NEA PRESIDENT VISITS LOUISIANA DURING HER ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL TOUR
NEA President Lily Eskelsen García and her team visited Louisiana this fall during NEA’s Back to School Tour. The annual tour highlights the great things going on in public schools across the nation. The crew spent two days with LAE leaders visiting schools in the Baton Rouge and Acadiana regions. During her stop in Louisiana, President Eskelsen García met with LAE members and their students to discuss the innovative work they are doing in their schools.
In Baton Rouge, the team visited The Dufrocq School where President Eskelsen García met with educators and read to classes taught by LAE members Diane Vickers, Marcia LeCompte, Angelica Johnson, Mona Myles, Vernecia Anthony, and Jamie Alello.
President Eskelsen García also made a stop at McKinley High School, where she visited with East Baton Rouge Parish Association of Educators member Ventress Cofer, among other educators, to experience the school’s learning environment. Eskelsen García said she could really feel the sense of pride and inclusivity across McKinley’s campus.
“Students noted the importance diversity played in making McKinley High feel like a family,” said Eskelsen García. “McKinley is the perfect example of educators giving 110 percent for every student regardless of how few resources with which they are given to work.”
After their visit at McKinley High School, the NEA team attended a luncheon with Baton Rouge-area legislators. President Eskelsen García praised those in attendance for being champions of public schools and encouraged them to continue to stand up for the best interests of Louisiana’s teachers and students. The day culminated with a dinner/meet-and-greet with LAE members at the headquarters office in Baton Rouge.
The second day of the tour brought President Eskelsen García and her crew to the Acadiana region to visit two schools in Vermilion parish: Erath High School and Eaton Park Elementary School. Vermilion Association of Educators member Emily Broussard led President Eskelsen García on a tour of Erath High School, one of the state’s top performing public schools. Emily introduced President Eskelsen García to a group of ambitious studentleaders who gushed about their cohesive school community. Several praised their teachers for making school feel like home.
President Eskelsen García then joined Vermilion Association of Educators President Suzanne Breaux on a tour of Eaton Park Elementary, a high-needs school in Abbeville, Louisiana. Here, she had a chance to witness an enthusiastic vocabulary lesson in LAE member Libby Klein’s first grade classroom. After visiting with the class and sharing a story of her experience on President Barack Obama’s famous jet, Air Force One, President Eskelsen García was invited to read a book to the eager students.
President Eskelsen García’s trip to Louisiana was one that provided her with much inspiration. She will share her experiences with our nation’s leaders as she highlights public school success stories from across the nation.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Debbie Meaux, President
President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” These words hold much significance as we transition from one election cycle (Louisiana leadership elections) to another (LAE Leadership elections). We are currently looking for individuals with a sense of duty and loyalty to step into leadership roles within the LAE, to aid in our efforts of ensuring that the association remains the strong, viable advocate it has been for so long. Member-leaders infuse the association with local perspectives from across the state, and they help drive the mission, goals, and initiatives of the LAE; they provide feedback on advocacy initiatives and resource offerings. Member-leaders are the heart and soul of the association.
LAE leaders are considered thoughtleaders on important public school matters that directly impact Louisiana schools, teachers, and students. We make it our mission to bring a voice to the table where we sit as equals with those who have the power to make change. We share the needs and experiences of Louisiana educators and students. LAE members play an instrumental role in paving the way for positive public school policy ideals to become reality.
In a democratically run organization like LAE, the strength of the whole is determined by those who lead. We are only as strong as those who carry the torch. I ask that you look deep within yourself. What are your goals as a professional? Are you willing to help us in our effort to make our colleagues stronger advocates for the profession?
If this sounds like you, please consider taking a leadership role within the association. It is extremely important! Take a look at the list of open positions, as well as the elections’ timelines and procedures listed within this publication. If you are compelled to run for office, the nomination forms are available at lae.org/2016elections.
In addition to leadership elections, we are asking local association leaders begin selecting representatives to our state convention. The LAE Representative Assembly will be held in Baton Rouge on April 9 and 10 of 2016. Please expect your local president to put out the call for nominations in the near future. The RA is an extremely important membership event every year, but this year it will be groundbreaking. With a new governor in office, the convention will focus on how to best move forward with the state’s new administration. We have a chance to get things right in our schools and truly make a difference in our profession. During the RA, the member representatives in attendance will work to define the organization’s direction by strengthening association policies and initiatives. I can assume that one major focus this year will address the path we must pursue in order to successfully break the “test and punish” policies that have been plaguing the education profession and children for far too long. Furthermore, LAE must make sure that the state’s accountability plan aligns with the new reauthorization plan, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). LAE will maintain its status as a lead contributor to the crafting process for this and any other important education policies.
LAE leaders and staff have recently launched the LAE Teaching & Learning program. In the coming months, consider exploring this new program as we host trainings and events in your area. We plan to position LAE members as thoughtleaders in professional development in the areas of classroom management, cultural competency, student learning targets (SLTs), response to intervention and PBIS, community conversation and outreach, National Board Certification support, and teacher leadership and advocacy, along with other important areas of professional growth. If you’re interested in helping us in this endeavor, please contact LAE Teaching & Learning Coordinator Madison Poche at [email protected] or (225) 281-6608.
The changes on the horizon will bring several challenges, and that’s okay. Anything worth fighting always comes with adversity. Our schools are worth the fight. Our colleagues are worth the fight. Our students are worth the fight. We are always our strongest when we come together; and together, we will bring positive change to our state.
In closing, I hope you will consider serving as a part of the LAE governance structure, dedicated to the advancement of our educators and the children we serve. Brighter times lie ahead for Louisiana. I look forward to collaborating with all of you in an effort to increase the professional stature and admiration of the talented educators of this state.
In Solidarity,
Debbie Meaux
LAE LEADERS CONGRATULATE JOHN BEL EDWARDS ON HISTORIC GUBERNATORIAL VICTORY
LEADER, COLLABORATOR, AND UNITER WILL FIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT BY LOUISIANA FAMILIES
“We find ourselves on the cusp of a unique opportunity; not only for public school teachers, parents, and students, but for every Louisiana citizen,” said LAE President Debbie Meaux. “John Bel Edwards is the governor our state needs – a proven leader, collaborator, and uniter who will work hard to do what is right by Louisiana families.”
Meaux said she takes pride knowing that LAE members played a significant role in helping Edwards spread his campaign message: a promise to promote policies that truly put Louisiana first.
“I want to thank each and every LAE member for the tremendous support they’ve shown over the past year,” Meaux said. “LAE members from across the state helped in our campaign efforts – everything from making phone calls to placing campaign signs in their yards to talking to their families and friends – we couldn’t have made progress in Louisiana’s communities without you! This truly goes to show that with hard work, dedication, and faith, anything is possible.”
During his time as a state representative, John Bel Edwards has been a consistent champion for Louisiana’s public education system – grades pre-kindergarten through graduate school. Meaux said she’s eager to begin the long road of redirecting the past eight years of misguided policies enacted by the Jindal administration.
“There is much to be done and educators are ready to join John Bel Edwards on the journey to restoring our state,” Meaux said. “It’s time we put Louisiana’s public school educators and students first; and for this, the future looks brighter than ever before.”
LAE CONGRATULATES MEMBER TIA MILLS ON HER APPOINTMENT TO THE TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MILLS WILL SERVE ACTIVE SYSTEM MEMBERS IN TRSL’S THIRD DISTRICT
The Board of Trustees for the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) made an interim trustee appointment at its November meeting. Dr. Tia Mills of Baton Rouge was appointed and sworn in to represent active members employed in District 3, which includes the parishes of Assumption, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Lafourche, and Terrebonne. Mills is a teacher at Magnolia Woods Elementary School in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The TRSL Board of Trustees meets monthly to develop policies for the administration of the retirement plan, monitor investment performance, and review system operations. The Board is responsible for safeguarding and managing the assets TRSL holds in trust to provide retirement income for system members.
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