A message from LFT President Steve Monaghan
As the legislature returns to Baton Rouge for the 2014 regular session, let’s assess where we’ve been, where we are, and where we should be going.
Public education was slammed in 2012 when two massive bills were railroaded into law. They tied teacher salaries to test scores, all but abolished due process, stripped school boards of much of their authority, radically expanded vouchers statewide, and fueled an embarrassing feeding frenzy for “course choice” vendors.
On top of all of that, public education's Minimum Foundation Program had been frozen for five years, costing our public schools $700 million in funding.
As we had promised, the LFT quickly filed constitutional challenges against both laws. As it now stands, a state court has ruled Act 1(the so called “talent act”) unconstitutional because it crammed so many different changes into one bill.
Regarding Act 2 (the so called “choice act”), the Supreme Court has ruled that vouchers and “course choice” can’t be funded with public education dollars.
Even so, the administration claims victory because the 2013 legislature chose to fund vouchers using general fund dollars, and because evaluations continue under Act 1 while the Governor appeals to the Supreme Court.
However, major “course corrections” to the administration’s agenda are under way because of the efforts of LFT and others:
- The controversial Value Added Model of teacher evaluation has been suspended for at least two years.
- Full implementation of the Common Core Curriculum Standards has been delayed until 2025.
- The administration has reached out to LFT and others in an effort restore due process to Louisiana’s teacher tenure process.
- The Legislature added nearly $70 million to public education last year, with a promise to restore the growth factor to the MFP.
The changes that we are making in education policy are coming slowly, but they are surely coming. In this session, the LFT will increase the pressure to:
- Address Common Core Curriculum Standards and the overuse and abuse of standardized testing.
- Rein in the public funding of unaccountable non-public schools while holding voucher and charter schools as accountable as public schools
- Undo the damage caused to teachers by the bogus “reforms” imposed in the 2012 legislative session.
- Protect the voice of teachers and school employees and defend their right to spend their paychecks as they choose
- Preserve public retirement systems and keep local economies strong.
Our goal this year is to continue to build coalitions of partners that will help reclaim the promise of an excellent public education for all children. On a more personal note, why can’t teaching and learning be both a joyful and challenging experience?
Please visit the LFT Web site at http://la.aft.org to learn more about our legislative agenda and what you can do to help.
In unity,
