, who was retiring. Picard applied after losing a race for state Senate president.

"Cecil helped guide this state through some tremendous education reform that positions Louisiana as one of the national leaders," BESE member Leslie Jacobs said.

She said some of her favorite memories of Picard are of their joint press conferences. "I guess the analogy would be that I was the play-by-play commentary and Cecil was the color commentary. I would be pretty factual and dry, and Cecil would add color to the presentation."

Once, she said, he brought a prescription bottle and said they had the cure for problems in education.

"Cecil was an elected official for a very long time, and he was a Cajun. And he brought that skill set to the job," Jacobs said.

He also had been a teacher, coach, principal and a legislative floor leader on education issues for several governors.

Jacobs said Picard changed the state Education Department from one of the nation's worst to one of the nation's best. Its response after hurricanes Katrina and Rita shows its quality, she said.

"We had to get transcripts for all 50 states. We had to help displaced teachers. We had to get help to the districts. And there was very little complaining that the department wasn't responsive."

Jacobs said the department's testing, school accountability and its work to improve teacher quality all have been praised. "The state board of education may pass policy. But what makes quality is how it's implemented."

Picard was not a "detail person" but was extremely good at choosing staffers, Jacobs said. "These reforms don't happen unless you have a lot of good people in key positions."

In addition to his son, Picard's survivors include his wife, Gaylen David Picard, another son, Mark Picard, and four grandchildren.