After hearing from teachers, principals, superintendents and local school boards, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved modest changes to the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan. The changes aim to ease the “sticker shock” expected to lower school letter grades when tougher standards are imposed.

LFT President Larry Carter urged the board to adopt a four-point plan proposed by school superintendents, instead of the harsh BESE plan that would see many schools drop at least one letter grade.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers' 53rd Annual Convention will be held on November 18-20 at the Sheveport Convention Center in Shreveport.

 (September 1, 2017) An annual survey by a respected education organization shows that Americans generally favor public education, oppose over-testing of students, and don’t want public education funds spent on private and religious schools.

“The Phi Delta Kappa survey tells us that most Americans are leery of what the status quo has been offering,” said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter. “They are more interested in building a bright future for their children than in compiling test data.”

Vote raises salaries after four year freeze

(Covington – June 13, 2017) Teachers and school employees in St. Tammany Parish unanimously agreed Tuesday to new contract terms that will raise salaries this year and for the next two years.

This is not the time to get discouraged about our profession.
It’s time to organize.

(New Orleans – May 22, 2017) Educators at Mary D. Coghill Charter School will move to bargain a first contract with the school administration after decisively voting to join the United Teachers of New Orleans, an affiliate of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

Thanks to a months-long campaign by Red River United, an affiliate of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the Caddo Parish School Board on Tuesday approved a five percent pay raise for teachers and school employees.
 

Keep up with the action as Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Legislature try to reconfigure our state’s finances in the 2017 Regular Legislative Session.

Abbreviated BESE meetings sidestep ESSA issue

Faster than a speeding bullet, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education sailed through its slate of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in record time. Committee hearings that generally last until the sun goes down (or later) were gaveled to a close with hours to spare, leaving onlookers puzzled more about what did not happen than what did.