LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS - UniServ Region 11: April 2013

Monday, April 22, 2013

OPPOSE ACT 1 REDUX BILLS HB 478, HB 596 AND HB 644

TAKE ACTION TODAY! CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE. TELL THEM TO OPPOSE ACT 1 REDUX BILLS HB 478, HB 596 AND HB 644!

Next Wednesday, April 24th, the House Committee on Education will take up ACT 1 REDUX legislation. Even though, Act 1 of 2012 was ruled unconstitutional by a Baton Rouge District Judge and is now waiting on a ruling by the Louisiana Supreme Court, Governor Bobby Jindal continues to ignore the judicial system by trying to force three (3) separate bills, through the House Education Committee, to re-enact Act 1 of 2012.

These bills do NOTHING to improve public education in Louisiana. The Governor wants to keep up the attack on many fronts, to confuse the supporters of public education. HB 478, 596 and 644 are punitive with respect to public education, educators and students. These bills do NOT improve or support teachers in the classroom and will create a process that will intimidate and fire good teachers for non-valid reasons.

HB 478

• Intensifies reliance on high-stakes tests to evaluate teachers and schools.

• Creates a dismissal process for teachers based on the flawed method of teacher evaluation brought forth in ACT 54.

• Eliminates seniority as a criterion in all reduction in force (RIF) decisions.

• Creates a dismissal process for teachers based on a flawed method of teacher evaluation.

• Takes away all due process rights if an educator receives just one "ineffective" rating, with no proof or documentation required.

HB 596

• Tightens the regulations on public schools while deregulating the privately managed schools.

• Gives superintendents and principals sole discretion on employment decisions without school board approval and oversight.

HB 644

• Educators stand to lose salary schedules based on the state's minimum salary schedule established by law and allow the state to manipulate district salary schedules based on the flawed "value-added" model (VAM).

• Allows local superintendents to immediately fire any teacher who was rated "ineffective" by the flawed "value-added" system of evaluation without adequate due process.

Please take action in three ways >>>

First, send an email to all members of the House Education Committee? A sample email is provided below. Just copy and paste all House Education Committee member emails into the "To" line of your email and then copy and paste the body of the message into your email and press send.

(Copy and Paste Email Addresses of House Education Committee)

carters@legis.la.gov; jeffersonpo@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; broadwaterc@legis.la.gov; burnsh@legis.la.gov; carmodyt@legis.la.gov; champags@legis.la.gov; edwardsj@legis.la.gov; henryc@legis.la.gov; hollisp@legis.la.gov; iveyb@legis.la.gov; landryn@legis.la.gov; pricee@legis.la.gov; richardj@legis.la.gov; shadoinr@legis.la.gov; smithp@legis.la.gov; thompsonj@legis.la.gov; williamsa@legis.la.gov; larep036@legis.la.gov; legerw@legis.la.gov

(Copy and Paste the body of this message into your email)

Dear Members of the House Committee on Education,

Please oppose HB 478, HB 596, and HB 644.

HB 478, 596 and 644 are punitive with respect to public education, educators and students. These bills do NOT improve or support teachers in the classroom and will create a process that will intimidate and fire good teachers for non-valid reasons.

HB 478 attempts to eliminate a fair process for dismissal in Reduction-In-Force (RIF) situations. Under current law, seniority is only one of several criteria the school board may use to reduce in force. If passed, HB 478 would lay-off our most experienced teachers from the classroom, and reduce -- and most likely eliminate -- the increased knowledge base in our classrooms, thereby hurting students. This is not in the best interest of students or the educators who teach them. Using only performance-based RIFs hurts students, due to the fact that the model (VAM) used to determine the performance of a teacher is mathematically and statistically flawed. Basing a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) on performance in Louisiana is a flawed and misrepresented process and should not be allowed.

HB 596 attempts to give superintendents and principals sole discretion on employment decisions without school board approval and oversight and tighten regulations on public schools while deregulating the privately managed schools.

HB 644 attempts to create a compensation system that will cause disparity among teachers in regard to salaries, due to the fact that the compensation system proposed is based on the same mathematically and statistically flawed system of evaluation, being used in HB 478 for Reduction-In-Force (RIF) situations. The new compensation system proposes to base 50% of a teacher's salary solely on performance, which is derived from the "value-added model" (VAM) data system; a model that has been proven to be an invalid and unreliable method in which to gauge a teacher's effectiveness in the classroom.

Many reports over the past year have shown major flaws in the current "value-added" (VAM) system of teacher evaluation in Louisiana. To use this flawed system to lay-off a teacher or calculate a teacher's compensation level is irresponsible.

Please oppose HB 478, HB 596 and HB 644 in the House Education Committee on Wednesday, April 24th.

Second, please call the district offices of all the House Education Committee members. Phone numbers for all House Education Committee members are listed below. Simply leave a message with their district office asking them to oppose HB 478, HB 596 and HB 644, coming up in the House Education Committee on Wednesday, April 24th. These bills will only hurt students and teachers.

Representative Steve Carter (Chair): (225) 362-5305

Representative Patrick Jefferson (Vice Chair): (318) 927-2519

Representative Wesley Bishop: (504) 242-4198

Representative Christopher Broadwater: (985) 543-4900

Representative Henry Burns: (318) 949-2463

Representative Thomas Carmody: (318) 862-9956

Representative Simone Champagne: (337) 937-8827

Representative John Bel Edwards: (985) 748-2245

Representative Cameron Henry: (504) 838-5433

Representative Paul Hollis: (985) 871-4680

Representative Barry Ivey: (225) 261-5739

Representative Nancy Landry: (337) 262-2252

Representative Edward Price: (225) 644-6738

Representative Jerome Richard: (985) 447-0999

Representative Robert Shadoin: (318) 251-5039

Representative Patricia Haynes Smith: (225) 342-7106

Representative Jeff Thompson: (318) 741-2850

Representative Alfred Williams: (225) 382-3243

Third, please meet us on the Capitol Steps at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24th. LAE will give a brief overview of the legislation and then proceed to the House Education Committee hearing at 8:30 a.m. The hearing itself will be in House Committee Room 1 and begin at 9:00 a.m.

Thank you for taking action to contact members of the House Education Committee!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Calling All Employees in West Feliciana

Calling All Employees in the West Feliciana Parish School District

Our Jobs Are At Risk!
The district has declared a Reduction In Force (RIF) which will occur on May 1, 2013. This will mean a lay off for many of us employed in this school district. Being the president of the West Feliciana Association of Educators, I have scheduled a meeting for all employees to attend in order to discuss the lay off and receive information on the RIF process. This meeting is being held by the Louisiana Association of Educators and the West Feliciana Association of Educators. LAE staff will be there to talk with us and answer our questions concerning the RIF. We do not stand alone in this crisis!

Please schedule your calendar to attend this important meeting! The meeting will take place on:

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Time: 5:00 pm

Place: St. Francisville Town Hall

11936 Ferdinand St,

St Francisville, LA 70775

Make Plans to Attend!! Your Jobs Are At Risk!

Mildred Armstrong – WFAE President

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A message from President Haynes: President's Corner - 4/2/13

A Good Read: John Wilson Unleashed: You Better Start Listening to Teachers

Former NEA Executive Director John Wilson writes a blog for EdWeek called, John Wilson Unleashed. He recently wrote a piece about the indications of unrest surrounding the latest MetLife American Teacher Survey; he called the results dismaying, but not surprising, saying that politicians, education leaders, business CEOs, and parents must listen to teachers before serious damage is done to the public schools of America. Please take some time to read this blog post – the link is provided below. If you're interested in reading the entire survey, a link to the survey is provided within the post. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/john_wilson_unleashed/2013/02/you_better_start_listening_to_teachers.html.

Another Good Read: Flaws In The Tennessee Teacher Evaluation System

The Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model evaluation system has had a problematic implementation. From evaluator training problems to the use of inappropriate testing data, educators have little faith in the model's ability to fairly assess effective teaching. Go to http://www.lae.org/ImagesLive/Users/8/FlawsinTennesseeEvalSystem.doc to read about the model's specific problems, and then see what our NEA brothers and sisters at the Tennessee Education Association are doing to address these flaws – http://teateachers.org/news/tea-announces-agenda-address-flaws-evaluation-system.

Another Good Read: Investing In Louisiana: The Economic Impact of Louisiana's Largest Public Retirement System

Want to know just how big of an impact the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) has on our state's economy? Check out TRSL's 2013
economic impact report, Investing in Louisiana: The Economic Impact of Louisiana's Largest Public Retirement System. Here's the link: http://trsl.org/uploads/File/Investments/Econ_Impact_Web.pdf.

A Good Watch: The One Flaw in Women

With Mothers' Day approaching, I encourage you to check out this inspirational short movie called, The One Flaw in Women. I hope this brightens your day and does the same for the important women in your life. Click the following link to view the video: http://www.flickspire.com/m/WalkTheTalk/OneFlawInWomen?lsid=4b2ef15bb8909da4a66cd1b61b653755.

Get To Know Together Baton Rouge

Together Baton Rouge is a broad-based coalition of institutions in the Greater Baton Rouge area that focuses on three basic goals: to build relationships across our community based on trust and a willingness to listen to each other; to equip members and leadership with skills and practices to get results; and to achieve change on concrete issues, as part of our common call to justice. The coalition was built to cross the lines of race, religion, neighborhood, and political affiliation. If you live in or around the Baton Rouge community, this is a great group to get involved with. If you don't live in Baton Rouge – and are extremely ambitious – consider looking into forming a coalition like this in your community. To learn more, visit www.togetherbr.org.

The LAE Representative Assembly is Next Weekend

The annual LAE Representative Assembly will be held at the Baton Rouge Marriott next Saturday and Sunday, April 13^th and 14^th. If you're in the area, make plans to join us to hear the discussion surrounding association business and upcoming action plans. You don't have to be a delegate come and listen to the conversation. We hope to see you there!

The 2013 Legislative Session Begins Monday, April 8^th

In just one week, the LAE Lobby Team will descend upon the Louisiana State Capitol to speak on behalf of the hard-working education employees of Louisiana. The 2013 Legislative Session begins on April 8^th, and we need your help as we prepare for yet another fight. There will be a few days where we will need you to join us at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. The Lobby Team has not yet scheduled specific dates because these days are determined by the House and Senate education committees' schedules, but as we await this call to action, I ask that you get prepared by reserving personal days to be used as needed this April and May. Thanks in advance for your attention to this important matter.

Stay In Touch with the LAE Lobby Team By Signing up for Communications from the Capitol

It's important for you to stay in touch with the LAE Lobby Team during the 2013 Legislative Session. The LAE distributes The Capitol Connection in order to keep members informed on weekly happenings at the Louisiana Capitol. This e-newsletter provides you with important updates on the bills that stand to impact your professional future. Capwiz XC distributes urgent e-mail messages to members requesting immediate action. Both Capwiz and The Capitol Connection are easy ways for LAE members to stay connected and have their voices heard during the legislative session. Please sign up for The LAE Capitol Connection and Capwiz XC alerts TODAY! Go to www.lae.org to get started!

Dates To Remember

4/8: Louisiana Legislative Session begins

4/12: LAE Board Meeting

4/13 – 4/14: LAE Representative Assembly

"In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn."
― Phil Collins

LAE 2013 Louisiana Legislature Regular Session Bill Watch Report

2013 REGULAR SESSION OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE

LAE BILL WATCH REPORT AS OF APRIL 2, 2013

HB 46

Price, Ed(D)

Authorizes a cost-of-living adjustment for certain retirees of the La. School Employees' Retirement System and their beneficiaries.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

02-21-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Retirement

HB 57

Pearson, Kevin(R)

Provides relative to the actuarial liabilities of state retirement systems as relates to LASERS, TRSL, Louisiana School Employees' Retirement System, and the Louisiana State Police Retirement System.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

02-22-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Retirement

HB 60

Talbot, Kirk(R)

Relative to state and statewide retirement systems, prohibits certain members who are reemployed after retirement from receiving retirement benefits or accruing additional benefits.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

02-22-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Retirement

HB 61

Badon, Austin(D)

Provides relative to the calculation of benefits for members of state and statewide retirement system.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

02-22-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Retirement

HB 115

James, Ted(D)

Provides for parent petitions relative to the transfer of certain schools from the Recovery School District back to the local school system.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-13-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 129

Pierre, Vincent(D)

Prohibits giving a teacher or administrator a performance rating until completion of his full evaluation.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-15-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 230

Pope, Rogers(R)

Provides relative to the definition of "eligible student" for participation in the Student Scholarship for Educational Excellence (voucher) Program.

Position:

Amend-Support

Bill History:

03-25-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 242

Carter, Steve(R)

Authorizes the state superintendent of education to make certain adjustments to the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program accountability system.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-26-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 248

Talbot, Kirk(R)

Relative to the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (voucher) Program, requires that scholarship recipients annually meet certain criteria for program certification.

Position:

Support

*Bill History:*	03-26-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 249

Richard, Jerome(I)

Changes certain eligibility criteria for participation in the Course Choice Program.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-26-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 343

Edwards, John Bel(D)

Prohibits certain public high school students from being administered tests pursuant to La. Education Assessment Program or the La. School and District Accountability System with certain exceptions.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-27-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 346

Richard, Jerome(I)

Requires legislative approval of changes made to school performance score ranges.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-27-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 478

Champagne, Simone(R)

Provides relative to school board reduction in force policies.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 531

Havard, Kenny(R)

Constitutional Amendment to provide relative to increasing the financial burden of public school systems.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs

HB 540

Jones, Sam(D)

Repeals provisions of law relative to teacher certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Position:

Support

*Bill History:*	03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 541

Simon, Scott(R)

Provides relative to a students access to an effective teacher.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 542

Whitney, Lenar(R)

Provides relative to charter schools.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 558

Hollis, Paul(R)

Provides generally relative to the "Course Choice Program".

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 584

Smith, Patricia(D)

Provides relative to standards for virtual schools.

Position:

Support

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 596

Carter, Steve(R)

Provides relative to powers and duties of local school boards and superintendents.

Position:

Opposed

Bill History:

03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 625

Gaines, Randal(D)

Provides relative to the process for discharging, demoting, or disciplining a permanent public school teacher.

Position:

Support

*Bill History:*	03-29-13 H Referred to House Committee on House Education

HB 643

Miller, Greg(R)

Provides with respect to the payment of UAL and other retirement obligations from MFP to determine state-funded per pupil allocation for charter schools, course providers, and scholarship schools.

Position:

Support