To Our Members, Louisiana's Dedicated Teachers and Support Staff:
I hope this finds you safe, healthy, and sheltered. We are in unchartered territory and I struggle to find words to capture the anxiety we are all feeling, but I wanted you to know that at LFT we are doing everything we can to fight for the safety of teachers, support staff, and students during this difficult time.
I was working with United Teachers of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and like so many of you, I have seen our schools, students and colleagues’ weather hard times. But I have also seen the greatness we are capable of when we come together to overcome a crisis and I know that together we will make it through this.
Per the Governor’s order, we have closed our offices, but our staff are working remotely and they are still available to answer your questions. You can find your representative’s email and/or cell phone number on our website. We only ask that you be patient. There are still many unanswered questions and unfortunately, we may not get answers right away. As new information becomes available, we will share it with you. In the meantime, please continue to check our Coronavirus resources page: we have been updating it daily with new information and resources.
I want to personally thank all of you for your courage and resolve. We’ve seen teachers and para-educators scramble to build remote learning programs out of thin air in a matter of hours. Food service workers and custodians are risking their own health to ensure children don’t go hungry. Nurses continue to sacrifice to ensure their patients get quality care. I don’t know where our state would be without your dedicated perseverance.
While you may be isolated, know that you are not alone. We will overcome this virus together. Remember, we all have our part to play in this recovery: please, continue to do everything you can to physically isolate yourself from others and heed the recommendations from the Governor’s office and health care experts. I do not know how long this fight will take, but I know that as long as our dedicated educators continue to lead through example and compassion, we will persevere.
In Solidarity,
Larry J. Carter Jr, President
Louisiana Federation of Teachers & School Employees