WEEK 2: THE MFP
HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
On Tuesday the House Education Committee had their first meeting of the legislative session. Typically, the MFP resolution is heard much later in the legislative process, when legislators have a more accurate picture of the budget. This MFP reflects Governor Edwards' plan to increase school funding and educators' salaries and it was unanimously approved by BESE in March: $101 million for educator pay raises and $39 million for local school districts. This week, the House Education Committee voted to send the MFP back to BESE and asked them to remove $39 million for local school districts.
Many of the committee members who voted to reduce school funding did express their support for educator pay raises, but as Larry Carter, President of Louisiana Federation of Teachers, testified at the hearing: "If you choose to increase salaries without increasing the MFP formula in Step 1, then you’re just cutting into the educator raises. Educators will have to bear the brunt of increased insurance premiums; they’ll have to spend more of their personal, hard-eared dollars on school supplies for their students; they’ll have to spend more time figuring out how to teach without an adequate curriculum or working computers."
How did your legislators vote? Click here to find your legislators. Nine voted in favor of asking BESE to reduce funding for schools and 5 voted against reducing funding for schools:
Voted in favor of school funding: Joseph Bouie, Ken Brass, Gary Carter, Walt Leger and Patricia Smith. Voted in Opposition to School Funding: Nancy Landry, Beryl Amedee, Stephen Carter, Rick Edmonds, Julie Emerson, Reid Falconer, Stephanie Hilferty, Scott Simon and Polly Thomas.
Tell those who voted to keep the $39 million in the MFP that you appreciate their support.
BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
On Wednesday morning, BESE met. They could have decided in that meeting to do as the House Education Committee requested and eliminate $39 million in funding for local school districts from the MFP, but they didn't! Pres. Gary Jones spoke about the House Education Committee’s decision. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to have a knee jerk quick reaction...we owe it to the school districts, we owe it to the teachers...we owe it to all the stake holders in the process to make sure what we send over appropriately represented BESE's constitutional role, not the House Education Committee's constitutional role,” he said.
Most of the BESE members were present for the Committee meeting on Tuesday and Dr. Jones spoke on their behalf. He urged the committee to vote for the MFP as is, without reducing the funding.
Tell BESE you stand with them on their original proposal! We need them to stand firm and refuse to cut the MFP!