2nd Special Session: Week Two!

This week we conclude the second week in the ongoing Special Legislative Session, bringing us to nearly the half way point. Due to the oncoming Hurricane Delta, some meetings were moved up until earlier in the week, most notably both the House Education and Senate Education Committees conducted their weekly meetings at the same time on Wednesday morning. They both considered important legislation, but here are some of the highlights:

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Ask the Senate Education Committee to Support SB 31

One of the most important bills that we will hear in this abbreviated legislation is Senate Bill 31 by Senator Cleo Fields. If passed, this bill would prohibit the use of statewide student assessments conducted during the 2020-2021 school year from being used to evaluate teacher performance. Essentially, schools could (and likely would) still have testing this year, but the scores couldn't count against a teacher's performance evaluation.

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The Next Legislative Session Starts TOMORROW

The Louisiana legislature has convened a Special Session to begin Monday. It shall end no later than 6 P.M. on October 27, 2020 and there are 70 different items that may be subject to legislation during the session. Included in the items enumerated in the Call are state tax revenue and school funding, among others.
 
Because the session was called so quickly, there are still any number of different bills being written that could impact teachers, support employees and our students. While the session may be short, decisions will be made that could have a lasting impact on Louisiana schools and it is vital that educators stay up to date about the ongoing issues.
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Back-to-School Newsletter

SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT CARTER:

This year, “back-to-school” is unlike anything we’ve ever faced. Some of you are in the classroom, some aren’t. Many students still don’t know when they may return to a school building. Perhaps what’s most frustrating, is that too many school districts left their planning to the last minute, leaving teachers, support staff, parents, and students scrambling.
 
All over the state, teachers and support staff have come together to demand safety for their students and in their schools. Whether it’s lobbying BESE, speaking out at local School Board Meetings, talking to journalists, or participating in socially-distanced protests, educators have found ways to make their voices heard. I’m so proud of the solidarity and passion I have seen from LFT members in these last few months. Your compassion, dedication, and wherewithal knows no bounds and you have truly made an impact on the lives of your students and their families.
 
Without the dedicated work of LFT members, many school districts...
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Reopening School Buildings

School buildings cannot open for in-person instruction until the below conditions are met:
- Community transmission of COVID-19 is under control in the region;
- There is a public health infrastructure to support effective disease surveillance, tracing and isolation in schools;
- Staff who are at high risk have access to special accommodations;
- The district and school have funded safeguards and implemented protocols, including physical distancing, face coverings, access to hand-washing facilities, cleaning supplies, and updates to ventilation and;
- AFT members and leaders, families and community partners are included in the reopening planning process.

 

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