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LFT updates are the best source of information that's important to teachers and school employees in Louisiana!

Let's Talk About the Raise

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Thousands of Louisiana educators wrote to their legislators asking them to reconsider the budget and fund larger pay increases, but on Thursday, May 27th the Senate finalized and approved the budget with no additional funding for schools or school employees.
 
The finalized budget has now been signed by both the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and is awaiting signature from the Governor. 
 
On Tuesday, June 8th the MFP (SCR 2) was approved by the full Senate .
 
After much back and forth, the MFP was finalized in the legislature and in the budget. It will provide for a 1.375% ($40 million) increase in per pupil funding (from $4,015 to $4,070 per student) as well as an $800 raise for every teachers/certified employee and a $400 for each non-certified support employee. 

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Week 4 in the Legislature

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Senate Bill 117 by Senator Tarver Stopped in Committee
At the Senate Education Committee meeting on Thursday, May 27th, Senate Bill 117 was modified. While we're disappointed that this legislation will no longer serve its intended purpose, the Senate President has agreed to help us pass a resolution to prevent teachers and students from being unfairly held to the usual accountability standards after learning was disrupted by a global pandemic and multiple natural disasters…circumstances outside of anyone’s control....

Pay Raise Proposal Modified in House and Senate
This week the House passed a budget (HB 1) for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget still needs to be approved by the Senate and will likely changed. The good news: The House’s budget does include money for teacher and school employee pay raises. The bad news: it’s not as much as we had hoped. The budget includes a $800 pay raise for teachers/certified employees and $400 for classified personnel. This is more than what was originally proposed by BESE in March ($400 and $200), but less than what had been recommended by the Senate Education Committee last week ($1000 and $500).

 
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Week 3 in the Legislature

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The MFP is Sent Back to BESE
On Thursday, the Senate Education Committee considered SCR 2, which is the legislative vehicle for the MFP – the school funding formula. The Committee decided to return the MFP to the Board of Elementary and ask that they increase the teacher/school employee pay raise. The recommendation they submitted to BESE, calls for a $1,000 increase for teachers/certified personnel and $500 for uncertified personnel.

HB 256 by Rep. Tarver APPROVED by the House Education Committee
If passed, this legislation would allow predatory organizations to recruit members and extract dues from school personnel, even when there is a union with collective bargaining & exclusivity. This means that the alternate and potentially exploitative organizations could make promises to “represent” and “advocate” for members, but wouldn’t actually be able to make good on those promises – leaving unsuspecting teachers and support staff left in the lurch. 
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Ask BESE to Pass a Larger Raise!

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On Thursday, April 29th, the Senate Education Committee voted to reject the MFP proposal that had been sent to the legislature by the Board of Elementary and ask that they increase the teacher/school employee pay raise. The legislature has done the hard work and come up with the money to fund the salary increase, now BESE needs to do their part. The recommendation they submitted to BESE, calls for a $1,000 increase for teachers/certified personnel and $500 for uncertified personnel.

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Worker's Memorial Day

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On this Workers Memorial Day, lets celebrate those who have come before us by fighting for those who will come after us. We are calling on the U.S. Senate to Pass the PRO Act to ensure that all workers can have a voice in their workplace.

Write your U.S. senators and tell them to pass the PRO Act now!

Senate Bill 22 Fails to Pass the Senate - But Can it Come Back?

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LFT members sent nearly 7,000 emails to Louisiana Senators asking them to oppose Senate Bill 22 – and your voices were heard! On Tuesday, April 27th Senate Bill 22 by Senator Peacock came before the full Senate and was returned to the calendar. 
 
LFT strongly opposed Senate Bill 22 because it would have raised the age of retirement to 67 for all future employees. In order to receive full benefits, new teachers, school employees, bus drivers and other public servants would have to work 40 years, or until the age of 67. 
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