NEA’S CAT-A-VAN READING TOUR VISITS LOUISIANA
LAE PARTNERS WITH NEA AND DR. SEUSS FOR TOUR THAT BRINGS GRANTS TO LAFAYETTE AND BATON ROUGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN NEED
Hundreds of Louisiana students got some Seussian-style inspiration in March when they were paid a special visit by the National Education Association’s Cat-a-Van. The tour, which included the Cat in the Hat and his friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2, is part of the NEA’s Read Across America initiative, the nation’s largest reading celebration with more than 45 million participating annually.
“NEA sponsors Read Across America every year because our three million members understand that reading is so important for our students in helping them be what they want to be,” said NEA Executive Committee Member Earl Wiman, who led Lafayette-area students in a special reading of Seuss classics.
“Whatever their dreams, we want our students to succeed,” added NEA Executive Committee Member Joyce Powell, who led the Baton Rouge-area read-alongs. “NEA’s Cat-a-Van Reading Tour is helping children gain access to great books so they can go far in school and in life.”
NEA’s Cat-a-Van Reading Tour is a week-long reading initiative designed to give the gift of reading to students in high-needs schools. Lafayette’s Evangeline and J. W. Faulk and Baton Rouge’s Westminster and Magnolia Woods elementary schools were among the four Louisiana schools selected for the reading route. In addition to Lafayette and Baton Rouge, the Cat-a-Van stopped in select cities in Oklahoma and Texas.
“Good reading habits can expand children’s horizons and really take them places later in life,” said LAE President Debbie Meaux. “As we say in French, ‘le plus que tu lis, le plus que tu sais.’ But no matter the language, the message is the same: the more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
The Cat-a-Van’s final stop was at the Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans, where public elementary school students from St. Bernard and St. John the Baptist parishes attended a day of reading activities, culminating in a read-along led by NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia.
The NEA gave away $15,000 in library grants to support the schools participating in the tour. Students also received red and white stovepipe “reading” hats, books, and other goodies, bringing the grand total of donations to more than $100,000.
In addition to reading excitement, this year’s Read Across America initiative also aimed to promote the kick-off of Dr. Seuss’ “Kid, You’ll Move Mountains” campaign, a nationwide search for kids ages 5–18 who excel in the areas of STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. This contest recognizes and celebrates children who are living the message of the book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Visit www.kidsmovingmountains.com to learn more.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Debbie Meaux, President
The 2015 Legislative Season is nearly upon us, and it’s promising to be an active one. Please be sure to read this issue thoroughly, as several articles can help increase your knowledge of the LAE’s legislative priorities and how you play an integral part in making sure the voices of public school employees are heard in the halls of the Louisiana State Capitol.
April is LAE Representative Assembly month! During the annual LAE RA— set to take place April 11 and 12— representatives from LAE affiliates across the state will gather in Baton Rouge to discuss, debate, and conduct the business of the association; recognize and celebrate our top members through the awarding of LAE Image Awards; and interview the candidates running for Louisiana Governor in 2015. We may even entertain a recommendation for an early endorsement of one of the candidates.
Immediately following the RA— the very next day, in fact—the 2015 Legislative Session begins. I, along with the members of the LAE Lobby Team, encourage each of you to join LAE as we defend and promote the priorities of Louisiana’s public school educators.
Last month, we shared the goals of our legislative program through a series of legislative conferences held in every region of the state. During these conferences, we recapped past legislative sessions, shared our predictions for the 2015 Session, and introduced and explained bills that LAE lobbyists are hoping to move through the legislative process. There are several pieces of legislation this session that can either make or break us, and we need you to help us in our efforts to promote positive change in public education. I urge you to get involved this session. Stay in touch with your state senators and representatives. Make a commitment to participate in any LAE Legislative Calls-to-Action that the LAE Lobby Team initiates. The easiest way to do this is to sign up for the LAE’s political advocacy tool, Capwiz, by visiting capwiz.com/nea/la/ mlm/signup/ and completing the stepby-step enrollment. You can also sign up by visiting the LAE website and clicking on the Capwiz banner on the home page. By completing this simple process, you will have access to communications straight from the LAE Lobby Team. LAE lobbyists will use Capwiz alerts to issue urgent calls-to-action on any bill at a critical stage in the legislative process. With a few clicks of a mouse, you can send messages to lawmakers declaring your support or opposition to the passage of a bill. This is extremely important, as each message sent has the potential to reach legislators who—with validation from his/her constituents—could be a deciding vote on key pieces of legislation.
Remember, the most powerful lobbying comes from the discussions individual teachers have with their local lawmakers. Please make plans to join us for any lobby days the LAE team plans this session; so far, we’ve tentatively scheduled two lobby days for April 16 and June 1, 2015. If attending a lobby day is not possible, we encourage you to engage your legislators when they are back home in their districts. Face-to-face discussions are always the most effective way to explain your viewpoint to a legislator who may not know the significant impact a certain piece of legislation can have on a community. Whether it’s on the street, in the grocery store, or after church, legislators are always eager to hear from their constituents. When one-on-one contact isn’t feasible, call or email your local legislators to reinforce the message being carried by LAE lobbyists. These communications make more of an impact than you may think; your voice speaking alongside thousands of other LAE members’ voices helps us reinforce our message, which helps LAE lobbyists make their case at the Capitol.
I know you have quite a busy month ahead of you as testing resumes. I want to wish you and your students the best of luck during this stressful time. Remember, no bubble test can truly measure a child’s curiosity, creativity, or critical thinking skills—the most important aspects of a well-rounded education. So much more happens in the classroom, with you, every day, that a test will never show. Talented professionals, like yourself, strengthen our students’ love of learning by providing them with well-rounded, innovative learning environments. I speak for all LAE leaders and staff when I say how much I admire your commitment to your students. Continue to inspire them to become the successful citizens they’re destined to be.
Summer is right around the corner, and you’ll soon have the much-needed break from what I’m sure will go down in the books as a successful school year. Until then, keep up the great work and please make a commitment to stay involved this legislative session—dedicate some time to advocate for your profession, but most importantly, for the school children of Louisiana.
In Solidarity,
Debbie Meaux
2015 LEGISLATIVE SESSION PREDICTIONS
BUDGET WOES, TAX REBATES, AND MORE CUTS
The 2015 Legislative Session is expected to be one filled with ever-increasing budget woes, tax rebate fights, and more cuts to higher education and healthcare as the state braces for a $1.6 billion budget shortfall heading into the 2015-16 fiscal year. Governor Jindal attributes the state’s budget woes to the decline in oil prices, but according to reports by the state’s legislative fiscal office, the bulk of the anticipated shortfall for the fiscal year 2016 budget was projected at nearly 1.2 billion before any oil price revisions were considered. Nearly $1 billion of the shortfall is associated with the use of onetime resources supporting the 2015 budget that will have to be replaced for the 2016 budget. In his proposal to the joint budget committee, the governor proposed rolling back refundable tax credits totaling more than a half a billion dollars in an attempt to close the funding gap on higher education.
The proposal to rein in corporate giveaways has caused a firestorm within the business sector, specifically from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). According to a report by Baton Rouge newspaper, The Advocate, the corporate inventory tax rebate comes at a huge cost to the state—a cost that is growing rapidly. Louisiana’s inventory tax refund program is responsible for a massive hole in the state’s budget, totaling $427 million last year. After years of relative stability, the past seven years have brought a 120 percent rise in costs associated with refunds, raising questions about whether the refund system is being gamed by businesses.
It looks as though K-12 education could go unscathed by the governor’s budget after BESE approved an MFP formula resolution that includes a 1.375 percent funding increase. Lawmakers will have an opportunity to either approve or reject the resolution. If rejected, the proposal will be sent back to BESE—the only group with authority to change the formula.
Additional LAE priorities this session include increasing retiree pay through a cost-of-living adjustment, improving the teacher evaluation system, expanding the pool of retirees eligible to return to work, proposing a comprehensive review of the Common Core State Standards, and working to sustain salary increases for teachers and education support professionals. The LAE Lobby Team will keep you posted on these and all other issues set to be discussed during the 2015 Session. Please visit lae.org for updates.
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