Category: Uncategorized

Reports on overtesting address symptoms, not causes

Two reports on testing were released by major organizations this week. On the positive side, they add to growing concerns about excessive testing in our schools. But both reports—one from the Center for American Progress and the other from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools—address the symptoms, but not the root cause, of our test fixation.

AFT President Randi Weingarten says: “We need to take on the high-stakes consequences of the tests themselves. It’s unconscionable that everything about our schools, our kids and our teachers is reduced to one math and one English high-stakes standardized test per year. That’s what we need to change. And that’s where we need the administration to step up. Without leadership from this administration, which can encourage states to make changes like sampling and grade-span testing, the hands of states and districts remain tied to these high-stakes standardized tests.”

Shop for Halloween treats using this union-made list

Shop from this list of union-made Halloween treats. It’s an easy way to make your trick-or-treaters happy AND support members of the Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); and United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

As a leader of teachers and school employees, you probably think this letter is about the testing ad nauseam we are forced to endure in our classrooms.

And while there is considerable angst, our greatest anxiety is what this does to our students. The actual joy of school is being robbed from our boys and girls. For example, when the inclusion of enrichments is not important, when recess is suspended because we need to be back in the classroom, when we expect children to choke down a lunch in the name of maximizing class time, when we don’t let our students talk during lunch because that is a distraction, and now even taking away naps from our youngest.

We have turned our schools into a forced march.

Student achievement is increased when what we present is meaningful and relevant. Those extra minutes taken away each day do not help because students are exhausted thus disengaged; therefore, no REAL learning is actually taking place. We believe that teachers teach and students learn best in an environment which recognizes that school is more than an assembly line.

It is time for all of us to demand better for our children. A world awaits our children, it is our job to prepare them for all aspects of that world and that is more than testing. Let’s return the joy of school.

— Jackie Lansdale, President, Red River United, Shreveport

 

 

 

 

 

 
WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Nobel Peace Prize recipients:

“There are no two people more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai and India’s Kailash Satyarthi. Their courageous efforts in fighting for universal education and protecting children from exploitation and abuse are making our world a better place for generations to come. The right to an education is too often taken for granted. Malala and Kailash’s work reminds us that much still needs to be accomplished to ensure that all children, regardless of gender, family income, religion or homeland, are able to go to school and have the chance to reach their God-given potential.”

 

Caddo Parish wants to know what you think about their plan: “Re-Imagine Caddo: The Plan for Excellence.”

We get lots of calls at Red River United, and here are just a few sentiments we’d like to share about the real Caddo experience:

• Robbed of the joy of teaching
• Head under water
• Beaten down
• Tearful
• Bullied
• Degraded
• No morale left at school
• Intimidated
• This is my last year.

We challenge Caddo to stop the mean girl mentality that hurts kids and hurts teachers.

We challenge Caddo to reclaim the joy in public education!

We encourage all employees to fill out the survey, and to fill it out honestly. The survey is anonymous.

Fill Out Survey Here

October 7, 2014

 

To:  All Affiliated and Unaffiliated Local Unions, Officers and Delegates

 

Remind your family and friends that we need their support and encourage them to vote Tuesday, November 4, 2014.  Reminder:  Take your photo identification with you to the polls.  Please vote early.

 

Early Voting for the Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Election:  Tuesday, October 21, 2014 – Tuesday, October 28  (Closed Sunday, October 26)  8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. each day at the Registrar of Voters office, 525 Marshall Street, Suite 103 in downtown Shreveport across from the courthouse.  Bring your photo ID to Early Voting.

 

Early voting starts October 21st- 28th 2014 (Closed Sunday, October 26th)

You do not need a reason to vote early! All voters may vote early, just like they are voting on Election Day. Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at their parish registrar of voters office or at designated locations in the parish from 14 days to seven days prior to any scheduled election. Refer to the schedule below for early voting time periods for upcoming elections and refer to the schedule of elections for future time periods.

Use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on Election Day; download the free GeauxVote app to your smartphone or tablet to view your polling place for Election Day; visit GeauxVote; call your parish registrar of voters office; or view your polling location on your voter information card received by mail from your registrar of voters.

Click here for the Central Trades and Labor Council, AFL-CIO and Red River United’s endorsements. Also, Red River United is CONSTANTLY monitoring candidate’s public statements at other school board forums that may reflect their changing positions on issues. Watch out webpage for updates by our COPE Committee (Committee on Political Education).

 

Central Trades and Labor Council of Shreveport and Vicinity (CTLC), AFL-CIO and the Committee on Political Education (COPE) have taken the following positions on School Board  Candidates that will be on the November 4, 2014 ballot.

Caddo Parish School Board
District 2
Barbara Johnson Simpson	#147	Favorable
Jasmine R. Green	#146	Favorable
District 3
Carl Pierson	#149	Endorsed
District 4
Charlotte Crawley	#150	Endorsed

 

District 7
Joy Ellis Walters	#71	Endorsed
District 8
Denee Locke	#73	Favorable
Bonita Crawford	#72	Favorable
District 11
Kacee Hargrave Kirschvink	#81	Favorable
Ginger Armstrong	#80	Favorable
District 12
Dottie Bell	#83	Endorsed

Bossier Parish School Board Candidates

District 3

Tammy Armer Smith – Endorsed

District 4

William “Bill” Lott – Endorsed

District 9

Eddy Ray Presley – Endorsed

 

Red River Parish School Board Candidate

Gary Giddens – Endorsed

 

The Louisiana AFL-CIO has taken the following positions on Candidates that will be on the       November 4, 2014 ballot.

Labor-Endorsed Congressional Candidates

 

1. S. Senator Mary Landrieu #5
2. S. Representative 2nd District Cedric Richmond
3. S. Representative 5th District Jamie Mayo #31
4. S. Representative 6th District Edwin Edwards

 

 

Mayor of the City of Shreveport
Sam Jenkins	#96	Favorable
Patrick Williams	#100	Favorable
City Council
District A
Rose McCulloch	#118	Endorsed
District B
Jeff Everson	#121	Endorsed
District E
Benjamin P. Arnold		No position
James Flurry		No position
Durwood Hendricks Jr.		No position
Wanda Wright		No position
District F
Stephanie Lynch	#137	Favorable
James Green	#136	Favorable
District G
Billy Wayne	#141	Endorsed
City Judge
Terrell J. Myles	#143	Favorable
Sheva Sims	#144	Favorable
District Judge
Trina Chu	#59	Endorsed
Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett	#62	Endorsed
Bossier City Marshall
Jim Whitman	#64	Endorsed
Shreveport City Marshall
Charlie Caldwell	#65	Endorsed
Public Service Commissioner
Foster Campbell	#55	Endorsed
District Attorney for Desoto Parish
Richard Z. Johnson Jr.	#62	Endorsed

 

 

The Louisiana AFL-CIO has taken the following positions on Proposed Constitutional Amendments that will be on the November 4, 2014 ballot.

 

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

 

Amendment #1:  Do you support an amendment to authorize the legislature to create the Louisiana Medical Assistance Trust Fund, for the payment of Medicaid reimbursement to the health care provider groups paying fees into the fund?     YES, we are FOR this.

 

Amendment #2:  Do you support an amendment to create the Hospital Stabilization Fund to stabilize and protect Medicaid reimbursements for health care services by depositing assessments paid by hospitals, as authorized by the legislature, into a fund to support Louisiana hospital reimbursement?     YES, we are FOR this.

 

Amendment #5:  Do you support an amendment to remove the constitutional requirement that a judge retire upon attaining the age of seventy or, if his seventieth birthday occurs during his term, that he retire upon completion of that term?     YES, we are FOR this.

 

Amendment #6:  Do you support an amendment to authorized the governing authority of Orleans Parish to increase the annual millage rate levied for fire and police protection, to require that the revenue from the fire and police protections, to require that the revenue from the fire and police millages be used for fire and police department enhancements, and to require that any increase be approved by the voters of Orleans Parish?          YES, we are FOR this.

 

Amendment #13:  Do you support an amendment to authorize the governing authority of the City of New Orleans to sell at a price fixed by the legislature property located in the Lower Ninth Ward of the City of New Orleans?     YES, we are FOR this.

 

Amendment #14:  Do you support an amendment to provide that legislation relative to tax rebates, tax incentives, and tax abatements may not be introduced or considered by the legislature in a regular session held in an even-numbered year?     YES, we are FOR this.

 

 

 

Please remind your members early voting starts October 21st- 28th 2014 (Closed Sunday , October 26th)