Category: Uncategorized

For a public education union, electing the right school board candidates for our members is extremely important. In Caddo, the stakes are even higher to elect the right people because we have voted as a body to petition the board for a union contract. We focus on policies and practices rather than political parties. Our question is and will always remain: What have you done or what are you willing to do for the teachers, school employees, and students of Caddo Parish?

Here was our process for endorsing candidates:
•First, the Committee on Political Education (COPE), made up of Red River United members and led by Bernard Friday, were charged to put together a questionnaire centered around the candidates position on a Collective Bargaining Contract as well as several other key issues impacting public school employees (pay, benefits, working conditions, job protections, etc.)
• Next, we sent the questionnaire to every single candidate for the Caddo Parish School Board in challenged races. This included districts 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, & 12

.In order to be considered eligible for endorsement by Red River United, the candidate MUST RETURN the questionnaire. The following candidates returned the questionnaire:
1. John Albritton

2. Dottie Bell

3. Darrin Dixon

4. Jon Glover

5. Barbara Iverson

6. Rodney Jiles

7. Orlisa Nash Johnson

8. Mike Morales

9. Kisha Newsom

10. Linda Rasberry Smith

11. Sheila Wimberly

12. Jessica Yeates

• Upon receipt of the questionnaires, the COPE committee scheduled interviews to clarify remarks on the questionnaire as well as to speak to the candidate in a live setting. The following candidates followed through with an interview:
1. John Albritton

2. Dottie Bell

3. Darrin Dixon

4. Jon Glover

5. Rodney Jiles

6. Orlisa Nash Johnson

7. Mike Morales

8. Kisha Newsom

9. Linda Rasberry Smith

10. Sheila Wimberly

11. Jessica Yeates

• Once the interviews were completed, the committee met and ranked their choices based on the following guidelines:

1. Incumbency – If an incumbent voted with the organization in a significant way, the committee endorsed that candidate.  2. If the incumbent does not meet that threshold or there was no incumbent, the committee then evaluated the responses on the questionnaire and the interview.
3. The committee evaluated the ability of the candidate to be successful and our ability to help them in their district to be successful.  

• The COPE committee then selected their candidates for full endorsement or favorable candidates, if more than one person was selected in a district. They then made their recommendations to the Red River United Executive Board to secure endorsement.
• Finally, the Red River United Executive Board voted to endorse the candidates based on the recommendations of the COPE committee.

The following candidates were endorsed or found favorable:
District 1: Kisha Gayle Newsom-Endorsed

District 2: Orlisa Nash Johnson*– Endorsed

District 3: Terence Vinson (unopposed)- Favorable

District 4: Don Little (unopposed)- Favorable

District 5: Bonita Douzart (unopposed)- Favorable

District 6: Mary Trammel (unopposed)- Favorable

District 7: Darrin Dixon- Favorable               Linda Rasberry Smith*– Favorable

District 8: Mike Morales*– Endorsed

District 9: Barry Rachal (unopposed)- Favorable

District 10: Jon Shaffer Glover*– Favorable                Rodney Jiles- Favorable

District 11: Jessica Yeates-Endorsed

District 12: Dottie Bell-Endorsed
*RRU member

As an organization of No Party, Independents, Green Party, Republicans and Democrats, we pride ourselves on staying strictly to the issues impacting our members in public education. Our endorsements for the 2022 November Election reflect just this. Well done, Bernard Friday and the RRU COPE Committee!

Remember:
• The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail, or at the OMV Office is Oct. 11.  
• The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Oct. 18.
• Early voting is Oct. 25 through Nov. 1 (excluding Sunday, Oct. 30) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 4 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
• The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voter absentee ballot is Nov. 7 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
• On election day, the polls are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Visit Voter Portal (la.gov) to view voter specific information such as early voting location, election day voting location, and to view sample your sample ballot.

RRU Full Membership Meeting

Date: May 11, 2022

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: RRU Office- 1726 Line Ave., Shreveport, LA 71101

On Wednesday, April 23rd the House Education Committee considered and approved HCR 23(Harris), which is the legislative instrument for the Minimum Foundation Program. HCR 23 reflects the MFP exactly as it was proposed by BESE. It includes a $1,500 pay raise for certified personnel and $750 for classified staff. LFT Legislative Director Cynthia Posey testified before the committee, advocating for an increase to the proposed raise. When BESE submitted the MFP to the legislature, they also included a letter urging that a portion of  additional funds recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference in early May be allocated for additional salary increases. Until the REC meets,  we do not know how much additional revenue will be recognized, but it is widely acknowledged that there will be funding available for additional pay increases. To increase the pay raise, the Legislature would have to vote to return the MFP to BESE so that BESE can amend it. BESE has already agreed to the increase, so the decision rests with the Legislature, and some are already pushing back against further increases, claiming there isn’t enough money to go around. Click below to hear what RRU Ex. VP Jordan Thomas had to say about the proposed raises. https://www.ksla.com/2022/05/02/pay-raises-louisiana-teachers-support-staffers-closer-becoming-reality/

Our first membership meeting of the year will be Wednesday, September 22nd at 5:30 via ZOOM.  We will send out sign on information through email and text.

It’s YOUR union!

Yesterday, the Red River United took a stand to protect members who were excluded from the Caddo school district’s “Heroes Stipend.” While we support the district’s effort to reward employees who risked their lives during a global pandemic in order to serve their students’ needs, the district’s criteria regarding who could qualify for this stipend was overly restrictive. Too many deserving people were excluded from receiving the stipend. Even more upsetting, those that were excluded appear to be disproportionately women, older employees, and those with a physical condition or handicap.

After weeks of trying to negotiate with the district, warning them about the potential impact of this decision, and imploring them to expand the stipend to more people, it was clear that our concerns had fallen on deaf ears. The Caddo School Board and Superintendent were steadfast in their decision to exclude hard working, deserving heroes from their “Heroes stipend.”

Left with no other choice, yesterday Red River United filed a lawsuit asking the court to force the school district to expand the stipend to more employees. We believe that the court will see that the manner in which the district planned to allocate the stipend is discriminatory towards women and those with a physical condition or handicap, and therefore insist that the district broaden distribution of the $1,000 stipend payment to more employees.

This is in no way intended to take away the stipend payment from anyone. The district had no intention of distributing this stipend until June, and we believe this window provides plenty of time for the case to work its way through the courts. It is possible that the district will use this as an excuse to delay payment, but in the end, we believe that we will be victorious and all deserving employees will win the stipend payment. If at any point the district decides they are ready to do the right thing and expand stipend eligibility, then there would be no more reason for the lawsuit.
If you have any questions or concerns about how this action may impact you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

From a Twenty-Seven-Year Long Servant of Caddo School Children:

Dear Caddo Parish School Board Member,

I do not need a lot of money or to be hailed as a hero- those types of things are not why I started teaching over forty years ago.  However, being appreciated by my Caddo family is important to me.  I never thought I would live during a pandemic and have to make hardchoices to not only protect myself, but to also do the right thing to help my students.  This Fall, knowing how vulnerable someone like I was if they contracted COVID and face with my documented underlying medical condition, I became very anxious about going back to school.  How was I going to stay reasonably safe and still honor the commitment I had made to my students?

After conferring with my family and two of my doctors, I decided to use sick leave days while a substitute was hired to in my room in my absence.  During the time I was not on campus, I attendedprofessional development, prepared daily lessons, studied how to use the new Canvas system, zoomed daily to teach my lessons, and worked on campus on Fridays when students were not present.  I was not an “absent” teacher! 

This has been a very difficult year for everyone.  I am certain that the compromise I made to ensure my safety, while still dedicated to teaching my students, was the right choice. People with health conditions making them more vulnerable to COVID should not be punished for missing over 17 days. I am not writing so much for myself, but for all of those who have had to make the same choice for health or family.  Those choices have now resulted in those people being told they are not heroes, don’t deserve any extra pay for all they have had to do, and just plain are not appreciated.  Everyone in our Caddo family should not only be told they are appreciated, but they should be shown so as well.  I think you can afford to pay each and every one of them attention and compensation.

From a Concerned Teacher Facing Loss and Recovery:

Dear Caddo Parish School Board Member,

I am one of your employees who has continually demonstrated my commitment to the boys and girls of Caddo. I am writing to express my concern regarding the one-time supplement of $1,000 you have on your agenda for March 23rd. While this amount is far less than other districts, we are further jointly insulted that you are voting to leave employees out who missed too many days for various reasons.

In October, I watched my mother, who was a faithful substitute teacher in Caddo Parish Public Schools for over 20 years, battle and succumb to cancer during a pandemic. After saying goodbye to my mother, I was diagnosed with COVID.  After overcoming COVID, my doctor informed me I needed to have a major surgery.

I have worked for Caddo for 13 years, and to know I am being excluded because I chose to mourn the death of my mother and have lifesaving surgery makes me feel like I am not valued as an employee or a person. Why should I be penalized for circumstances that were not under my control?  How can you tell me I am important and needed in the district while at the same time excluding me from this supplement?

I have dedicated my life to Caddo Parish and my students.  Please consider my story and the story of many others like me when you vote on this supplement on March 23^rd because WE, the teachers and school employees, truly are Caddo.

From a Caddo Teacher and Expecting Father:

Dear Caddo Parish School Board Member,

I am writing to you in regards to the $1000.00 Hero Supplement for the 2020-2021 school year. I would first like to say that I very much appreciate the recognition for our hard work through these unprecedented times. However, I feel that the supplement amount is far too small, especially when compared to nearby districts. Furthermore, I feel that it is unjust to exclude teachers and staff who have worked tirelessly for the boys and girls of this district because they missed days of work due to extenuating circumstances.

My wife is expected to give birth via a cesarean to our second child in mid-April of this year. I will find myself in a Sophie’s Choice next month between choosing to stay home to care for my wife and children or return to work to ensure I receive the supplement that will aid in covering hospital bills. It is a crying shame that I have to decide between these two things at all. 

I feel as though Caddo teachers are being punished for missing days for justifiable reasons. It is undoubtedly disparaging and discouraging to all of us, and I believe many amazing teachers and staff will begin to seek employment in neighboring districts where they feel appreciated for their hard work and commitment. 

I urge every single one of you to place yourselves in the shoes of a Caddo Parish teacher or school employee. We all jumped at the chance to return to the classroom to serve our students, even when we knew the dangers and uncertainty we were faced with. Do right by the loyal employees that truly make this district great.