Coghill Charter School Teachers Unite Around Voice and Stability in the Classroom
Teachers at Mary D. Coghill Charter School in New Orleans have formed a union, with more than 93 percent of staff signing a petition asking the school board to recognize the United Teachers of New Orleans as their exclusive collective bargaining representative.
The United Teachers of Coghill Charter School came together with the goal of educating, empowering and motivating children. They hope to forge meaningful collaboration with the administration and win a voice and transparency at work, to better serve students and help them succeed.
If they gain recognition, Coghill teachers will become the fifth New Orleans charter school to formally unionize. UTNO already represents teachers and staff at Benjamin Franklin High School, Morris Jeff Community School and International High School of New Orleans, and the paraprofessionals at Lusher Charter School.
Alorea Gilyot, Coghill’s response to intervention and positive behavior support coordinator, said: “The educators at Mary D. Coghill Charter School have united to form a union. We wanted to ensure that the students have stability from one school year to the next. The job security we seek will give us peace of mind and allow us to effectively implement the best strategies to instruct our students.”
United Teachers of New Orleans President Jim Randels said: “Almost 100 percent of educators at Coghill have taken a bold step for their students, school and community. They have come together in unity to partner with their school leadership and board to provide the best possible education at Coghill.”
UTNO is affiliated with the 20,000 member Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 229 charter schools in 15 states nationwide.
