Beware Of Legislative Agenda To Dismantle Public Education

 

The plan for the special session of the legislature to “restore” Louisiana has been unveiled.  In an unprecedented catastrophe caused by two “ladies” named Katrina and Rita, our state, as we know it, will never be the same.  To add fuel to the fire, the special session of the Louisiana Legislature that convened on November 6^th and ends no later than November 22^nd, 2005 contains legislation that is detrimental to public education.

 

The session has the potential to place a tremendous economic burden on the teachers and school employees of our state by cutting funding to pre-K through 12 public education, higher education, healthcare, retirement benefits, establishing more charter schools, vouchers and much more.  Listed below are specific items that will affect YOU as a member of the education family…teachers and school employees.  We are an education family…we’re in this together!

 

IN A NUTSHELL, TEACHERS’ AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES’ SALARIES ARE UNDER ATTACK:

 

  Salary & Benefits Reduced

·        Item 36 of the legislative call for the special session [reconfigure Minimum Foundation Program: State funds to run school system]

·        Item 61* of the legislative call for the special session [authorizing the chief executive officer of certain political subdivisions, city, parish, or local public school systems to reduce the salaries of employees as the result of a gubernatorially declared disaster or emergency]

* Item 61 has become Senate Bill 5.  Our own senator, Tom Schedler, is the  

bill’s lead author!     

  Increase Class Size

·        Item 38 of the legislative call for the special session

[increase class size, school day, etc.]

  Private Entities

·        Item 8 of the legislative call for the special session [Transfer of schools to the jurisdiction of the Recovery School District (RSD); to provide for the authority of the school district regarding the operation and management of the schools; and to provide for the eligibility of a student to enroll and/or attend a Type 5 (for profit) charter school]

Charter Application: Take away tenure, sick leave and emergency leave.          

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

ü      Stay informed – sign petitions and letters that will be coming to your worksite.

ü      Sign up for the LFT’s Action Center at www.lft-aft.org

ü      Stand up, speak out, and join the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees! Make your voice heard! One Strong Voice For Public Education!

 

Legislative Update On Our Stand Up, Speak Out Effort:

 

The amendment to House Bill 93 (Scalise) and House Bill 121 (Crane) [Item 8 of the legislative call] to allow the collective bargaining contract to continue in Orleans Parish failed in the Education Committee November 9, 2005.

 

We salute Representative A.G. Crowe and Representative Harold Ritchie who voted right on the amendment.  They stood up and spoke out on behalf of teachers and school employees in the Education Committee on November 9, 2005.

 

Please call or send a letter or email to thank them: