Publications and Reports | Louisiana Federation of Teachers

Your LFT Connection: John Bel Edwards for governor!

For the past eight years, John Bel Edwards has been steadfast in his support for public education. Even when Gov. Jindal’s ratings were above 60%, John Bel was unafraid to say that the Jindal plan was bad for Louisiana. He has been a voice of reason standing against those who led the state to the brink of disaster.

Big business to spend big money on BESE races this fall

BESE Report – August 2015

Louisiana’s big business lobby is on track to spend an unprecedented amount on races for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education this fall.

BESE dismisses special education funding issue

BESE Report – June 2015

What should have been a bombshell announcement that the State Department of Education is underfunding some charter schools with special education students while overpaying others was virtually ignored by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

$3.7 billion MFP approved with inflation factor halved

LFT President Steve Monaghan says, “It is obscene to say that we can’t meet the obligations we have at the same time that we are giving away billions in tax exemptions.”

LFT survey on Act 240 Subcommittee Recommenations

Louisiana Federation of Teachers
Reaction to Preliminary LDOE and other Stakeholder Recommendations to the Act 240 Subcommittee

Conducted January 13-February 9, 2015

Teachers and other stakeholders from around Louisiana seem to agree that high-stakes standardized tests are the wrong way to measure teacher effectiveness and student progress, that local school leaders should have more say in how teachers are evaluated, and that leaders should be better trained in how to help teachers improve.

Those are a few of the results of a Louisiana Federation of Teachers survey taken after the state education

BESE Report January 2015

BESE defers expensive teacher retirement study

In a rare move, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education overruled a recommendation by one of its own committees to fund an expensive study of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana’s Unfunded Accrued Liability.

BESE report December 2014

BESE officers re-elected, new exec chosen

At its December meeting, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education selected Shan Davis as the new executive director. Davis, who has worked for the Department of Education for the past five years, replaces Heather Cope, who left to work in the Camden, New Jersey public school system.

The board voted to retain its current set of officers: President Chas Roemer, Vice President James Garvey and Secretary Holly Boffy.

Majority of LEAs failing instructional requirement are charters

Of the 22 Local education Agencies that failed to meet state a requirement

BESE Report October 2014

Prompted by fears that the Ebola virus could invade Louisiana, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved emergency rules giving superintendents the authority to close schools or send students home if threats appear.

BESE Report – August 2014

The August meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was contentious, with members clashing over the future of New Orleans’ John McDonogh High School, accountability for voucher schemes, the Recovery School District’s $213 million budget and more.

BESE Report June 2014

Student privacy protection will cost $1 million

BESE plans to spend about $1 million to implement a law aimed at protecting the personal information of Louisiana school students.