News

Hundreds of Filipino guestworkers lured to teach in Louisiana public schools were cheated out of tens of thousands of dollars and forced into exploitative contracts by an international trafficking ring run by labor contractors, according to a class action lawsuit filed August 5 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Covington & Burling LLP. 

As promised, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Act 749, Governor Bobby Jindal’s “Red Tape Reduction and Local Waiver Empowerment Program.” Joining LFT in the lawsuit, filed in the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, are the East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers and the Jefferson Federation of Teachers.

(Baton Rouge – June 18, 2010) The Louisiana Federation of Teachers will file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HB 1368, the so-called “Red Tape Reduction and Local Waiver Empowerment Program,” Federation President Steve Monaghan announced today

(June 16, 2010) On Tuesday evening, the Senate joined the House of Representatives in surrendering its lawmaking authority to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. By a 23-14 vote, the Senate approved HB 1368 by Rep. Jane Smith (R-Bossier City), the so-called Red Tape Reduction and Local Waiver Empowerment program.

LFT strongly opposed the bill, calling it  a "misnamed and misleading" assault on public education and the separation of powers in state government

(June 11, 2010) The state budget, HB 1 by Rep. Jim Fannin (D-Jonesboro), is bogged down in the Senate Finance Committee, and there is no clear picture of what the budget will actually look like after the session ends on June 21.

Bowing to pressure from the legislature and Governor Bobby Jindal, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday agreed to a standstill K-12 education budget for the second year in a row.

With an overflow crowd of educators as witnesses, the Senate Education Committee on Friday approved a heavily-amended version of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s pet legislation, the so-called “Red Tape Reduction and Local Waiver Empowerment Program,” HB 1368 by Rep. Jane Smith (R-Bossier City).

How bad can things get for public education in Louisiana? As the old song says, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Undeterred by the objections of teachers, the House of Representatives approved Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signature education legislation, HB 1368 by Rep. Jane Smith (R-Bossier City), by a 68-20 margin. The fight to stop this misleading and mislabeled bill will now move to the Senate, with its first stop at the Education Committee.