Be An Activist for Public Education!

An activist is someone who is not satisfied with the status quo; someone who is frustrated or angered by events taking place. An activist is a person who sees injustice in the policies of others and speaks about that dissatisfaction to others. An activist presents information or opinions that can be used to bring about change in an undesirable situation; someone who acts on their own convictions--a brave soul fighting for what they believe is right! Are you an activist for public education?

 

Now, more than ever, we need YOU to be an ACTIVIST for our neighborhood schools! LAE is asking you to make a commitment to help spark action in your school and community. We cannot afford to stand idly by and watch our public schools be destroyed in favor of the governor’s personal political agenda. Do your part and pledge to be an ACTIVIST today!

You don’t need to be an LAE member to join us in this important fight! Below are a few things YOU can do today in order to be an activist for public education.

 

• Contact your legislators to advise them on those issues that stand to negatively impact public school schools and students.

• Thank those legislators who continue to show their support for public education.

• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper explaining your concern for the impacts of the new education policies.

• Friend LAE on facebook and share any updates on education news.

Do the same on Twitter.

• Coordinate town hall meetings in your community to inform others about the

impacts of Acts 1 & 2.

• OTHER

Please make a commitment to do one--or more--of the above actions and email this commitment to the LAE Communications Department TODAY!

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

What are Weingarten Rights?

“Weingarten Rights” are union member protection rights that were handed down by the United States Supreme Court. If a union member is called into a meeting with management that could affect personal working conditions or lead to discipline or termination, that union member can request to management that their UniServ Director be present during the meeting. The union member can choose not to participate in such a discussion until their union representative arrives.

THE EMPLOYEE MUST MAKE CLEAR TO ASK FOR UNION REPRESENTATION BEFORE OR DURING THE MEETING.

The employee cannot be punished for making this request. If the employer denies this request and continues to question, it commits an UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE. This is a violation of Federal law and the employee has a right to refuse to answer. The employer may not discipline employees for such a refusal.

Q & A on Act 1 Changes to Teacher Tenure and Compensation

Legislation Passed in 2012 Will DRASTICALLY Change Your Profession

What happened when House Bill 974 was signed into law as ACT 1?

ACT 1 OF 2012 repeals the provisions surrounding tenure, compensation, and teacher evaluation that LAE worked so hard to implement over the years. Below are questions you might have concerning tenure and compensation changes.

TENURE

If I’m a tenured teacher, do I retain tenure under ACT 1?

Yes.

How do I continue to retain tenure under ACT 1?

Receive an evaluation rating that is above “ineffective” on the average of the “value-added” and “observation” portions of your evaluation each year.

How can I lose tenure under ACT 1?

Receive one performance rating of “ineffective.”

If I am rated “ineffective,” when would I lose my tenure rights under ACT 1?

The law states that you lose your tenure rights “immediately.”

What happens when you are rated “ineffective”?

You may be fired immediately. You will be able to grieve your evaluation to the school board. If you win your grievance, you retain your job and your tenure will be reinstated.

What happens next?

Upon loss of tenure, you become an “at-will” employee. You may be fired at any time. If you maintain your job, you can only attain tenure again if you are rated as “highly effective” for five years within a six year period.

Recommendation: Any LAE member who receives an “ineffective” rating needs representation immediately. LAE will challenge each and every “ineffective” rating received by any of its members.

Have the grounds for dismissing a tenured teacher changed?

Yes. In addition to willful neglect of duty, incompetency, dishonesty, and immorality, Act 1 adds another ground for termination of a tenured teacher – “poor performance” – which the Act equates to an “ineffective” evaluation or value-added rating.

As a tenured teacher, do I have a right to a hearing?

Within seven days of dismissal, a teacher may request, and upon request, shall be granted a hearing by a panel composed of a designee of the superintendent, a designee of the principal, and a designee of the teacher. The hearing shall begin seven business days after receipt of the teacher’s request for a hearing. The teacher shall have the right to appear before the hearing panel with witnesses on his or her behalf. The teacher shall have a right to counsel of his or her selection. The panel will submit its recommendation to the superintendent. The superintendent may choose to reinstate, or not, and must notify the teacher in writing of the final determination. The teacher has 60 days to petition the courts to review whether the actions of the superintendent were arbitrary and capricious. The record or review shall be limited to evidence presented to the tenure hearing panel, and the court shall review the matter no later than ten days after the petition has been filed. LAE will represent individual members with tenure who are dismissed and request a hearing.

If I’m a new teacher, how do I obtain tenure?

You attain tenure if rated “highly effective” for five years within a six-year period. Based on the Louisiana Superintendent of Education’s testimony before the House and Senate Education Committees, only ten (10%) percent of all teachers will be rated as “highly effective” each year. The vast majority of teachers (an estimated 80%) are expected to be “emerging” or “proficient” in any given year. It will be virtually impossible for any teacher to attain tenure. A teacher will remain an “at-will” employee without tenure.

I’m a second year teacher and would have attained tenure in the summer of 2013. How do the reforms impact my attainment of tenure?

If a teacher has not attained tenure before September 1, 2012 they are in the same position as a new teacher and must be rated “highly effective” for five years within a six-year period to attain tenure. It will be virtually impossible for any non-tenured teacher as of September 1, 2012 to attain tenure. A teacher will remain an “at-will” employee without tenure.

As a non-tenured teacher, do I have any rights prior to being terminated?

The superintendent (in consultation with your principal) can terminate your employment “at will.”This will be accomplished by providing you with written reasons for termination of your employment and providing you with seven days within which to respond. Your response will be included in your personnel file. You have no further rights.

What does it mean to be an “at-will” employee?

In a situation where an employee is an “at-will” employee, the employer has the right to terminate the employee for a good reason, bad reason or no reason at all.

COMPENSATION

Will I be compensated for work beyond the school day?

No, unless your contract provides for such compensation. Act 1 enacts La. R.S. 17:418(A) (1) to read: “The salaries as provided [in the new salary schedules to be adopted] shall be considered as full compensation for all work required and performed within each employee’s prescribed scope of duties.”

Will I be compensated for attending meetings outside of the school day or Saturday workshops?

No, unless your contract provides for such compensation. If you are required to attend an orientation meeting for a day other than a scheduled work day, you will not receive additional compensation for your time.

Will I continue to receive a stipend for coaching, being a club sponsor, or being a nationally board certified teacher?

No, unless your contract provides for such compensation. Your salary schedule will be considered as full compensation for all of the duties that you are required to perform.

Can my school year be lengthened beyond 180 days?

Yes. You may be required to work more than 180 days and attend meetings outside of the regular work day.

If additional days are added or if I am required to attend meetings outside of the regular work day, will I receive additional pay?

No, unless your contract provides for such compensation. Your work day, or work year, may be increased without any additional compensation. The statutes requiring that you receive additional compensation for these items have been repealed.

What happens when you are rated ineffective?

If a teacher is deemed ineffective and continues their employment, they shall not receive a raise in salary.

How will my salary be computed if I am a first-year teacher?

It is impossible to determine how first-year teachers will be compensated. The state minimum salary schedules have been repealed effective July 1, 2012. Act 1 does not require that new salary schedules be adopted before the 2013-2014 school year.

When the new salary schedules are adopted, they are required to be based solely on “effectiveness” (as determined by the “value-added” model), demand, and experience. No one of these three items can make up more than 50% of the salary calculation; however, since a first-year teacher does not possess two of the components (effectiveness or experience), it is impossible to determine how a new teacher will be compensated.

How do I get a raise?

To get a raise, teachers must be rated effective or highly effective. Different teachers with the same level of experience may be paid different salaries. Your individual salary will be determined by three factors: (a) your level of “effectiveness” under the “value-added” model, (b) the “demand” for your services based upon your area of certification, the particular needs of a school, the geographic area, and subject area, and (c) experience.

What should I do?

LAE recommends to all of its members that they demand a teacher contract with the employing school system prior to beginning work. Requiring that you receive a contract will take the uncertainty out of how you will be paid and whether you will be paid for any additional work.

Parents Should Know the Facts: A Letter to the Editor by LAE's Assistant Executive Director for UniServ & Instructional Advocacy Wayne Free

Parents should know the facts

As printed in the Monroe News Star

It worries me that so many people were surprised to hear about the recent news coverage surrounding John White's voucher scheme emails (as first reported by The News-Star).


I would have thought most would have realized by now that Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education leadership and the Department of Education have been manipulating and hiding data to disguise the real weakness and purpose of the current education reform initiatives.


How many have read in the news media that the two for-profit virtual charter schools, which receive millions of dollars in state funds, scored below state averages in practically every area of performance this year? No one?


That's because the DOE hasn't advertised it.


After looking at the data released by the DOE listing this springs student performance, I questioned the DOE about the virtual charter school performance I found on their website and whether the information was correct. Their answer was yes. I then asked what that said about virtual charter schools' performance. The answer was that they had "high parental satisfaction", and that's how the DOE measured their performance.


I find it difficult to believe that parents are "highly satisfied" if their children are failing. In fact, I think public satisfaction would be seriously lacking if the true weakness of for-profit virtual charters was known.


I think the BESE and DOE leadership has failed to inform the public because they know how poorly it would reflect upon the Jindal initiatives they supported and testified on before the Legislature.


I doubt it would surprise many to know that the DOE leadership worked against a legislative bill designed to provide greater accountability toward the for-profit virtual schools.


It's one thing to talk about parental choice. It's something totally different to talk about informed parental choice. What many fail to realize is that millions of dollars are being provided to for-profit entities to support failure.


Perhaps the Jindal/BESE/DOE leadership should be informing the public about these issues, or at least emailing each other, to see how to avoid such testimony.


Wayne Free


Assistant Executive Director


Louisiana Association of Educators

What the heck is that?

Symbol of the United Education Profession

This symbol, adopted by the NEA Executive Committee in 1966, combines the legacy of the past (the pi symbol which is the ancient Greek word for education) with new direction for the future (the red arrow ).

The spherical triangle serving as the background represents the mutually supportive programs of local, state, and national education associations to advance education. In one sentence, then, the design symbolizes the forward thrust of education through a united profession.

Louisiana NEA RA Delegates Leave the 2012 Convention Motivated & Ready To Stand Up for Change!

We had a great time in Washington D.C. this year! LAE delegates traveled to our nation’s capital to stand strong and we did! We worked together with our colleagues from across the nation, weighing in on policies which will help shape the future of the NEA! When it came to raising money for the NEA Fund for Children & Public Education, we were once again successful in meeting our obligation. By selling tickets to the annual Louisiana Mardi Dance, LAE delegates were able to make enough money to reach our goal of receiving an NEA pennant and windsock. Thanks again to all those who joined us in D.C. this year. We're looking forward to our trip to Atlanta next year! Check out some photos of this year's event below:



Highlights from our descent on the LA Capitol

March 14 & 15

"THE WHITE SLIP PROTEST"

inspired by Sharyn Hebert's Red Card Initiative

Since many of us are unable to be at the Capitol this week due to LEAP testing, here's your chance to show your visual PROTEST for House Bills 974 & 976! You may have heard of the Red Card Initiative created by Sharyn Hebert. We thought the idea was so fantastic that we decided to expand upon the concept.

Now that the debate is headed to the house floor, white slips are used to write notes to representatives to voice opinions about debated legislation. We've downloaded those white slips for you to fill out and return to us so we can show representatives just how many individuals are in opposition to these bills. Follow the instructions provided below:

Step 1: Click here  to download the PDF of the House Message Slip.

Step 2: Click the following link to compile contact information on your representative: http://legis.la.gov/district/zipcode.asp  

Step 3: Click here to view the attached House of Representatives Seating chart and place the seat number of your representative in the blank provided at the top right hand corner of the House Message Slip.

Step 4: Fill out the highlighted fields on the PDF form, including your representative, your name and a personal message. *Please note all of the information entered with the exception of any personal messages, will duplicate on both forms.

Step 5: When you are finished, click Submit (top right hand corner of screen) to return your data. You can also save the PDF on your desktop and attach it to an email, send this email to ashley.davis@lae.org.

It's important that we get this done and get this done FAST! Please begin filling these cards out and sending them in!

 

STAY STRONG!!

Governor Jindal Attempts to Suppress Educators & Thousands Push Back to Make Their Voices Heard

Thousands of education stakeholders flooded the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol Wednesday, but a majority of the teachers, support professionals, administrators – even parents and students – who showed up, were forced to remain outside on the Capitol steps due to the governor’s orders of closing down alternative entrances into the building.

“They wouldn’t let people in because they said the committee rooms were full, but it looked like Governor Jindal was trying to keep educators out of the room during his testimony,” said LAE President Joyce Haynes. “If he really believed in his plan, then he should have taken this opportunity to stand before educators and put it all out on the table; instead, he chose to lock us out of the process.”

School employees from across the state came together in Baton Rouge to speak against the governor’s extreme education agenda brought forth in House Bill 976. The bill calls for taking public tax dollars and turning them over to for-profit charter schools. It also calls for the expansion of a statewide school choice program. Educators want to know why the governor is demanding a rush to vote on such complex legislation that impacts the future of Louisiana’s public schools.

“It is the Legislature’s responsibility to schedule a fair hearing process that allows us to offer input on those bills that affect us,” said Haynes.

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu sided with school employees as she spoke out against the rush. She agrees that the governor is moving outrageously fast to try to win committee approval for his plan.

"If this is such a great reform package, it should be able to stand the test of review. This is a democracy. This isn't a dictatorship," Landrieu said in an interview.

Educators could not agree more. Several school systems across the state closed so that educators could attend the hearings and advocate on behalf of their school districts. Attendees said they would rather be in the classrooms with their students, but when the intent is to attack hard working professionals by proposing to dismantle neighborhood schools through privatization, teachers will stand up to defend their students and their careers.

“We were forced to attend on a school day,” said Haynes. “Legislators should have made the appropriate move to schedule these hearings when education employees are available to attend, like in the evenings or on the weekends.”

The decision to close schools was made by school boards and administrators, many of whom joined teachers and support professionals at the Capitol in opposition to the legislation.

Educators Appalled by Request for Another Year of School Funding Freezes

Fourth Year Freeze Contributes To Larger Classes & Fewer Extracurricular Opportunities for Students

Just hours after President Obama urged the nation’s governors to invest more state resources in education, Louisiana’s top school board voted to ask lawmakers for a freeze on state aid to public schools for a fourth consecutive year.  LAE President Joyce Haynes was in the crowd when this decision was announced; she expressed her disappointment in those board members who went along with the vote.

“It’s extremely upsetting when you consider that the BESE has an obligation to do what’s right for their constituencies,” said Haynes. “We depend on them to have the courage to stand up to the governor.”

The action came as no surprise after Governor Jindal proposed the freeze in his budget for the 2012 legislative session. This request merely continues the governor’s track record of slighting Louisiana’s public school kids. In 2010, he made a $42 million error in the MFP when he failed to account for increases in student population. He also shorted the state’s K-12 and higher education systems another $68 million when he redirected the Federal Education Jobs grant. To date, districts still have not received the $79 million residue from the $147 million originally approved for Louisiana K-12 public schools. Educators continue to express concern over the impact this will have on Louisiana’s public school students who ultimately bear the brunt of the continued cuts, which contribute to increased class size and fewer extracurricular opportunities.

“Our state’s budget is hurting and we have a governor who continues to follow a national agenda that benefits big business,” said Haynes. “His continued use of legislation provided by the American Legislative Exchange Council benefits outside interests - interests that stand to benefit from the establishment of for-profit virtual schools, for-profit higher education providers and courses provided by commercial industries who want to turn our state into a business. This only creates a “lose-lose” situation for the children of Louisiana.”

President Haynes went on to discuss that the governor’s focus should be on investing in classroom priorities that build the foundation for student learning, while holding everyone – including administrators, teachers, parents, students and elected officials - accountable for student success.

“We applaud those BESE members - Ms. Lottie Beebe of Breaux Bridge, Ms. Carolyn Hill of Baton Rouge, Ms. Kira Orange-Jones of New Orleans and Ms. Holly Boffy of Youngsville - who had the courage to stand up for public education and vote to delay this request,” said Haynes.

The Louisiana Legislature will vote to either accept or reject BESE’s request when it convenes for the 2012 Regular Session next month.

 

Thoughts?