Representing Teachers and School Employees in Northwest Louisiana
Join Red River United, the largest and most active
organzation in northern Louisiana and don’t pay dues until September!! Join Red River United and become an advocate for yourself, your students, and public education! Call318-424-4579 or email us atRedriverunited@redriverunited.
HB 1277 by Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Shreveport) is a bill that improves the state law governing the discipline and dismissal of teachers has passed both houses of the legislature and awaits Governor Bobby Jindal’s signature. The bill is limited to those sections of Act 1 of 2012 that deal with the discipline and dismissal of teachers. No longer will the superintendent have the sole final word on dismissal of teachers. Teachers recommended for termination may present their case to a hearing officer chosen at random from a list of individuals approved by the school board. Unlike Act 1’s provisions, in which a three-person advisory panel’s decision was not binding, the hearing officer is empowered to reverse a superintendent’s decision. The bill includes other provisions aimed at making sections of Act 1 into a clearer, fairer process. Read more here.
Red River United’s State affiliate, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers filed lawsuit against Act 1 in June of 2012, soon after Act 1 was passed. Since then, a LA state court has ruled Act 1 of 2012 unconstitutional in it’s entirety on two (2) seperate occasions because it violates a prohibition on bundling too many objectives in a single law. Our objections to Act 1 go far deeper than just the questionable way it was railroaded through the system. The Louisiana state attorney has appealed the judge’s decision, so the law will remain in effect until the Supreme Court of Louisiana makes a final decision. HB 1277 helps to ensure due process when dealing with the dismissal and termination of teachers as we mitigate the damages of the bill until the high court makes a final decision.
The Louisiana Legislature’s 2014 Regular Legislative Session ended at 6:00 P.M. Monday, June 2. That was not before HCR 114 and HB 717, which originated from RRU, got to the Governor’s desk!
The House and Senate both passed a bill that corrects a flaw in the state’s extended sick leave law, and sent it to Gov. Jindal for his signature.
HB 717 by Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill (D-Dry Creek) removes a stipulation in the extended sick leave law that requires teachers to take the leave in 10-day increments. Red River United advocated fiercely for this bill because the 10-day rule forces teachers to take more leave than may be required for follow-up treatments for serious medical issues. This
especially affected our new mothers, whom, after being forced to use all of their annual sick days before they could go into their extended sick leave, were being forced out of the classroom for 10 days when taking their newborn for checkups that they would otherwise only need one day for. Yvonne Barrier, a Caddo high school teacher and Red River United member, presented video testimony to the House and Senate floor that was instrumental to the rule change. Watch the video here.
At the request of Red River United, Rep. Patrick Williams (D – Shreveport) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 114. Both the House and Senate unanimously voted on the floor to urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to adopt a rule that would give students 20 minutes of seated lunch time that would not include time spent traveling to and from the lunch room or the time spent waiting 
in line to eat.
Red River United members pushed for this resolution because they were concerned that their students were not being given enough time to eat. Our members know that when our schools provide nutritious meals for our students, and when those students can actually consume those meals, students have better health outcomes and higher levels of academic achievement. We thank Rep. Patrick Williams for pushing this resolution forward.
Since June is Internet Safety Month, Share My Lesson wants to be sure you have the resources to guide your students as they navigate the online world.
Explore the free resources in the Internet Safety collection for just what you’ll need to get the conversation started with elementary and secondary school students. Topics range from ways to surf the ‘net safely to learning the signs of cyberbullying and to building awareness of online privacy.
As we approach summer — kids are more likely to use technology and stay connected through their personal gadgets. It’s important to teach students how to be safe online, how to monitor their privacy, and how to be responsible digital citizens.
For more grade K-12 Internet Safety materials, check out the resources from these content contributors:
* American Federation of Teachers
* Childnet
* NetSmartz Workshop
Get connected and stay safe,
Share My Lesson
Louisiana Federation of Teachers
Weekly Legislative Digest
June 3, 2014: FINAL EDITION
Steve Monaghan, President * Les Landon, Editor
2014 Regular Legislative Session
Now available on the Web at http://la.aft.org
The Louisiana Legislature’s 2014 Regular Legislative Session ended sine die at 6:00 P.M. Monday, June 2.
Lawmakers approve due process compromise
A bill that improves the state law governing the discipline and dismissal of teachers has passed both houses of the legislature and awaits Governor Bobby Jindal’s signature.
HB 1277 by Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Shreveport) represents a step toward bringing education reforms in line with teacher expectations, said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan.
“While this bill does not resolve all of our concerns with Act 1 of 2012,” Monaghan said, “it restores an element of due process and makes the system fairer. It is far better than what was passed in 2012 as part of Act 1.”
The bill is limited to those sections of Act 1 that deal with the discipline and dismissal of teachers. It replaces several sections of law that were unworkable and gutted the due process rights of teachers who were found “ineffective” under the act.
No longer will the superintendent have the sole final word on dismissal of teachers. Teachers recommended for termination may present their case to a hearing officer chosen at random from a list of individuals approved by the school board.
Unlike Act 1’s provisions, in which a three-person advisory panel’s decision was not binding, the hearing officer is empowered to reverse a superintendent’s decision.
The bill includes other provisions aimed at making sections of Act 1 into a clearer, fairer process:
Thursday’s unanimous vote of approval by the Senate is a vindication of the idea that people of good will can bring very different perspectives to the table and come up with a plan that is better for all, Monaghan said.
“We appreciate the efforts of the governor’s office and all the other stakeholders in bringing this bill to fruition,” Monaghan said. “If the whole idea of education reform had been approached in the same manner, we could have avoided years of legal challenges, confusion in the teacher corps, and disruption in our schools.”
Legislature adopts $3.6 billion MFP
After a short derailment by the Senate Education Committee, a rewritten Minimum Foundation Program formula zipped through the legislative process, winning approval by the House Education Committee and House of Representatives in just a couple of days.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Conrad Appel (R-Metairie) had objected to including a recurring 2.75% inflation factor in the formula. BESE’s rewritten formula deleted the inflation factor, prompting LFT President Steve Monaghan to warn that the move could lead to lower funding in the future.
“We have short memories,” Monaghan said. “Once upon a time the inflation factor was three percent. Who remembers that now? If we eliminate the 2.75% factor, we may never see it again, and people will forget that it ever existed.”
This is the first year since 2011 that lawmakers have successfully adopted a public education spending formula. The 2012 formula was set aside after the LFT and others challenged the way it was adopted, and last year’s legislature rejected the formula proposed by BESE.
The MFP is included in the state’s $24.6 billion operating budget. The baseline spending for each student will be $3,961. The plan includes enough money to make last year’s one-time raise for classroom teachers a permanent addition to their salaries.
House rejects plan to restructure Baton Rouge schools
One of the most hotly contested issues in this year’s legislative session ended with a resounding House vote against a radical, state-mandated restructure of the East Baton Rouge Parish School District.
SB 636 by Sen. Bodi White (R-Central) was just one of a handful of bills aimed directly at the school board operating in the capitol city, despite Baton Rouge’s success in raising itself from a D to a C rating under the state grading system.
The bill would have grouped the district schools into community zones and given principals control over nearly every aspect of the school. Principals would have been asked to negotiate contracts for health care and benefits, student transportation, maintenance, food service, custodial work and other functions usually handled by the central office. Critics said the bill was a back-door effort to charter nearly every school in the parish.
The bill handily passed the Senate, but ran into opposition in the House Education Committee, where its mirror image, HB 1177 by Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge), had stalled. Principals, parents, school boards and unions all spoke against the bill, which was supported by the Chamber of Commerce, LABI and the Jindal administration.
Although the bill was approved by the House Education Committee, it was met on the House floor by an army of opponents. When the vote was tallied, 60 Representatives had voted against it, and only 31 voted for the bill.
Lawmakers had already rejected other assaults on Baton Rouge, including efforts to split a new district away from the parish system and to reduce the number of board members from 11 to nine.
Extended sick leave bill passes
The House and Senate both passed a bill that corrects a flaw in the state’s extended sick leave law, and sent it to Gov. Jindal for his signature.
HB 717 by Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill (D-Dry Creek) removes a stipulation in the extended sick leave law that requires teachers to take the leave in 10-day increments. Supporters said that the 10-day rule forces teachers to take more leave than may be required for follow-up treatments for serious medical issues.
Truth and transparency bill on governor’s desk
A bill aimed at making sure that appointed officials tell the truth in affidavits passed both houses of the legislature and awaits Gov. Jindal’s signature.
SB 143 by Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe) and Rep. Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace) prevents appointed officials from falsely certifying that the grant of an injunction would create a deficit.
The issue was raised in 2012 when the LFT filed suit to overturn Act 2 of 2012, which created Gov. Jindal’s voucher scheme. LFT asked the court to enjoin the state from funding vouchers through the Minimum Foundation Program while a final decision was awaited from the Supreme Court (learn more about the Uplift Legal Funding option for individuals and firms). But because administration officials claimed that enjoining the voucher scheme would create a budget deficit, the judge was powerless to enjoin the program.
Under current law, the truthfulness of an affidavit like the one produced in 2012 cannot be questioned. SB 143 will allow courts to decide if an affidavit is factual.
Rule-making bill sent to governor
An LFT-sponsored bill making government more transparent to the public passed the legislature and awaits Gov. Jindal’s signature.
HB 322 by Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) requires rule-making bodies such as the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to make their procedures much more open to the public.
Each agency will have to publish a rule making docket that notifies the public which rules are being created and where they are in the process
Rules that are promulgated by state agencies have the force of law, but citizens are often at a loss when they try to get information as the rules move toward adoption. HB 322 will make it easier for citizens to follow the progress of proposed rules and have an impact on their adoption.
Leges reject BESE member’s try at evading ethics law
A provision aimed at allowing District 5 BESE Member Jay Guillot to do business with the state was rejected by the House of Representatives.
In 2008, newly elected Gov. Bobby Jindal called a special session to enact what he called “the gold standard” of ethics laws. It included BESE members along with other elected and appointed government officials who are prohibited from doing business with the state.
A provision in a Senate bill that would have exempted BESE members from the law was intended to allow Guillot’s engineering firm to win public contracts. The author of the amendment, Rep. Rob Shadoin (R-Ruston) said the law hurts a BESE member from his district who is an engineer – only Guillot fits that description.
But the House agreed with Rep. Mike Danahay (D-Sulfur), who reminded them about Jindal’s “gold standard” pledge, and rejected the amendment on a 63-28 vote.
In 2011, the State Ethics Board voted to allow the newly elected Guillot to serve on BESE although he reportedly held some $17 million in state contracts at the time.
Common Core bill passes; will Jindal sign it?
A Common Core bill that seemingly pleased no one was the only measure dealing with the national standards to actually win passage in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The only question left is whether or not Gov. Bobby Jindal will sign the bill.
HB 953 by Rep. Walt Leger (D-New Orleans) adds a year to a suspension of Common Core consequences that was previously adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The allowances for public schools and students will extend through the 2015-15 school year.
Rep. Leger’s bill includes a curved distribution of school letter grades to ensure that the total number of each letter grade does not change during the suspension, but allows for changes in individual schools. The Senate Education Committee stripped an amendment that would have prohibited any school from receiving a lower letter grade than in the previous year.
To opponents, the bill was seen as a veiled effort to preserve Common Core State Standards while acknowledging problems with implementation. To supporters, the bill was an effort to slow down what they saw as the best way to reform educational standards.
Now all eyes are on the governor’s office. Gov. Jindal began the debate in 2010 as a strong supporter of CCSS, but has of late been critical of what he now calls a federal intrusion into a local issue. He has threatened to unilaterally halt the implementation of Common Core in Louisiana.
Rosy picture of LEAP and iLEAP belied by political reality
After delaying release for a week, the Department of Education gave the public a look at results of LEAP and iLEAP tests that are aligned with Common Core State Standards. While Superintendent of Education John White painted a generally rosy picture of the test results, underlying political strife gives teachers and parents no sense of certainty about the future (click here to see the Department of Education report).
White said that even though this year’s tests were more rigorous than before, the results were about the same as last year’s.
“The results are steady,” White said, “but show that students are doing as well as we expected them to do. Now we begin the process of slowly raising the bar.”
Critics noted that White compared the results of two very different tests to demonstrate growth and “curved” test results. It is not possible to understand all the implications of the report without a much more detailed and expert analysis of the data.
White’s bias toward private and religious voucher schools was evident in the report, however. In a PowerPoint presentation, he stressed that the improvement of test scores at voucher schools outpaced that of public schools.
What he did not reveal is that voucher school scores remain far below those of public schools. Only 45% of voucher students passed the LEAP and iLEAP tests, compared to the 69% state passing average.
White said that our students are “on course” to meet projections for 2025. But that depends on staying a course that is anything but certain. Louisiana is in a state of political turmoil and we do not know where we will be next year, much less in 2025. Gov. Jindal says he opposes Common Core State Standards and the testing known as PARCC, but White’s whole game plan depends on keeping those in place.
The governor has said that he may unilaterally pull Louisiana out of the Common Core consortium. That is the root of the uncertainty hanging like a cloud over the test results released by the Department of Education.
Assault pay bill on governor’s desk
A bill closing what some consider a loophole in the teacher assault pay law was approved by the legislature and sent to Gov. Jindal for his signature.
SB 172 by Sen. Page Cortez (R-Lafayette) prevents a teacher from simultaneously receiving assault pay and retirement benefits.
You probably didn’t know it, but tuition increases, growing student loan debt and tax dollars for public higher education are funding Wall Street profits. In 2012, Wall Street raked in $44 billion in profits from college students, colleges and taxpayers. That’s nearly 10 percent of the total amount spent on higher education in America. In the last 15 years, student debt has increased more than 1,000 percent. In 2012, students and families paid Wall Street and the Department of Education $33 billion in student loan interest, while colleges paid another $7 billion in financing costs on institutional loans, and for-profit colleges raked in about $4 billion in profits. A college education is a pathway to opportunity, but it’s getting harder to achieve because costs keep rising. Money from college tuition and taxpayer dollars shouldn’t go to Wall Street profits—it should go to making college affordable and accessible for all students. Today, the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment released a report that explains “The Hidden Costs of Financing U.S. Higher Education.” Public colleges are facing a decline in state funding, so they have to increase their debt and issue capital bonds to investors, and they push students to borrow more money from student loan profiteers. In addition, for-profit colleges continue to divert tuition from high-quality education to stockholders. Watch the video to see how students, colleges and communities are paying for Wall Street profits. Over the coming months, we’ll be using this report to fight to reclaim the promise of a high-quality, affordable college education. But first, we need people to know that the opportunity to get a college education is being threatened by Wall Street profits. I hope you’ll watch and share the video. In unity, |
Louisiana Federation of Teachers
Weekly Legislative Digest
May 23, 2014
Steve Monaghan, President * Les Landon, Editor
2014 Regular Legislative Session
Now available on the Web at http://la.aft.org
Check out all things legislative on the LFT’s Legislative Resource Page!
Is your school ready for computerized tests? Click here to take the survey.
Tell Representatives to respect local control of schools: Click here
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$3.5 billion MFP approved by Senate
Next stop: House Education Committee
Public education’s $3.5 million Minimum Foundation Program has been approved by the Senate, and is scheduled for a hearing by the House Education Committee next Wednesday, May 28.
The MFP has been on a fast track to passage ever since it was amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education a little over a week ago. The formula had been rejected by the Senate Education Committee because of Chairman Conrad Appel’s (R-Metairie) objection to a continuing 2.75% growth factor built into the formula.
The Senate passed the MFP as SR 55 by Sen. Appel with only one “nay” vote. Sen. Dan Claitor (R-Baton Rouge) opposes the formula because he believes it shortchanges special education services.
With the session’s June 2 deadline fast approaching, the House Education Committee will dedicate its final meeting of the session solely to the MFP. If it is approved there, it will proceed to the House floor. Adoption of the resolution does not require the governor’s signature.
Discipline & Dismissal compromise bill approved
A milestone was reached when the Senate Education Committee approved without objection a bill that alters the teacher discipline and dismissal policy in Act 1 of 2012.
HB 1277 by Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Shreveport) replaces several sections of law that virtually abolished the due process rights of teachers who were labeled as ineffective under Act 1. If it is adopted, no longer would the superintendent have the sole final word on dismissal of teachers. Termination decisions would be reviewed by a hearing officer chosen from a list of qualified persons selected by the school board.
Unlike Act 1’s provision, in which a three-person panel’s recommendation is not binding, the hearing officer may overrule a superintendent’s decision. The bill includes a number of other revisions aimed at making sections of Act 1 into a clearer, fairer process.
The bill is the result of collaboration between the governor’s office and LFT, LAE, superintendents, school boards and others. It moves to the Senate floor, where little opposition is expected.
Common Core bill wins committee approval
A bill that would delay, but not cancel, the consequences of Common Core standards was approved by the Senate Education Committee.
HB 953 by Rep. Walt Leger (D-New Orleans) adds a year to a suspension of Common Core consequences that was previously adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The allowances for public schools and students will extend through the 2015-15 school year.
Rep. Leger’s bill includes a curved distribution of school letter grades to ensure that the total number of each letter grade does not change during the suspension, but allows for changes in individual schools. The Senate Education Committee stripped an amendment that would have prohibited any school from receiving a lower letter grade than in the previous year.
The bill moves to the full Senate for further action.
Teacher arrest bill goes to governor
An LFT-sponsored bill prohibiting the arrest of teachers at school for minor offenses has been approved by the legislature and awaits the governor’s signature.
HB 1108 by Rep. Terry Landry (D-New Iberia) was filed in response to an incident in a Baker school, in which a teacher was handcuffed and taken to jail after tugging on the shirt tail of a student who refused to follow a school policy.
The bill says that teachers who are accused of minor offenses cannot be arrested on school grounds, but must be issued summonses instead. The bill does not apply to serious offenses or injuries to students.
Rule making bill awaits governor’s signature
A bill that would give the public a more transparent view of the rule making process has been approved by both houses of the legislature and sent to the governor for his signature.
HB 322 by Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) is part of the LFT legislative agenda. It would require the Department of Education and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as all other rule making agencies, clearly post their rule making dockets. That would give the public an opportunity to voice opinions on proposed rules before they go into effect.
Unexcused absence bill passes
A bill that would prohibit including the test scores or other measures of student growth of habitually absent students in teacher evaluations was approved by the Senate Education Committee.
HB 533 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport) passed both houses of the legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature. Once it is signed, the scores of students who have 10 or more unexcused absences in a semester cannot be counted as part of a teacher’s evaluation.
House pans textbook selection bill
The House of Representatives voted down a bill that would have given local school systems control over the choice of textbooks and learning materials.
SB 336 by Sen. Conrad Appel (R-Metairie) would have preserved the Department of Education’s role in reviewing English, math and social studies texts, but local systems would not have been limited to materials on the list.
Opponents said that allowing a wide variance in learning materials could hamper efforts to maintain educational quality across the state.
Senate passes student privacy bill
A bill prohibiting any commercial use of student data was approved by the Senate and sent to the House for further action.
SB 685 by Sen. Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte) would ban the sale, transfer, sharing or processing of student data for any advertising, marketing or other commercial purpose. The bill covers state and national assessment results, transcript information, course grades and grade point averages, date of birth, attendance, mobility and grade level expectations.
It is not known whether the bill will advance further, however. The House Education Committee is expected to meet just once more, and the agenda is supposed to include just SCR 55, the MFP resolution.
Higher education could get savings from private contracts
A bill that could reduce the amount spent on private contracts and dedicate the money instead to higher education was approved by the Senate Finance Committee.
The panel adopted HB 142 by Rep. Dee Richard (Independent-Thibodaux) after it was amended to give the Joint Legislative Budget Committee authority over contracts that exceed $40,000. Money saved by rejecting or adjusting contracts for private consultants could be dedicated to higher education.
Rep. Richard has introduced versions of his bill for four years. This was the first time the idea was given a good chance of becoming law.
Voucher transfer bill passes
A bill that would allow the transfer of students from the state voucher program into a separately funded voucher program that gives donors a tax rebate was approved by the Senate and awaits the governor’s signature.
LFT is concerned that HB 708 by Rep. Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge) will increase the total number of voucher students and the overall cost of vouchers to the state treasury, because there is no cap on the amount that may be rebated.
House approves extended sick leave bill
A common-sense change to the state’s extended sick leave law was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives.
Under current law, teachers have a right to extended sick leave under certain conditions. They may accumulate up to 90 extended sick leave days in a six-year period, and may use them at a reduced salary in 10-day blocks after all their regular sick leave is exhausted.
HB 717 by Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill (D-Dry Creek) would remove the 10-day stipulation.
COLA bill goes to governor
The Senate gave unanimous approval to a bill that triggers a 1.5% cost of living adjustment for more than 100,000 retired teachers, school employees and other public employees, but could result in smaller COLAs in future years.
HB 1225 by Rep. Joel Robideaux (R-Lafayette) was linked to bills that grant the COLA. Rep. Robideaux’ bill reserves more of the state retirement systems’ future earnings to reducing the systems’ unfunded accrued liabilities, rather than to the experience accounts that fund COLAs.
Two bills calling for COLAs have been signed by the governor; passage of HB 1225 is the last step before the raises appear in retirement checks.
The week ahead
Sunday, May 25
The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Committee will meet at 1:00 P.M.
The Senate Finance Committee will meet at 3:00 P.M. to debate HB 1, the state budget.
Monday, May 26
The Senate will convene at 3:00 P.M.
Tuesday, May 27
House Appropriations Committee: SCR 55 by Sen. Conrad Appel (R-Metairie), the Minimum Foundation Program, will be considered.
House Civil Law Committee: SB143 by Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe) and Rep. Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace) will be considered. The bill would prevent state department heads from preventing the grant of injunctions by falsely certifying that such injunctions would cause a state deficit. This is part of LFT’s package.
Wednesday, May 28
House Education Committee: The committee will consider HCR 55, the MFP, if the House accepts a suspension of the rules after the resolution is heard by the Appropriations Committee.
Senate floor: The Senate is expected to consider HB1, the state budget.
The vote will likely occur on Wednesday. We have been asked to help encourage teachers and school employees to come to the Capitol on Wednesday. The bill targets EBR, but make no mistake about it. EBR is only the current and first target! Contact Red River United at redriverunited@redriverunited.org for more information.
If you believe in local control of our schools, please ask your Representative to OPPOSE SB 636 by Sen. Bodi White (R-Central).
The bill is widely seen as a back-door effort to convert all schools in East Baton Rouge Parish to charters. If the Legislature can force this change on Baton Rouge schools, then any district in the state could be next.
Here are a few of the reasons to oppose SB 636:
Each year, on the final Monday of May, we celebrate Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a solemn day where we remember the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who died while serving our country. The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day, a time when Americans remembered those who died during the Civil War. During the 20th century, it was expanded to include all wars. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1968.
To commemorate Memorial Day, Share My Lesson has a special collection of lesson plans, activities, and materials that explain the history of this holiday and how it honors our nation’s fallen soldiers.
The Share My Lesson team has put together a collection of free lesson plans, materials and activities that honor our nation’s fallen soldiers by exploring the importance of Memorial Day and learning about the wars which caused so many causalities.
Guide your students’ exploration of the importance of Memorial Day and learning about the wars which caused so many causalities.
Do you know…?
* What this special day was originally called, before the holiday became known as Memorial Day?
* Which war fallen soldiers were recognized and honored for before Memorial Day became associated with all wars?
* What year Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday?
Find the answers with Share My Lesson!
Regards,
Share My Lesson
PS: In case you missed it, our Teacher Care Packages have been one of Share My Lesson’s most popular resources, making it easier than ever for teachers to find the most applicable resources for their classroom. Each virtual care package is organized by grade level and subject area. See which one works for you.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Larry Carter, President, United Teachers of New Orleans
Benjamin Franklin board okays union talks
(New Orleans – May 16, 2014) The board of one of America’s highest performing high schools has agreed to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with teachers. On Thursday night, Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans became the city’s second charter school to embrace the collective voice of their teaching staff by formally recognizing a union.
“This is an encouraging sign that great things can be accomplished when people of good will work together in the best interest of students, teachers and our schools,” said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan. “Both the faculty and the school board are to be congratulated. Overwhelming majorities of both have embraced a formal relationship with the best interest of their students in clear focus.”
Franklin’s governing board voted 9-1 to negotiate with the school’s chapter of the United Teachers of New Orleans, an LFT affiliate. The vote came several weeks after teachers presented a petition signed by more than 85 percent of the faculty asking for recognition and a collective bargaining agreement.
Larry Carter, President of United Teachers of New Orleans, praised the teachers at Franklin for their courage. “It can be very intimidating to speak publicly about issues at your school,” he said. “I admire the tenacity and strength the teachers at Franklin demonstrated last evening.”
A math teacher at the school, Mark Quirk, praised Franklin’s leadership for its decision. “The board’s name is Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education and they lived up to that name,” Quirk said. “We look forward to working with the board and administration to maintain Franklin as the best public high school in the state.”