JFT Update November 13, 2020

LFT Update: Education Bills of the 2020 Special Session of the LA Legislature

• Prohibits requiring results for purposes of student promotion or teacher evaluation. Authorizes school boards to adopt policies relative to the use of results in evaluations.
• Requires the state superintendent to report to the education committees relative to results by May 30, 2021.
• Requires BESE to prepare a petition to U.S. Dept. of Education for a waiver relative to issuing letter grades and submit it if the state superintendent deems that such issuance would be detrimental to the state.

Requires BESE and the superintendent to present a report to the education committees regarding this decision by June 15, 2021

HB 83 / Act 48 – Provides relative to student discipline

• Proposed law provides that a judgment may include awarding of damages and reasonable attorney fees if a court finds a school official's actions meet specified criteria.
• Present law requires each public school board to review its discipline policies at least annually. Requires each public school board to have established a discipline policy review committee.
• Proposed law retains present law and requires such committees to meet no later than Dec. 31, 2020, and update all policies and procedures relative to conduct that occurs at home or any location that is not school property while a student is engaged in virtual instruction.
• Proposed law provides for discipline procedures for students engaged in virtual instruction from Mar. 13, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. Proposed law provides for prospective and retroactive applicability.
• Proposed law may be cited as the "Ka'Mauri Harrison Act".

• Proposed law prohibits the purchase of telecommunications or video surveillance equipment by public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education schools, institutions, and governing authorities; nonpublic elementary, secondary, and post secondary schools, institutions, and governing authorities that receive state funds; and proprietary schools that receive state funds unless the equipment is purchased from a vendor or other entity who is determined to be in compliance with Section 889 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.
• Requires the vendor or other entity to provide documentation by affidavit of compliance with proposed law. Provides that any award of any bid or purchase in violation of proposed law is null and void.
• Proposed law supersedes provisions regarding conflicting specifications in procurement of telecommunications systems or telecommunications services under the Louisiana Procurement Code.

• Present law requires that student assessments be conducted and student achievement and student growth data be used in evaluating teachers, schools, and school districts.
• Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides that notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for the 2020-2021 school year, the results from student assessments shall not be used for student progression or teacher evaluations.
• Prohibits use of value-added data in teacher evaluations.
• Limits the prohibition of use of the student assessments to student progression and teacher evaluation.

The see a complete list of the bills for this session click here.

Ask BESE for an Instructional Minutes Waiver for 2020-2021

A few members have questioned why 30 minutes are being added to the school day. Here’s the reason: Louisiana law requires all school districts to have a certain number of minutes of instruction each year.

Last school year, those requirements were waived because of COVID, but so far this year, the State has not issued any such waiver. You can help address this issue by sending an email to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Superintendent Brumley to ask them to waive the traditional instructional minutes requirement for this year.

Click here to send an email now!

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