ELECTION DAY - NOVEMBER 2, 2010

What's At Stake?

Election Day is here.  Did you know that there are 37 Governors races, 37 U.S. Senate Races, 435 U.S. House Races, and dozens of ballot measures and initiatives that would affect public education, students, and educators?  The number of governorships up for election is more than the nation has ever seen in a single year.  6,118 state legislative seats will be chosen in 46 states.  In most states, it will be the governors and state legislators elected who will draw the lines of congressional districts that will stand for the next decade.    Visit NEA's Education Votes website for tools and resources to help education voters stand up for students and public education.

Developing plans for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond

You are cordially invited to the LAE Headquarters and the Condo Clubhouse for a "Survive & Thrive" conversation with the LAE President.     THEME:  Action Starts Here:  Developing plans for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond      WHO:               New Presidents and Experienced Presidents     WHY:               Training, dialog around local issues and sharing ideas     WHEN:             November 21 – 22, 2010     WHERE:           Baton Rouge Headquarters                         Condo Clubhouse     TIME:               November 21, 2010, beginning at 12:00 noon                         November 22, 2010, ending by 2:00 p.m.     ISSUES:           Presidents' Essential Binder                         How Presidents' Survive & Thrive     STATE FUNDING:        Hotel accommodations for November 21, 2010, at the Drury Inn                                     All Meals     LOCAL FUNDING:        Travel expense         Please let RSVP to Laurie Guillot at laurie.guillot@lae.org if you are able to attend by November 10, 2010.     We hope that you will take advantage of attending this special meeting designed specifically for LAE Local Presidents.     Plenty of food, fun and conversation

 

Letter from Joyce Haynes, LAE President / Vote Charlie Melancon for US Senate

Letter from Joyce Haynes, LAE President   Vote Charlie Melancon for US Senate

Dear LAE Member, Your vote makes a difference.  The LAE Fund for Children and Public Education recommends that you vote Charlie Melancon for U. S. Senate on November 2nd.  We need Melancon in the U.S. Senate as another vote to help protect the Louisiana Public School system.  As employees of the public schools, we know best what it will take to improve and reform our system.  Charlie Melancon will be our ally.  Melancon has proven that he will help keep our schools open, provide federal funding to protect jobs for teachers and education support professionals, and ensure that every child has access to a great public school. Charlie Melancon voted as a member of congress to provide federal funding to prevent 2,200 educators in Louisiana from being laid-off. Charlie was there to support us by fighting against school voucher schemes and privatizing ESP jobs. Charlie was there to support us by opposing the use of test scores as the primary means of evaluating teachers. Now Charlie needs our support. Please join me in voting for Charlie Melancon on Tuesday, November 2nd. Together, we can elect a U.S. Senator who shares our belief in great public schools for every child. Joyce Haynes, President Louisiana Association of Educators

Jazz Funeral for Higher Education - The Daily Reveille

Jazz Funeral for Higher Education - The Daily Reveille

Carla Lowe Lobbies at the White House - July 2010

Mrs. Lowe went to Washington

Laid-off St. Helena Central High guidance counselor urges Sens. Landrieu and Vitter to save education jobs

By: Stacy Grissom

WASHINGTON—With the start of school just around the corner, many educators are in serious planning mode for the upcoming school year. That's not the case for Carla Lowe, a guidance counselor who was recently laid-off from St. Helena Central High in Greensburg, La. Rather than heading back to her high school, she is headed to the nation's capitol to urge Louisiana Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter to pass the "Education Jobs Fund," a $10 billion emergency aid package that would help keep teachers in classrooms and provide educational support services targeted to low-income and at-risk students. 

Without this infusion of money into state education budgets, the National Education Association (NEA) estimates up to 130,000 educators across the nation could lose their jobs.  In Louisiana, the bill could bring $147 million, funding some 2,242 jobs. The House passed a similar measure before the Fourth of July recess.

When Lowe, who lives in Kentwood, La., with her husband and seven-month-old son, was told that her contract would not be renewed, she worried both about her students and her family. 

"My students need me and other educators to be with them in school, not on the unemployment line," said Lowe. "My community needs me to be able to pay my mortgage, and my family needs health insurance and groceries. Louisiana has been through so much these last few years so I hope that Sens. Landrieu and Vitter will get behind this bill because this is one disaster that can be avoided."

WHO: Carla Lowe of Kentwood, La., laid-off guidance counselor at St. Helena Central High School

WHAT: Lowe is traveling to Washington, D.C., meeting on Capitol Hill with Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter to urge their support for a $10 billion emergency aid package to save education jobs.

WHY: This bill could help keep upwards of $130,000 educators in the classroom. NEA estimates the bill would bring $147 million to Louisiana, funding some 2,242 jobs.

WHEN: Wednesday, July, 21, 2010

WHERE: Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

For more resources on education funding, please go to www.nea.org/funding

For more information on saving educators' jobs, visit www.educationvotes.nea.org/

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LSUnited and LAE gears up ‘Defend Public Education Day at LSU

LSUnited and LAE gears up 'Defend Public Education Day at LSU

 

(Baton Rouge) Louisiana educators will remind elected officials that public higher education is an engine of economic growth that benefits all communities at large during "Defend Public Education Day," October 7, 2010 at Louisiana State University. The event will use the sacred Louisiana tradition of a jazz funeral procession to illustrate how the current budget crisis facing higher education results in "loss" of funding, educators, and access for working families.

 

The historic actions and protests of last Fall and Spring demonstrated that Louisiana students, teachers, staff and communities stand in solidarity to fight against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes that shrink access to public education and services.

 

In addition to LSUnited and LAE, Proud Students, LSU Graduate Student Association, and the LSU Faculty Senate, with the support of concerned students and faculty, sponsor this event.

 

WHO: Joyce Haynes, LAE, Patricia O'Neill, LSUnited, Ryan Orgera, LSU Graduate Student Association and Bradley Wood, Proud Student Organization

WHAT: Defend Public Education Day

WHERE: October 7, 2010, Louisiana State University Parade Grounds, 12pm Noon

WHY: The event will use the sacred Louisiana tradition of a jazz funeral procession to illustrate how the current budget crisis facing higher education results in "loss" of funding, educators, and access for working families.