Dear Colleague,
For the past few years, the debate about education has been a one-way conversation, with a lot of negative comments and misguided policies aimed at teachers and our schools. The voices of educators were largely ignored.
“Course Choice” robs funds from at-risk programs
A scandal-plagued program adopted by the legislature in 2012 will be funded by taking money dedicated to at-risk prekindergarten students and other initiatives aimed at improving student performance.
BESE adopts changes to Bulletin 741, with minor modifications
Perhaps influenced by thousands of e-mails, telephone calls and personal contacts, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education made some modest adjustments to proposed rule changes affecting Bulletin 741, the School Administrators’ Handbook.
A message from LFT President Steve Monaghan
Dear Colleague,
As we return to school for the second semester, there is a sadness that weighs down our excitement at the start of a new term. Once again, our nation has lived through the all-too-familiar tragedy of a mass murder in a school. As our hearts go out to the parents and relatives of the victims in Newtown, Connecticut, we wonder about the safety of our own children and colleagues in our communities.
Despite a ruling from a district court judge that its funding mechanism is unconstitutional, the state education board is moving forward with a plan to provide courses to public school students through nontraditional, nonpublic venues.
This month’s meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education raised some important questions.
A very reasonable proposal by a BESE member to protect pregnant teachers and active military personnel from potentially unfair evaluations was unnecessarily delayed last Wednesday. Superintendent of Education John White diverted the measure to two different committees and his own staff rather than allow a vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
A VERY QUESTIONABLE AND PROBLEMATIC SOLUTION:
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION FORFEITURE
a Louisiana Federation of Teachers Statement of Concerns
During the 2008 First Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature, a number of pension forfeiture bills were introduced. During this Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, at least six more instruments are being considered. Therefore, what follows is a broad overview of the Federation’s concerns with diminishing or removing constitutional protections of public employee pensions.