(Lake Charles – November 22, 2015) Retired Jefferson Federation of Teachers President Meladie Munch and Red River United member Cleve Arkansas today received Pioneer Awards from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The award is presented annually to individuals who, over the years, made major contributions to the growth and influence of the LFT.

It was only natural. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers was the first organization to publicly endorse Governor-elect John Bel Edwards in what seemed like a long-shot bid for the governor’s mansion. Edwards returned the favor on November 22, when he made his first public address since the election to the LFT’s 51st annual convention in Lake Charles.

BESE Report - December, 2015

It’s a conflict that has frustrated parents and school administrators ever since a protest movement last spring prompted thousands of students to opt-out of taking PARCC tests. Federal law requires schools to report test scores and be graded based on them, but no law forces students to take the tests.

In a compromise that was vetted by the Parish Superintendents Advisory Council, but not the Accountability Commission, BESE approved an emergency rule that allows schools in which students to avoid penalties, at least for one year.

(New Orleans – November 21, 2015) “The right man at the right time for Louisiana.” That is how Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan introduced Representative John Bel Edwards when the Federation announced its endorsement last March.

Voters obviously agreed, and Rep. Edwards will become Governor Edwards on January 11, 2016.

BESE Report – August 2015

Louisiana’s big business lobby is on track to spend an unprecedented amount on races for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education this fall.

The Jefferson Parish School Board’s approval of a collective bargaining agreement with the Jefferson Federation of Teachers marks the return of teacher voice in educational decisions and a culture of collaboration, which have been rejected for the last three years by the former board.