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Voting for democracy and a better life
In the leadup to the midterm elections, pundits predicted a red wave, even a tsunami, based on polls, historical precedent, and steep gas and grocery prices. But I had my doubts. I spent the weeks before the elections talking to voters and traveling on the AFT Votes bus, rolling through a dozen states with more than 50 stops. In a year when kitchen table issues, democracy and our freedoms were on the ballot, many people told me that the elections came down to a choice between, on the one side, election deniers and extremists stoking fear, and on the other, problem-solvers working to help the country move forward. Many races were close, but Americans turned the tide from a red wave to a swell of support for progress and problem-solvers. Read the full column here.
November 2022: Flawed Accountability Proposal Fails to Pass!
On Thursday, November 10th the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held a special meeting to finally vote on the long-debated changes to the high school accountability model. The proposed changes were adamantly opposed by superintendents, principals, teachers, school board members and other educational stakeholders, but supported by non-education special interest groups like the Pelican Institute, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), and the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools.
LDOE Blames Teachers for the Issues with eSER Rollout
On October 10, 2022, two representatives from the Louisiana Department of Education testified before the Louisiana Senate Education Committee. They were questioned about the issues teachers and districts faced with the rollout of the new electronic Special Education Reporting (eSER) system.
Thomas Lambert, Assistant Superintendent Office of Assessments, Accountability, & Analytics and Meredith Jordan, Executive Director of Diverse Learners largely focused on issues of human error and "the deep learning curve." They said the issue was teachers who couldn't figure out the new system, even though it was "more intuitive and looks like a modern web solution."
JFT Update: October 24th
JP Schools Employee Townhall
JP Schools is hosting an Employee Townhall Meeting at Boudreaux Elementary School, 950 Behrman Hwy in Terrytown from 6:00 PM-7:30 PM on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. The Superintendent will be taking questions from employees. We know one of the greatest concerns is working conditions (overworked, redundant paperwork, 30-page lesson plans, AIM Pathways, subbing, Paraeducators teaching classes). If you are able to attend, please wear your JFT shirt in solidarity with our Union. It’s the U and I in UNION that makes us STRONG.
BESE Update: October 2022
Tuesday’s committee meetings began with a public hearing to receive public recommendations regarding the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), which is the funding formula for Louisiana public schools. As expected, advocates from the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, the Louisiana School Boards Association, and the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools testified in favor of increasing funding in level one of the MFP – which is the part of the formula that gives school districts the greatest flexibility in how they can use the additional funding.
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) has continued to advocate for additional funding to be directed into level four of the MFP, which is the portion of the formula that funds teacher and school employee salaries. The only way to ensure that teachers and school employees receive a raise next year is for additional funding to go into level four.
JFT Update: October 7, 2022
Dear Members,
I wanted to thank the members that have reached out to the office with support in my role as your Interim President. I am grateful for the kind words, appreciation, and enthusiasm.
Looking ahead, JFT is in the works of revamping the website to make it a useful tool for members. We are looking to add sections that give out information like class size, education laws, discipline, medical leave, and HR policies. This would allow members to have access to some of the most requested information that they need with a click.