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Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, State Superintendent John White and a carefully chosen state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education wanted agressive change in public education and they were willing to do anything to make it happen. They financed campaigns, lobbied legislators, and ignored the input of educators who said the plans wouldn't work. But, they couldn't ignore Barbara Leader, a reporter for a small newspaper 200 miles away from the state capital who, one story at a time, revealed flaw after flaw and got the attention of the entire state. State officials threatened Leader and attempted to prevent publication of article after article. Through this series, Leader established our paper and herself as a credible source for education news and gained a statewide reputation for being tenacious and fearless.