Collective Bargaining Agreement
Collective Bargaining Agreement Between JFT & JPSB
You can view an electronic copy of the contract by clicking the link.
Week 7 in the Legislature
It is widely acknowledged that there will be funding available for additional pay increases. To increase the pay raise, the Legislature would have to vote to return the MFP to BESE so that BESE can amend it. BESE has already agreed to the increase, so the decision rests with the Legislature, and some are already pushing back against further increases, claiming there isn’t enough money to go around.
Meanwhile, the legislature has taken up a number of bills that limit or redirect funding that could otherwise be used for our public schools...
Week 6 in the Legislature
In an effort to address the decade-old teacher shortage, numerous bills aimed at enticing retired teachers back to the classroom have been filed. While these bills are getting a lot of attention right now because of the teacher shortage, RTW laws have impacted TRSL since 1957.
Over the years, some of these bills have been so extreme that they threatened the long-term financial stability of TRSL. Currently, there are a few options that are modest in their reach and unlikely to cause damage to the system. They may even encourage a few teachers to come out of retirement and return to the classroom in the short term, but they offer no solution to the crippling teacher shortage that is currently plaguing our schools. Over the last few months, BESE members, legislators, and other officials have touted the idea of retirees returning to the classroom as a solution to the teacher shortage. In truth, the number of retired teachers who chose to return to the classroom has decreased dramatically over the last ten years.
JFT Update: April 21
According to the JFT Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article X—Teacher Supplies: Teachers shall be reimbursed $100 per semester for teacher materials/registration fees for pre-approved conferences/workshops, including sales tax. All receipts are due Friday, April 29, 2022 for the 21/22 school year.
The application window for a Voluntary Transfer is OPEN NOW. Applications are due May 31, 2022. Certificated Teachers, Counselors, and Para-professionals are eligible for transfer if they have a minimum of 2 years of experience in JPS at their current school, hold a valid Louisiana teacher certificate in the requested subject-area vacancy (teachers and administrators only), and are currently not on any level of an Intensive Assistance Plan (IAP).
Week 5 in the Legislature
✔️ HB 510: Ending the Onslaught of Trainings
✔️ HB 363: Teacher Voice in SLTs
✔️ HB 98: Amended
✔️ SB 151: Preserving Local Control of ITEP
✔️ HB 819: Extending Maternal Health Leave to All Employees
❌ HB 986: Privatizing Food Services in Schools
❌ SB 145: Eliminating Local Input in Corporate Charter Schools
➡️ Six Opportunities to TAKE ACTION
Week 4 at the Legislature
The legislative session is in full swing, and the committees are considering important legislation that will impact educators and their families all over the state. One of the most enlightening discussions came on Wednesday during the consideration of House Bill 363.
HB 363 (Bryant) seeks to cement existing BESE policy into law. Unfortunately, the policy often isn’t followed in schools. Under BESE policy, SLTs are supposed to be drafted by teachers at the beginning of each school year, based on the unique needs of their students. Unfortunately, in many districts there is little-to-no discussion. This doesn’t happen everywhere, but it does happen too often, and it deprives our students of the individualized attention they are supposed to get from their educators. HB 363 simply says that if SLTs aren’t “developed collaboratively” with the teacher, those SLT scores shall not be used in the teacher’s evaluation.
It is supported by both teachers' unions and the Louisiana Association of Principals – all the stakeholders involved in this process in the schools. However, it faced significant pushback from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the Pelican Institute...
PSRP Workshop: Saturday, April 9th
Staffing shortages are a big topic all over the country, and rightly so -- educators and school and college support staff bridge every gap necessary to make sure that students and families get what they need.
Join us in a professional development session to dig into staffing shortages from your vantage point and learn some ways to tell your story and step into your narrative power: Saturday, April 9th at 9:30 A.M. on Zoom.