LAE will not endorse Louisiana’s R2T application

Louisiana Association of Educators

8322 One Calais Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70809

225-343-9243 1-800-256-4523

Fax: 225-343-9272 www.lae.org

For Immediate Release

12/17/09

LAE will not endorse Louisiana's R2T application

(Baton Rouge) The Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) announced that it will not be able to endorse the Department of Education's (DOE) Race to the Top (R2T) application in its present form. This comes after a meeting with Superintendent Paul Pastorek and other key department personnel on Thursday afternoon.

Joyce Haynes, LAE president, expressed disappointment at the actions of Supt. Pastorek and the DOE, for their unwillingness to work with LAE on key issues. These include the teacher evaluation process, student assessment, and other issues LAE hoped would improve teacher and district support for the Louisiana R2T application. President Haynes remarked, "Having had three prior meetings, I approached today's meeting with confidence, as Supt. Pastorek had assured me that an educators' perspective was key and that he was willing to work with LAE." She continued, "First we had to get to the table. Now we need a chance to digest and continue to discuss how we can partner in the transformation of the system."

Haynes said that LAE is sensitive to both the need for additional resources and support, which may be provided to the state through R2T grants. She believes that there are several positive items in the overall grant that could improve student performance in Louisiana. However, Haynes reported that she could not in "good faith" agree to the current R2T application. Haynes indicated that LAE remains willing to collaborate with the department to both improve the application and to help design effective programs to improve student performance in Louisiana. LAE believes that the focus on "great teachers and leaders" is a critical component to the improvement of schools and student performance in the state.

LAE agrees that a proactive approach is needed to improve schools in Louisiana. However, rushing a grant application partially focused on beliefs rather than what actually works is inappropriate. If given the opportunity, LAE will continue to "get back to the table" and actively work to improve the Louisiana DOE application.

LAE will convene a meeting of education stakeholders in early January to discuss the Louisiana DOE R2T application. LAE will enter into these discussions with the sentiment of, "surviving tough times requires tough advocacy."

###

Contact: Sharon Terrell

LAE Director of Communications

Office: 225-330-0403, ext. 112

Cell: 985-778-8812

sharon.terrell@lae.org

New Member Programs

The New Year Looks Bright with Two New Member Programs!

 

NEA Member Benefits will be offering two new programs in the New Year that help members save money as well as support their personal goals.

 

The NEA Auto Purchase Advantage Program provides members low, no-haggle prices on new and used cars through a network of over 2,400 select Certified Dealers across the country. Members will be able to comparatively shop and select a vehicle and obtain all information online, including the selling price in writing, before even setting foot in a showroom.

Members can access the NEA Auto Purchase Advantage Program by registering on the NEA Member Benefits Web Site at neamb.com. The program will be available in early January 2010.

While online, members may also obtain a quote for auto insurance through the NEA Members Auto & Home Insurance Program!

 

Just in time for the New Year, NEA MB is offering its first health club discount to members. Snap Fitness, which operates more than 1,000 state-of-the-art, 24-hour-access fitness clubs, will waive joining (administrative) fees and give a 10 percent discount on monthly dues to NEA members. First year savings are estimated at approximately $100.

In early January 2010, members may obtain information about Snap Fitness locations* and enroll online at the NEA Member Benefits Web Site (neamb.com). NEA Member Benefits hopes to offer additional health club discount opportunities in the future in order to make the programs accessible to the majority of members.

 

*Note: At the present time, Snap Fitness does not have club locations in the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Rhode Island.

 

# # #

Sweepstakes Prizes

NEA Member Benefits Sweepstakes Prizes

 

January and February 2010

 

 

NEA members can register on the NEA Member Benefits Web Site (neamb.com) for a chance to win sweepstakes prizes for January and February 2010 as follows:

 

 

Entry Period	# of Prizes	Prize Description
December 17, 2009 – January 21, 2010	10	Get Organized for the New Year   $100 Gift Cards from The Container Store
January 22, 2010 – February 14, 2010	2	"Sweet on You" Valentine Packages   Box of Chocolates Free H&R Block Tax Preparation $100 Barnes & Noble Gift Card $100 iTunes Gift Card Heart Healthy Cookbook
February 15, 2010 – February 28, 2010	10	Spend It Any Way You Want   $100 Target Gift Cards

 

See neamb.com for complete rules!

 

 

HOT DEALS FOR NEA/LAE MEMBERS

December 2009-January 2010

 

Hot Deals and Discounts from NEA Member Benefits

 

 

 

Whirlpool VIPLINK™ Program—

KitchenAid^® Stand Mixer Limited Time Offer and Free Shipping on Major Appliances

 

 

 

From December 15, 2009 to January 7, 2010, in addition to discounted VIPLINK ^TM
Program pricing, take advantage of free shipping on major appliance orders over $750! Simply visit the Whirlpool VIPLINK
^TM Program page on the NEA Member Benefits Web Site, www.neamb.com, create an account and enter the promotional code "SHIP" during checkout.

 

VIPLINK
^TM is also excited to share an unbelievable offer on select state-of-the-art KitchenAid^® Stand Mixers. But don't wait too long because the models and the special pricing will only be available from December 11, 2009 to January 15, 2010. Enjoy these special winter savings while they're available!

School Board sets talks on superintendent hunt

School Board sets talks on superintendent hunt

• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
  
• Published: Dec 16, 2009 - Page: 4B
  

ST. FRANCISVILLE — The West Feliciana Parish School Board on Tuesday set a special Jan. 12 meeting to discuss how it plans to proceed with interviews for the school system's next superintendent.

Board President Sara Wilson-Wright said interviews with candidates selected by the board will begin in mid- to late January.

Eleven people submitted applications for the post, which is now held on an interim basis by Jesse L. Perkins Jr.

Perkins stepped up from the assistant superintendent's position when Superintendent Lloyd L. Lindsey Jr. died in an April 15 accident.

The candidates, in the order they submitted applications, are as follows:

• John R. Philips, Isle of Palms, S.C.; former director of university-school district partnerships, Claflin University, Orangeburg, S.C.
  
• Pamlynn Hardy, New Orleans; former director of student services, Camelot of Louisiana.
  
• Retired Pointe Coupee Parish Superintendent Dan Rawls, Pierre Part.
  
• Former East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent Gary Mathews, now superintendent of the Williamsburg-James City County School District, Williamsburg, Va.
  
• Camacia Smith-Ross, New Orleans; Upward Bound director, Dillard University.
  
• Hollis G. Milton, Baton Rouge; principal, Southeast Middle School.
  
• Paul E. Nelson, Vidalia; director of academic programs, Concordia Parish School Board.
  
• James Alton Taylor Jr., Baton Rouge; associate professor of education, Southern University.
  
• Deborah H. Moran, Kiln, Miss.; principal and supervisor, Hancock County School District.
  
• Mark E. Marshall, Tacoma, Wash.; principal, Thomas Jefferson High School, Federal Way, Wash.
  
• Lynette R. Zimmer, Burlington, Wisc.; former assistant superintendent, Fremont School District 79, Mundelein, Ill.
  

LAE President Haynes-A Moment in Time

LAE President Haynes-A Moment in Time

School Board looks for savings

School Board looks for savings

• By JAMES MINTON
  
• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
  
• Published: Dec 2, 2009 - Page: 5B
  

• 
   

  CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish School Board doesn't have enough money to pay its bills, and a board member suggested Tuesday the first place to begin budget-cutting is in the board room.
  

  Superintendent Douglas Beauchamp said the board is counting on federal stimulus funds and budget cuts to weather a $1.2 million deficit this year, but funds are not immediately available for a "large number" of unpaid bills .
  

  Member Matthew Peterson called for the board to cut its salaries, reduce the board from 12 to nine members and consolidate Jackson and Clinton high schools to save money.
  

  The consolidation proposal, which was dropped last year, again drew opposition from Clinton member Michael Bradford, who claimed that any savings realized would be "pipelined directly to Slaughter," where community activists are trying to form a charter school.
  

  The board referred cutting members' salaries to the Policy Committee, although Bradford, Peterson and board President J. Curtis Jelks said they are donating some of their salaries to the schools.
  

  The board budgeted $80,000 for salaries this fiscal year.
  

  Assistant District Attorney Mike Hughes said the board cannot reduce its membership until after population figures from the 2010 federal census are available.
  

  "We have a School Board member for every 185 students. We're top heavy in administrators, but the first place where we're top heavy is in this room," Peterson said in arguing for adoption of the Police Jury's nine-member districting plan.
  

  As for consolidating the high schools, Peterson said the only difference between East Feliciana and West Feliciana's school systems "is what they did in the 1970s," referring to West Feliciana and its one consolidated high school. The district has ranked second in the state for academic performance the past four years.
  

  After a lengthy discussion, members Beth Dawson, Leon Franklin, Tony Rouchon, Peterson and Jelks advanced a motion to ask Beauchamp to submit a consolidation plan at the January meeting.
  

  Bradford and Willie M. Jackson voted against the motion, Richard Terrell abstained and members Mitch Harrell, Oliver Wingfield and Henry Howell were absent. Member Clay Barksdale, a volunteer fire chief, was called from the meeting for an emergency before the vote.
  

La. public schoolteachers pay still at regional average

La. public schoolteachers pay still at regional average

• By WILL SENTELL
  
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
  
• Published: Dec 3, 2009 - Page: 14A
  

• 
   

  Despite state budget problems, pay for public-schoolteachers remains at the regional average and ahead of Louisiana's neighboring states, officials said.
  

  Teachers were paid an average of $48,627 for the 2008-09 school year, said Raymond Brady, a consultant for the state's Educating Estimating Conference.
  

  The conference is a panel that tracks public-school trends.
  

  Brady spelled out his preliminary findings to the conference Nov. 18 and elaborated on them this week.
  

  He said teacher pay for the past school year was within $100 or $200 of the regional average, a longtime goal that the state reached for the first time in 2007.
  

  Brady said it also is higher than what teachers were paid in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
  

  That advantage is noteworthy because, in the past, Texas and other states close to Louisiana have tried to lure teachers to those schools with the promise of higher salaries.
  

  It also takes place amid Louisiana's biggest budget mess in decades.
  

  One education official disputed Brady's figures.
  

  Earlier this year, basic state aid for public schools was frozen for the first time in a dozen years.
  

  While teachers did not get a state pay raise this year, some collected more money from their local school districts.
  

  Teachers won state pay increases of $1,019 in 2008.
  

  Brady said he thinks Louisiana is in good shape to keep teacher pay at the regional average, mostly because other states face financial problems of their own.
  

  "We really worked hard to get to this average here over many administrations," he said Tuesday.
  

  "Now, given the financial situation relative to other states, we are positioned to really maintain that, or maybe drop a little."
  

  The regional average is calculated by the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta.
  

  It includes Louisiana and 15 other states.
  

  Figures for the 2008-09 school year may be released this month, said Alan Richard, a spokesman for the SREB.
  

  A lobbyist for the Louisiana Association of Educators, Tom Tate, said he thinks Brady's estimates are too high for Louisiana teachers.
  

  "I just don't see it," Tate said of the $48,627 average.
  

  He said he thinks teachers are paid an average of $46,000 or $47,000 per year.
  

  Tate also said the LAE is not seeking an across-the-board pay raise for teachers in 2010 because of state financial problems.
  

  Revenue available for state services is expected to drop by $3 billion over the next two years.
  

  Tate said his group is working with state officials on the possibility of changing the state's salary schedule, such as paying more for teaching in hard-to-fill jobs.
  

  Average public school teacher pay, 2008-09
  Louisiana: $48,627
  Texas: $47,158
  Mississippi: $42,902
  Alabama: $47,100
  Arkansas: $45,418
  Florida: $46,938
  

  Source: Education Estimating Conference
  

2theadvocate.com | Education | School Board eyes $1 million in cuts — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com Education School Board eyes $1 million in cuts — Baton Rouge, LA

NEA ESP 2010 Conference

"NEA ESP 2010 Conference"
The Education Support Professionals (ESP) National Conference is a great opportunity for ESP members to develop new skills they can use to build stronger locals, and learn more about important, relevant issues.

The conference is designed to:
*help members gain professional development opportunities
*build strong internal and external relationships
*organize members
*enhance ESP members’ ability to positively influence student achievement.

Full conference details and registration information will be available in fall 2009.

March 12-14, 2010
Flamingo Hotel and Casino
3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109"

NEA-RA 2010

"NEA-RA 2010 New Orleans"

We Need You!

Interested in volunteering for the exciting 2010 NEA-RA in New Orleans, July 2010?

Go to the LAE website. Print the LAE form , fill it out and send to LAE today!
Lynda Guidry
8322 One Calais Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Fax: 225-343-9272

A representative will contact you regarding volunteer opportunities."

LAE - RA 2009

LAE - RA 2009

"LAE RA 2009"

The LAE Representative Assembly will be held November 23-24 2009, at the Hilton in downtown Baton Rouge, LA.

Address:
Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center
201 Lafayette Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States 70801"

2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Letter: LAE leader responds to editorial — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com Opinion Letter: LAE leader responds to editorial — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com | Suburban and State | Setting timeline next step for Ascension schools — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com Suburban and State Setting timeline next step for Ascension schools — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com | Education | State plans for school innovation — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com Education State plans for school innovation — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Letter: LAE leader responds to editorial — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com Opinion Letter: LAE leader responds to editorial — Baton Rouge, LA

How To Deal With Conflict Workshop

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Nu Gamma Omega Chapter

Hosts

“How to Deal with Conflict”

An informative & entertaining workshop aimed at providing area youth with skills to resolve conflict in productive ways, without the use of violence.

Saturday, August 29, 2009
10:00 A.M. – Noon
(9:30-9:50 sign-in & refreshments)
1747 Main St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Open to students in grades 6th-12th

For More Information Contact:
Ms. Shana Watson - sulady1908@gmail.com or 225-284-1268
or visit
www.akanugammaomega.com"

If You Are Not A Member....JOIN TODAY!

Joyce Haynes, President of The Louisiana Association of Educators

You are invited to belong to your local association and become a part of the LAE / NEA. Join us in building strong local associations across Louisiana that work to promote quality public schools, strengthen the education profession, and improve the well being of members. Join & Get Involved - Belonging Makes a Difference!

WE WANT YOU......JOIN TODAY!

How To Deal With Conflict

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Nu Gamma Omega Chapter

Hosts “How to Deal with Conflict” An informative & entertaining workshop aimed at providing area youth with skills to resolve conflict in productive ways, without the use of violence.

Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:00 A.M. – Noon (9:30-9:50 sign-in & refreshments) 1747 Main St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Open to students in grades 6th-12th

For More Information Contact: Ms. Shana Watson - sulady1908@gmail.com or 225-284-1268 or visit www.akanugammaomega.com"

How To Deal With Conflict

Glossary of Union Terms

GLOSSARY

as·so·ci·a·tion, un·ion, guild, broth·er·hood: All the same thing. It's a group that works collectively to improve working conditions and wages.


bar·gain·ing u·nit: The group made up of employees that negotiates with employers on things like salary and benefits.


build·ing rep: A staff member who serves as a liaison between the staff union members and the administration. In a building with a strong union (that is, a lot of vocal and active members like you), they can typically address issues not covered by a contract to improve working conditions.


col·lect·ive bar·gain·ing: The negotiation of a contract—including wages, benefits, and working conditions—between employers and employees. Some states, especially in the South, don't have collective bargaining. (Even though there is still typically a grievance or due process system legally guaranteed.)


griev·ance: A dispute between a union member and management over a workplace situation or alleged contract violation that is handled through a procedure outlined in the contract or a state law or regulation. The grievance system facilitates your right to due process.


or·gan·iz·ing: Drawing on the power of members' unified strength (3.2 million and counting in the NEA!), this is the action by which members lobby for changes, seek improvements in their working conditions, or work for any other important step that members determine is a priority.


'right-to-work state': States where unions can't negotiate agreements that require all employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement to pay for the costs of union representation. Such agreements eliminate 'free riders' who enjoy the benefits of an agreement without supporting or joining the union.

Uni·Serv Di·rec·tor: That's the professional union staff member you can turn to when you have a professional problem."

Are you in a UNION????

"Union 101

I have heard time and time again from competing organizations here in Louisiana that we hide the fact that we are a union. Let's make it perfectly clear....YES, WE ARE A UNION! We (members of the NEA) are proud to belong to our union. We're in the largest professional union in the United States. Knowing what that means can make your job and your paycheck better. But only if you get involved.

Ever faked a knowing nod when a veteran teacher starts talking about being in a 'right-to-work state,' and you're not really sure what she's talking about? Does 'collective bargaining' just make you think of your third-period class trying to get out of having homework? As a new educator, it can seem easier to teach physics to first-graders than to learn about your own union, much less become an active and involved member of it. But you need to do all three—get in, get educated, and get active. Your commitment has to go beyond just paying dues. But remember, the payoff is big.

"I'm very involved in how I think the school should look," says Lawrence Garcia, 35, a middle school math teacher in Thornton, Colorado. But he knows he can't do it alone.

"Teachers sometimes feel alone and scared of what the principal will say if they speak up as a union member," says Samone Thomas, 36, a seventh-grade language arts teacher in Wichita, Kansas. "But that means you don't know you have all these thousands of people behind you working to make things better."

Having a basic understanding of your union, then building on it with personal involvement, are the first steps toward better working conditions, pay, and benefits.

So if you're ready to find out more about what you're getting for your investment (besides this magazine!), and how you can reap additional rewards through your involvement, here's a primer on what Association membership means. (First tip: Your membership means you belong to the local, state, and national Association.)"

YouTube - Dalton Sherman

YouTube - Dalton Sherman

Teachers Cruise Discounts

Teachers Cruise Discounts: "Teacher Discounts

From time to time, one or more cruise lines will offer special discounts on select sailings to Vacations To Go customers who are teachers. Qualifying teachers must present a photocopy of teacher's certification, union card or letter from principal on school letterhead."

website: VACATIONSTOGO.COM

Back To School Giveaway!

"NBA All-Star for the Chicago Bulls and Baton Rouge native Tyrus Thomas hosts his annual back to school supply giveaway this Saturday, August 1st from 9am – 1pm at McKinley Alumni Center located at 1520 Thomas H. Delpit Drive. Tyrus will be giving away over 500 school bags filled with school supplies and other materials, signing autographs and the first 50 students receive gift cards to footlocker!

Sponsored by Tyrus Thomas, Inc., Staples Office Supplies, and Allstate Insurance Agent Agnes Andrews. This event is free and open to the public."

LAE Leadership Conference 2009

ESP's: Why Join NEA / LAE?

Because There is Strength in Numbers!

With 3.2 million members, the National Education Association is the largest employee organization in the country. And NEA's 489,000 ESP members make us the largest organization of school support employees in the world. This numerical strength translates into advocacy and service -- for improved pay and working conditions, rights on the job, improved education for the students we serve, and great deals on products and services our members need.

Together We Can Make Things Happen

NEA/LAE Helps Us :
*Win better pay, benefits, and working conditions.
*Gain Professional Development and leadership training.
*Be insured with life, health, disability, and casualty insurance programs.
*Get credit, loan, savings, investment, and discount services.
*Receive on-the-job liability insurance of up to $1 million.
*Have tough and effective representation in job-related disputes through our UniServ program.
*Speak out for our concerns in state legislatures and in the U.S. Congress.
*Be represented at NEA/LAE meetings.
*Get Association news through NEA/LAE publications and on its Web site."

Welcome New Teachers!

On Behalf of the Louisiana Association of Educators, I want to welcome you to the education profession and to your new job at school. This is a very exciting time in your career.

Our Local Association is an affiliate of the Louisiana Association of Educators and the National Education Association. We are not three (3) separate organizations as the names may imply. We are a unified, professional family working for the betterment of the education profession and public schools.

We are proud of the accomplishments we have made over the years, and there is much yet to be done.

I'd like to take this opportunity to formally invite you to join our organization. I am available to visit with you in your school or your Association Representative (AR) can provide you a membership form as well as additional information regarding the benefits of our organization.

We have a lot to offer you! Please contact your Association Representative in your school, leave me a note on this blog or call our help desk (877-452-3477) and we will be happy to answer your questions and sign you up as a member.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Aurelia

Let's Keep in Contact!

Aurelia Young

As your UniServ Director, I am here to assist you. At the end of each day, I will check your messages and post a comment. Please be reminded....if you have a major concern such as a grievance, contact the LAE Helpdesk first. Our helpdesk will assist you and provide guidance with the problem. The helpdesk telephone number is: 877-452-3477. Either way you look at it, we are always here to help you!

Invite your friends & colleagues to join us also! THIS IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION and your colleagues should become a part and share the benefits with you. Your organization will continue to grow if you talk to your colleagues and encourage them to sign up. Remember......

AN HONOR TO JOIN, A BENEFIT TO BELONG!

Ouestions You Should Ask Your Association Representative?

Now that you are a new teacher and a member of this Association, listed below are questions your Association Representative (AR) will assist you with:

-What time do employees arrive at your building in the morning?
-Where do employees hang out in the morning, at lunch or after school?
-What are the lunch time rules? Do employees go through the line first? Can employees order special meals? Are there any real good school lunch meals? Where are places to go out for lunch during non student days?
-When is Open House normally held? Has a standard format been adopted? What has happened in the past?
-What have employees done socially in the past?
-What is the Principal's reaction to student discipline referrals? Is there other help?
-What were the school's special events last year? When did they take place?
-Where do you get paper and other supplies in school or cheaply outside of school?
-What is the Xerox, lamination machine, etc. use protocol?
-We will go over any forms you have signed or should have signed. Take guidance from the Association.
-If there is a collective bargaining agreement, review the items on workday, evaluation, leaves. If there is no agreement, know the school district policies on these items.
-When is the District or building new employee function? As a new employee, we will help you get there.
-When is the Associations first function? We will help you get there.
-When the first pay checks arrive, we will help you determine if your pay is correct.

Stories of Old South Baton Rouge

Louisiana Travel ~ Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail: "Opening June 18, 2009, at the Louisiana State Museum - Baton Rouge, Pride of Place is the latest effort to expand community partnerships and exhibitions across the State Museum. This exhibition will also usher in the Museum's new 'free admission' policy. Starting June 18, admission to all exhibitions at the Louisiana State Museum - Baton Rouge will be free to the public." The exhibit will end June 18, 2010. Workshops, book signings and other activities will take place throughout the year-long run. In addition, they are hoping to have one or two musicals. School children and educators should plan to see the exhibit and take part in the additional activities. A schedule of events should be forthcoming. Check with the Louisiana State Museum periodically for listings. The Louisiana State Museum - Baton Rouge is located at 660 North Fourth Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Hours are Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 noon to 5 p.m.