Dependant on Value Added Model, even 1% is too much, LFT says

(Baton Rouge – October 8, 2010) With a growing number of reports illustrating the chaos fomented by a new teacher evaluation system, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan asks school boards to limit the damage by minimizing the effect that the system has on teacher compensation.

LFT attorney Larry Samuel on the new tenure law: This law is a farce.  It is a sham.  It is an insult to every educator in this state. It makes a mockery of fairness. The governor and the legislatures who voted for this bill have demonstrated their intent to do nothing more than to give lip service to treating teachers with dignity. 

(Baton Rouge – September 21, 2012) Concerned about the Jindal administration’s apparent "complete disregard" for the legislature and the separation of powers, Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard (I-Thibodaux) this week became the second legislator to ask his colleagues to convene in special session. Senator Karen Carter Petersen (D-New Orleans) had already called for a special session over the Jindal administration’s handling of health care issues in the state.

(Baton Rouge – September 6, 2012) A study purporting to support a new teacher evaluation system is the product of a biased, pro-business think tank and should not be taken seriously by education reformers in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

What to do if you are having problems with the new state teacher evaluation:
Report it! Tell us about your COMPASS experience!

Please click here to Report It! and tell us about your COMPASS experience.

(Baton Rouge – August 24, 2010) In touting the product of a researcher nationally recognized for studies biased in favor of school vouchers, Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White continues down the path of rhetoric and partisan politics at the expense of taxpayers and school children, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan said today.

What LFT General Counsel Larry Samuel says about Act 1: "...this is another example of a total and utter disregard of the opinions of the persons who are in the best position to suggest changes that are in the students’ best interest: the educators who work with our students each day in the classroom. This is yet another example of laws being forced from above, without so much as asking for your input. It is time for this lack of dignity and this disrespect to end."

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers is more than an organization. It is nearly 21,000 teachers and school employees who wake up every morning determined to make a difference in the lives of all the children in our schools. Those dedicated professionals, our members, are the heart and soul of the union.

At the core of the LFT’s commitment to public education is our determination to preserve and protect the rights professional educators. They are the experts in their fields, and they have the education, expertise and certification required to provide the instruction and support our children deserve.

Governor Jindal may boast of victory for steamrolling a package of dubious education “reforms” through the legislature, but many now are asking: What was won, and at what cost?
Choices were made to vilify teachers. Choices were made to frame public schools as failures. Choices were made to blame the unions, the school boards, and/or anyone who dared question the governor’s agenda.