Day: February 11, 2014

On February 6, 2014, the Bossier Parish School Board approved across-the-board pay raises for all Bossier Parish teachers and support personnel.

1)      Performance Evaluation Stipends for Teachers (Highly Effective $1000; Effective Proficient $400; Effective Emerging $100) and Educational Leaders (Highly Effective $100; Effective Proficient $100), as well as TAP Stipends (as identified by the TAP process at each school for our TAP schools) based on the employee’s 2012-13 Performance Rating will be issued on February 28, 2014.

2)      The Board approved an across the board 1.5% pay raise for all employees starting with the 2014-15 School Year and an additional across the board 3.5% pay raise for all employees with the 2016-17 School year.

3)      The Board approved changes in the job status of AFJROTC Instructors from 12 month employees to 11 month employees starting with the 2014-15 school year.

Mission statement for the event: “We gather here today, as educational professionals and elected leaders, to break bread while discussing the working, teaching, and learning realities of our public school system. We hope to find common ground and a shared purpose of reclaiming the promise of public education in the upcoming legislative session.”  

Over 60 members and potential members from Caddo, Bossier, Red River, and Webster Parishes were in attendance.

MP Wray, Legislative Director of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers led the discussion of solution-driven initiatives and legislation that the union is pursuing this year. Members gave moving testimony and shared personal stories, at times challenging the legislators in attendance to understand the reality of teaching and working in the public school system. The discussion centered around eight policy areas: “standards” and the overuse of standardized test scores (testimony on the importance of planning time); lack of stakeholder inclusion in policy making; compensation and leave policy improvements (testimony on maternity leave, extended sick leave, evaluations, and tenure); student nutrition as a foundation for learning (spirited testimony and debate arose on the importance of seated lunch time for students); local autonomy for local dollars; prioritizing spending in our state budget (testimony on the importance of increasing MFP dollars and making sure our support personnel are not left out!); pensions (testimony on the PBI); and paycheck choice (testimony on the importance of leaving our right to payroll deduction alone).

Red River United urges all members to get involved in our legislative initiatives. Our COPE Committee (Committee on Political Education) is centered around member’s advocating for policy that will preserve public education and advance the health and welfare of our members. Legislators need to hear from you, so get involved with the RRU COPE Committee: https://redriverunited.org/category/ace-legs-cope/

Red River United is At the Table! Princess Hill and Nikki Doughty represent RRU at PARCC. 

The American Federation of Teachers, in conjunction with Red River President Jackie Lansdale and Caddo Parish School Board Chief Academic Officer Keith Burton, have nominated Princess Hill (Summer Grove Elementary) and Nikki Doughty (Keithville Elementary) for a rare opportunity to work with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

This opportunity will allow access for Princess and Nikki to the work of the assessment consortia developing Common Core-aligned assessments. Finally educators are at the table! We believe this work will be a tremendous benefit to our union and to all of our local educators in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. The project is being supported by a grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, a New York City-based foundation, to PARCC to work with members of both the AFT and the NEA.

PARCC Project Information: Recruiting a total of 36 teachers for the project-18 English Language Arts and 18 mathematics teachers (NATION WIDE).

Red River United Adds an In-House Attorney! 

A Shreveport native, Patrick Woolbert, Esq. is the newest addition to the Red River United business attorneys. Mr. Woolbert earned his J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, and his B.A. in Psychology from Centenary College of Louisiana.

While representing members of Red River United in grievance proceedings, Mr. Woolbert is able to analyze issues not only under school policy, but also according to Louisiana and Federal law. Mr. Woolbert is available to meet with you concerning your work-related issues, as well as other legal issues that you may have.

Outside of his duties at Red River United, Mr. Woolbert operates a client-focused law practice, specializing in personal injury, criminal defense, estate planning, and divorce.