Info provided by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
For more info, see la.aft.org.
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.
- HB 322 allows teachers to teach without interruptions.
- HB 322 prohibits a principal or administrator from retaliating against teachers for exercising the right to remove a student who disrupts the classroom setting.
- HB 322 addresses the problem of a student whose behavior prevents the other students from learning.
We need your help to tell lawmakers that these bills are important to you.
✅SB 207 prohibits cell phones at school which can help to reduce distractions and improve the learning experience. Pending Senate floor - Scheduled for 4/2/24
Support Staff’s Right to Safety
✅SB 213 provides physical contact pay for support employees that is equivalent to what teachers receive.
Currently, teachers receive up to a full year to recover while support staff only receive up to 90 days. This bill provides the same benefit to support staff who face the same risks as teachers.
SB 213 is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Committee next week.
COMPENSATION: What is the real priority here?
Both Gov. Landry and Supt. Brumley have stated that “teachers are a priority,” but the reality is you could be paid less this year than last year. Landry and Brumley say that teachers are the second most important thing next to the parents but, when it comes to prioritizing them, that is not what is reflected in the budget.
Last session, legislators promised that teachers would get the raise they deserved this session only to be told that, because of the impending fiscal cliff, they might receive another stipend. But that stipend depends on money being available to pay for them. The fiscal note for the ESAs, tutoring bills, and other school choice programs tell us that now even the stipend is not a certainty.
⚠️High Dosage Tutoring Bills: While LFT supports the additional help that tutoring provides, it should not be prioritized over the teachers who are actually responsible for the gains Supt. Brumley continues to tout. A recent article noted that less than 1% of students eligible for tutoring participated in the program last year meaning that the progress made by students is a direct result of your hard work.
HB 244 increases the amount per child from $1,000 to $1,500. It also expands the Steve Carter Literacy program to include mathematics and eligible students in grades K-12 and students eligible for literacy tutoring from K-5 to K-12. Pending House Appropriations
SB 288 expands high-dosage tutoring from grades 3-8 to K-12 for students who failed to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment in reading or math. Previous funding was limited to federal or COVID relief funds. SB 288 expands funding to state general funds. Tutoring occurs during the school day. Pending Senate floor action - Scheduled for 4/2/24
❌Education Savings Accounts:
HB745 (LA GATOR Program) would replace the current voucher system for low-income students in low-rated schools, opening it up for any student, regardless of parental income, whether or not the child is enrolled in a public school, and allow stipends parents could spend on tuition, tutoring, online classes and more.
House Education advanced the ESA bill without objection. It is scheduled to move to House Appropriations on Thursday for debate because of the large potential cost associated with the bill.
LFT President Larry Carter will be testifying before House Appropriations to express LFT’s concerns and opposition to the bill which effectively siphons public funds to private schools.
“This bill takes away much-needed resources from our teachers, staff, and students, and would be creating an entirely new cost to taxpayers with little to no oversight and accountability. Legislators have promised that teachers would get the raise they deserve but the fiscal note for these programs will take away from funds for a raise or even a stipend for teachers who are fighting for our students’ educations and futures.” -Larry Carter, LFT President
According to the fiscal note, the LA GATOR program will result in a significant increase in state governmental expenditures.
Several projected estimates have been given. The LFO estimates a minimum of $276.8 M by FY 29. The Public Affairs Research Council, typically in favor of school choice, warned that it could eventually cost $522 million a year. We do not have a definitive cost for this program.
What we do know is that other states, such as Arizona and Ohio, have passed similar programs and are now facing a budget crisis as a result–and are having to consider paring back the programs to attempt to balance their budgets.
SB 313 is a similar ESA bill which creates the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program to provide educational savings accounts for parental choice in K-12 education. Awaiting discussion in Finance
❌HB 800 sets the framework for a Constitutional Convention but, until a companion bill is filed, we don’t have any firm details. The deadline for introduction of bills for this session is Tuesday, April 2nd at 6:00 PM.
❌HCR 21 provides legislative approval of the MFP formula for the 2024-2025 school year. It does not include a permanent pay raise but does allocate for 71.3 M of funding including 25 M of differentiated compensation. BESE chose to prioritize differentiated compensation, tutoring, and a $14.3 M increase for school system operational expenses, instead of prioritizing a permanent pay raise for you. Pending House Education
WORKLOAD
✅SB 205 is waiting to be heard in Senate Finance due to the potential cost to local districts if teachers are required to fulfill duties during planning time or outside their primary responsibilities. Now, districts must make a decision about whether or not what they are asking of teachers is worth paying them for when the reality is that our schools are run on unpaid overtime.
We want to thank Sen. Miguez for representing this bill to protect teacher’s rights to a fair workload.
✅HB 647 requires that any new instructional requirement added to instruction time would have to be offset by the elimination of a requirement of equal instructional time. We commend Rep. Romero for his efforts to alleviate the current workload.
This was amended in committee to remove the ability of BESE to add additional instructional content, topics, or methods without removing current instructional requirements and will advance to the House floor.
⚠️ HB 320 LFT supports any effort to lessen workload and commends Rep. Owen for his proactive approach. However, we have concerns that this bill still allows BESE to undo changes and to impose additional requirements essentially undermining all efforts. Pending Senate introduction
- Repeals instructional requirements for adoption awareness, breast and cervical exams, CPR and automated external defibrillators, child assault, dating violence, eating disorders, internet and cell phone safety, litter, mental health, organ donation, parenthood, safe haven laws, shaken baby syndrome, substance abuse, and water safety.
- Repeals teacher/school employee training for adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed education, classroom management, bullying, communicable disease and control, first aid, sudden cardiac arrest, and suicide prevention
- Requires BESE to consider the instruction/training topics removed to be once again required.
- Does not remove any of the estimated 940 hours of training required by the local districts.
LFT is concerned that the following bills will only add to educator’s workloads:
⚠️SB 72 Would require additional training for kindergarten teachers who are required to administer dyslexia screening. Pending Senate floor action - Scheduled for 4/2/24
⚠️HB 267 requires K-3 teachers to receive the training necessary for numeracy screenings and to administer three screenings per year for numeracy in kindergarten through third grade and provide numeracy interventions and support to students identified as having numeracy skills below grade level. Pending Senate Judiciary A
YOUR RIGHTS & FREEDOMS
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When we fight for teacher’s rights, we're also protecting the well-being of our students and the people in our communities. Anti-Union bills threaten the financial stability of families, making it increasingly difficult for educators to afford necessities like college tuition for their children and rising healthcare and living costs. |
❌SB 331 takes away payroll deduction for our members to use as a form of paying membership dues. Dues deductions may sound complicated but it's really quite simple–this is about legislators telling you what you can and cannot do with your paycheck. Pending Senate floor action - Scheduled for 4/2/24
❌HB 268 takes away the right to request public records for school employees. Public employees currently have the right to request their address and phone number are confidential.
A public records request provides LFT with the information for employees that have not opted for confidentiality. The proposed law would automatically make the address and phone number confidential removing the need for the employee to request confidentiality of this information. This impacts our ability to reach our members and communicate important actions, making it harder for you to exercise your freedom and your first amendment rights. Pending House and Governmental Affairs
What can you do?
Now is the time to stay vigilant! Continue taking action and encouraging your communities to do the same.
- TEACH WITHOUT DISTRACTION Add your signature to a letter to representatives asking them to vote for House Bill 322.
- SUPPORT STAFF SAFETY Add your signature to a letter to lawmakers asking them to vote for Senate Bill 213.
The Week Ahead
House Appropriations
Tuesday, April 2 | 9:00 a.m.
- ❌HB 745 EMERSON Creates and provides for the LA GATOR Scholarship Program, a universal school choice program
House Education Committee
Wednesday, April 3 | 9:00 a.m.
- HCR 8 BRASS Creates a task force to evaluate the use of LEAP tests in determinations relative to high school graduation
- HB 6 CHENEVERT (Constitutional Amendment) Grants any legislatively created public school system the same treatment and authority granted to parishes for purposes of minimum foundation program funding and local taxing authority
- HB 112 WYBLE Provides for the consideration of student achievement in literacy and math in the evaluation of local school superintendents
- HB 188 WYBLE Requires local elected school board members to meet certain criteria prior to qualifying
- HB 310 FREEMAN Requires public schools to provide free menstrual products in easily accessible locations
- HB 429 BRYANT Prohibits the use of imported seafood in food served at schools
- HB 594 GREEN Creates and provides for the Free School Breakfast Program to be
- administered by the state Department of Education
- HB 644 DICKERSON Authorizes students enrolled in home study programs to participate in public school activities
Thursday, April 4 | 9:00 a.m.
- HB 71 HORTON Requires the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools
- HB 107 BAYHAM Prohibits certain types of discipline of students in elementary and secondary schools
- ✅HB 322 STAGNI Provides relative to student discipline
- HB 334 AMEDEE Authorizes school boards to provide for chaplains to serve in public schools as employees or on a volunteer basis
- HB 362 KERNER Requires schools to provide information regarding tutorship to the parents of certain students at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings
- HB 547 AMEDEE Requires the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA)
- to include funds for French language educational programming in its annual budget request to the division of administration
- HB 583 AMEDEE Provides for school choice with respect to foreign language immersion