Louisiana Federation of Teachers

Weekly Legislative Digest

Now available on the Web at http://la.aft.org

Check out all things legislative on the LFT’s Legislative Resource Page!

Agreement reached on teacher due process

This statement was released by Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan Friday morning:

The governor’s office has announced that a substitute bill, HB 987, has been introduced and contains language aimed at resolving certain concerns about the process outlined in Act 1 (2012) for disciplining and dismissing teachers.

Since January, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and other stakeholders have worked with the governor’s office to improve the process by addressing our shared concerns.

These discussions included an honest give-and-take and a frank sharing of all perspectives. Our conversations were limited to the sections of Act 1 dealing with the discipline and dismissal procedures (17:441,442, 443, and 444).

The LFT and others expressed our wide-ranging concerns with different aspects of the Act and shared our ideas regarding the sections on the table. The question before us is whether the proposal in HB 987 is a fairer and clearer process than under current law.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers believes that the answer to that basic question is “Yes, it is better.”

We look forward to working with all stakeholders to advance these changes and create a fair review process in those relatively rare instances where teachers may be subject to discipline or dismissal.

The Federation certainly reserves the right to consider- amendments that we believe strengthen the process further. We look forward to supporting the work of the participating stakeholders.

Step taken to curb charter school abuse

Louisiana took a baby step toward curbing abuse by charter school operators when the House Education Committee approved HB 703 by Rep. John Bel Edwards (D-Amite). The 8-7 vote marked the first time that a bill that does anything other than expand charter schools made it out of committee.

The bill would prevent the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from overruling local school districts rated “A,” “B” or “C” that deny charter school applications.

Witnesses from Lafayette told the panel that after their school board rejected charter applications BESE overruled the local officials, and the system lost $7 million in MFP funds as a result.

“It is with a heavy heart,” she said, “that I’ve come to believe the Department of Education wants public education to succeed in my parish.”

LFT President Steve Monaghan said that BESE’s approval of charters that are not wanted by local school systems is “a politicized agenda aimed at painting public education as bad and charter school education as good. Neither is necessarily true.”

In his closing statement, Rep. Edwards called BESE’s actions “the arrogant hand of big government in Baton Rouge, approving charters after they’ve been denied by high-performing school districts.”

The bill is included in the LFT Legislative Agenda.

Baton Rouge school system under legislative assault

In a scenario reminiscent of the destruction of New Orleans’ public schools following Hurricane Katrina, lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills that some fear will lead to less community involvement and the wholesale charterization of the district.

HB 1177 by Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge) mirrors another bill, SB 636 by Sen. Bodi White (R-Central), which was unanimously approved by the Senate Education Committee last week. The bill would create new community school councils and give principals greater authority over personnel decisions, as well as contracting for a range of services.

In hours of testimony, principals told the House Education Committee that they do not want the additional responsibility of contracting for food service, transportation, health care and other benefits, on top of their academic responsibilities.

Federation President Steve Monaghan said that the plan was concocted by the Chamber of Commerce and a University of Washington think tank without input from local educators.

“When will we learn that we won’t reinvent public education if we don’t involve teachers,” he said. “There will be uncertainty and discord.”

Many opponents believe that the school model promoted in the bill will eventually lead to all Baton Rouge schools being turned over to charter school operators.

As midnight approached, Rep. Carter voluntarily deferred his bill until next week.

A second bill, HB 1178 by Rep. Dalton Honore (D-Baton Rouge) would reduce the membership of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board from 11 members to seven. Opponents say they fear it will unfairly dilute community involvement in public education.

School Board member dies suddenly after meeting

In a sad coda to the House Education Committee meeting, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Member Randy Lamana collapsed and died while walking to his car after the meeting.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers extends condolences to Mr. Lamana’s family and to his constituents.

Teacher arrest bill vote rescheduled

An LFT-sponsored bill plan to prevent the arrest of teachers at school for minor offenses will be the subject of a vote onThursday, April 24.

HB 1108 by Rep. Terry Landry (D-New Iberia) would require issuance of a misdemeanor summons “for any misdemeanor act allegedly committed during the course and scope of the school employee’s employment.”

The employee would be required to answer a summons and appear in court on the charges. The bill does not apply to serious offenses or injuries to students.

The bill was originally scheduled to be heard on the House floor on April 17. Please click here to send an LFT Action Center campaign message in support of the bill.

Panel deliberates school financing

The House Appropriations Committee began its discussion of Schedule 19 of the state budget, which includes the $3.5 billion Minimum Foundation Program, the state Recovery School District, Department of Education and higher education.

LFT President Steve Monaghan decried the anticipated $55 million shortfall in the MPF, saying that funding issues have created chaos in public education. A report last January said that teacher retirements have spiked by 25 percent.

“The budget drives policies,” Monaghan said, “and those policies are chasing away good teachers. We are asking that the money go to where it will do the most good.”

The chief financial officer for St. Charles Parish schools said that 60 percent of special funding for severely disabled children goes to charter schools and the recovery School District, leaving only 40 percent for traditional public schools.

Two charter bills blocked

Two bills aimed at protecting school districts from some charter school practices were turned back by the House Education Committee.

HB89 by Rep. Gregory Miller (R-Norco) would have required the Minimum Foundation Program to include a line item identifying the amount of money in the formula intended to pay for teacher retirement costs, including the unfunded accrued liability of the retirement system.

About half of the state’s charter schools do not participate in the Teachers’ Retirement System, even though they get the full MFP allocation for students. The bill would have made it easy to see how much money is lost to TRSL because those charters do not participate. The bill failed on a 5-10 vote.

A second bill, HB 184 by Rep. Kenny Havard (R-Jackson) would have prevented charter schools from leasing property formerly owned by the school board to other parties.

Supporters said that some predatory charter operators could use complicated schemes to take advantage of Louisiana’s charter law.

Rep. Havard, who supported the act that expanded charter schools in the state, said he “thought the schools would be non-profit…I would not have supported it if I knew we would be sending millions of dollars to out-of-state corporations.”

The bill failed on a 5-11 vote.

Voucher accountability bill fails

Despite testimony that most of the private and religious schools that accept vouchers comingle their funds and cannot be accurately audited, the House Education Committee rejected a bill requiring fiscal accountability.

State Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said his office has a “fiduciary responsibility to ensure the proper accounting of taxpayer dollars the same as any school in the public system.” But because some 90 percent of voucher schools don’t keep separate ledgers for their public and private funds, he said, it is not possible to accurately account for the money.

HB 836 by Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Gray) would have required nonpublic schools that accept vouchers to create an accountability system for public funds.

LFT President Steve Monaghan said that accountability should have been built into the law creating vouchers in 2012. Accurate tracking of the way taxpayer dollars are spent “is not an issue (with lawmakers) or this bill would pass,” he said.

The bill was rejected on 5-12 vote.

Panel rejects bills aimed at vouchers

Bills that would have clarified which students are eligible for vouchers did not emerge from the House Education committee this week.

HB 702 by Rep. John Bel Edwards would have removed eligibility for vouchers from students who are enrolled in schools graded “C” by the state. Current law allows children who meet income requirements to use vouchers if they attend schools that the state grades “A,” “B” or “C.”

If the intent of the law is to allow students to leave failing schools, Rep. Edwards said, schools graded “C” should not be included because that is not a failing grade.

LFT President Steve Monaghan took the argument a bit farther, saying that the whole grading system used for schools is inappropriate.

If a grade of “C” means a school is failing, Monaghan said, then it would be logical to make “A” and “B” the only passing grades for students.

The bill was rejected by a 6-10 vote of the committee.

Rep. Edwards voluntarily deferred his HB 702, which would have prevented kindergarten students who have access to an “A” or “B” school from enrolling in the voucher program.

LFT’s good government bills pass House

Two LFT-sponsored bills aimed at making government more transparent and honest were unanimously approved by the House of Representatives.

HB 181 by Rep. Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace) would prevent heads of the various state departments from preventing the grant of injunctions by falsely certifying that such injunctions would create a deficit. The bill will allow for oversight of the Joint Budget Committee before such certifications are submitted to a judge.

HB 322 by Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) would require rulemaking agencies to post information about rule promulgations on their website.

Bill that would arm teachers is resisted

Faced with opposition from all sides, the author of a bill that would allow teachers to carry firearms at school withdrew it from committee consideration.

HB 707 by Rep. Ray Garofalo (R-Chalmette) would create an exception to the law prohibiting weapons on school campuses for educators who have concealed handgun permits and meet other criteria. Rep. Garofalo said he hoped his bill would “send a message to the criminals and crazies.”

LFT President Steve Monaghan joined opponents, including state representatives who are former law officers, in asking that the bill not be allowed to proceed.

Bills that would negate election results deferred

Three bills that would void local tax elections if fewer than 20 percent of voters cast ballots were voluntarily deferred in the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.

SB 200, SB 201 and SB 517, all by Sen. Bret Allain (R-Franklin)

Return to work bills deferred

Two return-to-work bills were voluntarily deferred by their author in the Senate Retirement Committee.

SB29 by Sen. Mike Walsworth (R-West Monroe) would have allowed diagnosticians and reading specialists to return to work without consequence to their retirement benefit.

Current law limits the salary of returning retirees to 25% of their retirement benefit. If they make more than that, they must forego their retirement check during the time they are employed by a school district.

SB 555 by Sen. Blade Morrish (R-Jennings) would have allowed any retiree 65 or older to return to work without consequence to their retirement benefit. LFT supports both of these bills.

House okays expansion of voucher rebate

A bill that would expand a program that allows tax rebates for contribution to voucher funds was approved by the House of Representatives.

HB 780 by Rep. Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge) had stalled after it was amended to require annual audits of schools that participate in the voucher program. The full House stripped that amendment and passed the bill in its original form. It will next be heard by the Senate Education Committee. LFT opposes the bill.

 

BESE gives Teach for America a $1 million grant

As the legislature entered one of its busiest weeks, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education convened for its regular April meeting. With a short agenda, the board compressed its committee and plenary sessions into one day.

The Administration and Finance Committee approved a new $1million grant for Teach for America (TFA) to “recruit teachers.”

Dr. Lottie Beebe, Carolyn Hill, and Jane Smith voted against the measure. Walter Lee abstained, and Kira Orange Jones, who is employed by Teach for America in New Orleans, recused herself on that agenda item.

Connie Bradford, Chas Roemer, Jim Garvey, Dr. Judith Moranti, Holly Boffy and Jay Guillot supported the TFT grant. Following the 6-3 committee vote, the full board also approved the measure.

Jane Smith also added an agenda item that would alter the rules of BESE. She would require staff to provide members with physical copies of technical amendments to motions prior to a vote. Department staff was directed to come back with a plan to comply at the June meeting.

Following an executive session, the board announced that Superintendent of Education John White had a satisfactory annual evaluation.

The week ahead

Monday, April 21

Senate Finance Committee:

The Senate Finance Committee will discuss the Department of Education’s allocation in the proposed Executive budget.

Tuesday, April 22

House Appropriations Committee:

HB 222 by Rep. Walt Leger (D-New Orleans) is a Constitutional Amendment that would prevent the supplanting of state funds for tuition and fee increases at higher education institutions. LFT supports this bill.

Wednesday, April 23

House Health and Welfare Committee:

House Health and Welfare may hear a series of instruments that would expand Medicaid in Louisiana to cover nearly 400,000 uninsured citizens, bringing $15billion in federal funds to Louisiana over the next ten years. LFT support these instruments.

Senate Education Committee:

The MFP resolution is expected to be on the docket.

House Education Committee:

HB 1177 is expected to be back on the agenda

Thursday April 24

House Labor Committee:

HB 658 by Rep. Barbara Norton (D-Shreveport) and HB 956 by Rep. Julie Stokes (R-Kenner) and Senator Sherry Buffington (R-Shreveport) deal with equal pay for women. LFT supports both instruments

House Retirement Committee:

HB 1225 by Rep. Joel Robideaux (R-Lafayette) would make it more difficult to fund the account that pays for COLAs, and decrease the amount of each COLA that can be paid out. LFT opposes this bill and is expecting some amendments to be releasedon Monday the 21^st.

SB21 and SB19 by Sen. Elbert Guillory (R-Opelousas) would grant COLAs to current retirees of the Teacher’s and School Employee’s retirement systems. LFT supports these bills.

Bill would halt teacher arrests for minor offenses

Teachers could no longer be handcuffed and arrested at school for minor offenses if a bill by State Rep. Terry Landry (D-New Iberia) continues its successful path through the legislature.

HB 1108 was introduced at the request of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers after a Baker, Louisiana teacher was arrested at school for allegedly pulling on the shirt tail of a child who refused to follow school policy. The teacher was then subsequently arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail.

The arrest made front-page news and was featured on television news broadcasts.

Rep. Landry’s bill was given a unanimous vote of approval by the House Criminal Justice Committeeon Wednesday.

“Rep. Landry’s legislation is a win for teachers and law enforcement,” said LFT President Steve Monaghan. “For teachers, it sends a clear message that a simple accusation won’t lead to the embarrassment of arrest. For law enforcement, the bill provides clarifying guidance. We are grateful that Rep Landry has offered this legislation.”

Rep. Landry, a former State Police Trooper, said he hopes no educator will ever have to suffer the same humiliation as the Baker teacher did last March.

“Teachers certainly shouldn’t be arrested for an alleged misdemeanor,” Rep. Landry said. “However, if an arrest happens and then the district attorney decides not to prosecute like what occurred in the recent case, then how does this teacher get her dignity and self-respect back? We need to make sure to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The bill requires issuance of a misdemeanor summons “for any misdemeanor act allegedly committed during the course and scope of the school employee’s employment.”

The employee would be required to answer a summons and appear in court on the charges. The bill does not apply to serious offenses or injuries to students.

The bill will be scheduled for a hearing before the full House of Representatives. If it passes the House, it will be sent to the Senate for further action.

Bill requiring elected superintendent proceeds

Fueled by discontent with the performance of State Superintendent of Education John White, two bills that would change the superintendent from an appointive to elective position were approved by the House Education Committee.

HB 127 by Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Gray) is a statute that would require the election of future superintendents; HB 125 by Rep. Harrison is a constitutional amendment that would require a vote of the people to make the superintendent’s job elective.

Passage of an amendment would not allow Governor Bobby Jindal to veto the change, as he would almost certainly do to a statutory change. It was widely noted that White was the governor’s handpicked choice, even though the position is officially selected by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

LFT President Steve Monaghan testified on behalf of the change, saying that elections are “the difference between democracy and oligarchy.”

HB 127 was approved by a 13-4 margin; HB 125 was approved by 9-7.

Kindergarten voucher loophole remains open

The House Education Committee refused to approve a bill that close a loophole which could eventually cause a vast expansion of the state’s voucher program.

Rep. Kevin Pearson (R-Slidell) said that HB 192 is needed to prevent vouchers costs from skyrocketing and preventing the program from aiding the children for whom it was established.

Under current law, children in schools graded “C”, “D” or “F” can get vouchers if their family income is less than 250% of the poverty level. But here’s the loophole: kindergarten-age children who are not already in a school can get vouchers no matter how the school they would attend is rated. And they are allowed to keep vouchers throughout their career, even if their local school has an “A” rating.

Witnesses said that already over one-fourth of the children using vouchers are in K-2 schools because of the loophole.

“One day the state will no longer be able to fund the voucher program,” Rep Pearson said. “We will have kindergarten factories. Kids that need vouchers won’t be able to get them because the money will be gobbled up.”

Only three members supported Rep. Pearson’s bill, and 11 voted against it.

Panel won’t demand certification for charter school teachers

A bill requiring charter schools to adhere to some of the same hiring rules that govern traditional public schools was rejected by the House Education Committee.

HB 124 by Rep. Pat Smith (D-Baton Rouge) would have required charter schools to hire certified teachers if they are available; current law only asks that charter school teachers have at least a bachelor’s degree.

LFT Legislative and Political Director Mary-Patricia Wray said that certification is a sign that a school has high-quality educators, and pointed out that there are numerous ways for potential teachers to earn certification.

The bill was opposed by Superintendent of Education John White, who said that charter schools are progressing nicely without requiring certified teachers. About 72% of teachers in charter schools are certified even though it is not required, White added.

The bill was rejected on a 4-11 vote.

Bill to revamp Baton Rouge schools advances

After more than three hours of often rancorous debate, the Senate Education Committee approved SB 636 by Sen. Bodi White (R-Central), which would grant wide-ranging autonomy to the district’s 88 school principals.

The bill was seen as an extension of Sen. White’s longstanding campaign to allow a section of Baton Rouge to secede and form its own new school system. Dissatisfaction with the parish’s public schools has also led to an effort to create a new city inside East Baton Rouge Parish.

Sen. White’s SB 636 would create new community school councils and give principals greater authority over personnel decisions, as well as contracting for a range of services.

Sen. White said that principals have told him they could “run a better ship” under his bill. But principals and other administrators who spoke at the hearing said they are instructional leaders and should not be expected to also handle contracts for food services, transportation, custodians healthcare and other issues.

LFT President Steve Monaghan said the bill would create at least 14 new jobs for principals who are already charged with improving academic results, and said that “principals are not seeking the solutions offered by SB 636.”

Monaghan also said that, like so many other so-called education reforms, teachers were not consulted as SB 636 was crafted.

“How many bills do I have to see that empower everybody but teachers,” he asked. “They seem to be just spokes in the wheel.”

Senator’s bills deferred by Senate panel

Sen. Dan “Blade” Morrish (R-Jennings) voluntarily deferred two of his education reform proposals before the Senate Education Committee.

SB 179 would provide for more local autonomy in selecting course choice providers and in approving student participation in course choice programs.

SB 191 would require bonus points in the School Performance Score formula to be awarded equally for achievement in Advanced Placement, dual enrollment and International Baccalaureate. Under current BESE regulation, Advanced Placement achievement can earn more bonus points for a school than other alternative pathways.

LFT supported both bills.

Local option textbook selection approved

Without opposition, the House Education Committee approved a bill that would give local school districts more discretion in the selection of textbooks and instructional materials.

HB 988 by Rep. John Schroder (R-Covington) permits local school boards to develop and implement curriculum content and methodology in lieu of that recommended by the State Department of Education and BESE.

House approves student data bill

The House of Representatives gave unanimous approval to a bill aimed at protecting the privacy of public school students.

HB 1076 by Rep. John Schroder (R-Covington) would require the State Department of Education to develop a new system that gives a unique identifying number to public school students by mid-2015, rather than using social security numbers.

New, detailed restrictions would be placed on how student information can be shared and who can access it.

The issue of student privacy is a flashpoint in the larger dispute over Louisiana’s participation in tougher educational standards called the Common Core, particularly how online testing data will be used and shared with outside parties.

The bill will be heard next by the Senate Education Committee.

Panel grills John White on budget issues

The House Appropriations Committee prodded State Superintendent of Education to confess that the state’s $3.5 billion Minimum Foundation Program faces a $55 million shortfall this year.

Questions arose as members asked White why the Department of Education had not provided the enrollment numbers needed to finish budgeting the amount needed for the MFP. White said that about $35 million of the projected shortfall could be attributed to a student enrollment that is higher than estimated, and the governor’s office could explain the rest of the short fall.

The governor’s chief financial officer responded that the issue involves a disagreement between White’s department and the governor’s office about how many students are actually attending public school in the state.

White also told the panel that the proposed 2014-15 MFP will also be about $50 million short of what is needed. Debate has not yet begun on next year’s MFP, which will be in SCR 55 by Sen. Conrad Appel (R-Metairie), chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Bill that could reduce MFP funding is deferred

A bill that could have made it easier to cut funding for public education stalled when it was voluntarily deferred by its author in the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 587 by Rep. Thomas Carmody (R-Shreveport) is a proposed constitutional amendment that would delete certain provisions with regard to the MFP and other sources of Constitutionally protected funding, including the requirement that the MFP “fully fund” the cost of public education in Louisiana.

Truthfulness in affidavits bill proceeds

An LFT-sponsored bill would give judges more discretion in deciding if administration officials are telling the truth in official documents.

HB 181 by Rep. Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace) and Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe) would prevent 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. 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. HB 181 would allow courts to decide if an affidavit is factual.

The bill was approved by the House Civil Law Committee on a 6-3 vote.

“Shall” to “may” change wins bill approval

The change of a single word in a bill aimed at guaranteeing pre-kindergarten program funding eased concerns of the House Education Committee and sent the bill to the full House for a vote.

As originally written, HB 954 by Rep. Walt Leger (D-New Orleans) would have required school districts to hand over 10 percent of any growth money in the LA4 program to qualified private pre-school programs.

School superintendents and school boards opposed the bill, saying that it would strip funding from successful programs. An amendment changed the mandatory “shall” in the bill to a permissive “may,” meaning that school boards will have the option of developing partnerships with qualified private pre-schools if they wish. Once that change was made, the bill sailed past the committee without opposition.

In addition to the funding issue, the bill would 3set up a methodology to determine the demand for per-school services in school districts.

Higher ed retirement bill passes House

A bill that would increase Higher education faculty members of the Teachers’ Retirement System’s optional retirement plan will get an increase in the employer’s share of contributions if HB 6 by Rep. Kevin Pearson (R-Slidell) continues its progress.

Over a four-year phase-in, the bill will increase the employer’s share from 5.5% to 6.2%, which is still lower than the 6.8% contributed by many other schools across the country.

The bill was approved without objection after being amended, and will proceed to the House floor.

House panel okays anti-union retirement bill

HB 45 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport) would remove eligibility in the Teachers’ retirement System of Louisiana for future employees of LFT, LAE and a few other educator groups. LFT opposes this bill. It is similar, but not identical, to Rep. Kirk Talbot’s (R-River Ridge) HB25 which has already been approved by this Committee and awaits passage on the House Floor.

HB 45 was approved by a vote of  6-3.

Committee rejects minimum wage bills

Several bills that would have required most Louisiana employers to pay workers a living wage were turned back by the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.

The panel first heard HB 356 by Rep. Herbert Dixon (D-Alexandria), who said his goal is for Louisiana to set a “rational minimum wage.” He pointed out that Louisiana does not currently have a mandated minimum wage, and instead defaults to the federal requirement. Rep. Dixon is also chairman of the committee.

Rep. Dixon’s bill would have increased the current $7.25 per hour minimum to $8.25 in 2015, and $9 in 2016. Subsequent increases would be based on the Consumer Price Index.

LFT President Steve Monaghan spoke in favor of the increase, saying that people who work full-time should make a living wage.

“There is real dignity in all work,” Monaghan said. “There is no dignity in working full-time and not being able to feed your family.”

Rep. Dixon’s bill failed in a 6-10 vote split. In short order, three other bills that would have created minimum wages also went down to defeat.

The week ahead

Monday, April 14

Senate Retirement Committee:

Two return-to-work bills will be heard. SB 29 by Sen. Mike Walsworth (R-West Monroe) would allow diagnosticians and reading specialists to return to work without consequence to their retirement benefit. Current law limits the salary of returning retirees to 25% of their retirement benefit. If they make more than that, they must forego their retirement check during the time they are employed.

SB 555 by Sen. Blade Morrish (R-Jennings) would allow any retiree 65 or older to return to work without consequence to their retirement benefit.

LFT supports both of these bills.

House Floor:

HB 322 by Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) would require rulemaking agencies to post information about rule promulgations on their Web site. This is part of LFT’s package.

HB 181 by Rep. Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace) would prevent appointed officials from falsely certifying that the grant of an injunction would create a deficit. This is part of LFT’s package

HB 780 by Rep. Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge) was previously returned to the calendar after it was amended by to require annual audits of schools participating in the state’s rebate voucher program, a different program than the voucher program funded directly through the state budget. The bill would expand eligibility for this uncapped voucher program. LFT opposes this bill.

Tuesday, April 15

Appropriations Committee:

Testimony on the Department of Education budget will be taken before House Appropriations Committee.

Wednesday, April 16

House Education Committee:

HB89 by Rep. Gregory Miller (R-Norco) would require an identifiable line item within the MFP designated to cover the retirement costs, including payments to the UAL, made by school boards. This bill is supported by LFT since it will better demonstrate the inadequate amount of funds in the MFP, which is meant to “fully fund” the cost of public education.

HB184 by Rep. Kenneth Havard (R-Jackson) would prevent charter schools from leasing property formerly owned by the local school board to other parties. LFT supports this bill.

HB701 by Rep. John Bel Edwards (D-Amite) would remove eligibility in the voucher program for students who attend “C” schools. HB702 by Rep. Edwards would prevent kindergarten students that have access to an A an B school from enrolling in the voucher program. HB703 by Rep. Edwards would prevent BESE from overturning the decision of local school boards that reject charter applications. LFT supports all these bills.

HB836 by Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Gray) would require the Department of Education to create an accountability system for nonpublic schools that makes schools who do not comply ineligible to participate. LFT supports this bill.

HB 867 by Rep. Frank Hoffman (R-West Monroe) would provide an online textbook review processes, and would allow local districts to select their own curriculum. The bill does not provide for a “cycle” on which to purchase textbooks and could lead to disparate prices on the same materials from district to district. LFT is actively working on amendments that would improve this bill.

HB 1177 by Rep. Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge) is a duplicate of Sen. Bodi White’s(R-Central) SB 636 would alter administrative decision making processes in the state’s largest school districts. LFT opposes this bill. It would allow principals to make personnel, curriculum and management decisions independent of the local school board and superintendent.

Thursday, April 17

House Floor:

HB 1108 by Rep. Terry Landry (D-New Iberia) Landry would prevent unnecessary arrests of teachers for misdemeanor allegations. This is part of LFT’s package