We are over halfway through the session and here’s what you need to know.

Legislators have praised the bills to address the concerns you brought to us over unfair workloads, discipline, and safety. These bills were filled by your union!

✅Both SB 205, which safeguards teacher’s right to a reasonable workload and fair compensation, and SB 213, which provides adequate time for support personnel to heal from injury while helping students, passed through the Senate and headed to the House! ✅HB 322 passed out of Senate Education and will be heard on the Senate floor, protecting teachers’ right to teach free from distraction.

However, several bills have also passed through the Labor Committee that would take away your voice

The 24-25 MFP (HCR 21) does not include a permanent pay raise for educators and staff. Instead, the proposed stipend means teachers and school employees may receive less compensation next year than this year.  

Tell your legislators to send the MFP back to BESE and give educators and staff the raise they deserve!

Your unions are fighting to make your voice heard. In addition to LFT's ongoing fight for a permanent pay raise for teachers and support personnel, we have made great strides in bringing the issues to legislators that teachers and staff have told us impact their quality of life and ability to do their jobs effectively–workload, discipline, and safety.

Next week, legislators will hear several critical bills filed by your unions that fight for a permanent raise, protect teacher’s right to a fair workload and allow teachers to teach free from disruption. We are asking you to take three specific actions to ensure these bills become law:

It’s time to stand up for Louisiana students and educators!

Right now, the Louisiana legislature is moving bills through the state house that will hurt public education in the state for years to come.

• ❌Dues deduction bills: Takes away your freedom to spend your paycheck as you choose.
• ❌Voucher bills: Our school districts are subject to losing funding to these voucher programs, seriously impacting our public education system.
• ❌There is also talk of a constitutional convention which would severely restrict the ability for education dollars to be used for students and to make our communities better. HB 800 was up for discussion this week. It sets the stage for a Constitutional Convention. Few details are known at this point, but elected officials have been clear that K-12 funding protected in the current constitution is a target. The author of the bill said that he will not move the bill out of committee this week.

It's time to stand up for your rights and the futures of the children in our state.

Broken Promises: Permanent Raises or Uncertain Stipends

     This was the theme at our latest membership meeting. Our members heard a presentation from Cynthia Posey, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative & Political Director. She discussed the following information and shared what members must do to see changes.

     In the last session, our raise was turned into a stipend. We were promised this session that the stipend would be a permanent raise. Now they say that it is not possible.

     When pressed, lawmakers, BESE members, and the State Superintendent of Education are quick to point out the looming fiscal cliff as a reason the raises cannot be made permanent. That fiscal cliff has made headlines for years, and nothing has been done to address it. Legislators knew that when they promised to make the stipend a permanent raise last year. Why should eliminating our raise and disinvesting in public education be the solutions?

This week will be a busy one. Bills must start moving through the process now for them to be heard during the legislative session due to an expected shortened session.

LFT will continue to update you on progress and actions to take to protect your freedom and rights to compensation, safety and discipline, and a fair workload.

DISCIPLINE & SAFETY

Your Right to Teach Free from Distraction

On Thursday, April 4th, House Education will hear HB 322 which protects your right to teach without distraction.

✅HB 322 addresses your challenges in maintaining a conducive learning environment for all students by making it clear that disrupting the orderly instruction of other students, and safety threats, will result in removal for that class period