DEADLINE HAS PASSED Less than two weeks ago Hurricane Ida ravaged parts of Southeastern Louisiana. Power lines were torn down, water was left undrinkable, homes are damaged and destroyed and most unfortunately, lives have been lost. For many, the recovery process has only just started. This is a time when we must all come together to help our neighbors and rebuild our communities. To help aid in this recovery, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers has partnered with the American Federation of Teachers to provide hardship assistance to members impacted by Hurricane Ida. MORE

I am heartbroken to see the damage across Southeastern Louisiana done by Hurricane Ida. While we are no strangers to hurricanes, this exceptional storm has made a significant impact throughout the state, particularly in our low-lying areas in the Southeast. Many homes were damaged or destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people remain without power. Rebuilding our homes and communities may take months. This week, with the assistance of our national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, we have reached out via text to our members in areas impacted by the storm. We have successfully connected with thousands of our members and I am happy to report that the majority of the LFT family is safe, for now, but we have a long road to recovery before us. MORE

COVID Spikes Across the State On August 25th, Louisiana reported the single deadliest day of the entire pandemic, with 139 deaths from COVID-19 and 3,814 new cases. Unlike previous waves of the virus, the delta variant is further impacting children. On Wednesday, August 25th, COVID claimed its youngest victim, a child under the age of one. In total, 11 children have died from COVID in Louisiana, many more have been hospitalized, and over 6,000 K-12 students have tested positive. MORE

​BACK TO SCHOOL It’s hard to believe that summer is already ending. Many districts had expanded summer school options for students who struggled through the pandemic-year. This left many educators with even less time to recuperate from an especially exhausting year. But as always, the prospect of a new school year brings excitement and opportunity.   LFT staff are preparing to greet new and returning educators at orientations and back to school events all over the state. If you are already a member of the Federation, make sure to check in with your Local representatives at these events so that you can get all the most up-to-date information about your membership and back-to-school goodies. If you aren’t already a member of the Federation, you’re missing out. Make sure to look for us at your orientation to learn more about all that membership has to offer! ​ MORE

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the possibility of a veto session for the Louisiana Legislature. This is pretty big news since it would be the first veto session in modern history. Louisiana has only had one other veto session under the modern constitution, adopted in 1974, and only two veto sessions in recorded history.

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