NATCHITOCHES ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS MEMBER TO RECEIVE CALIFORNIA CASUALTY AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE
Natchitoches Association of Educators member Crystal Pierce has been selected to receive the 2017 California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence. She is among 43 public school educators from across the nation who will be honored in Washington, D.C. on February 10, 2017 at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala. Crystal’s school, Fairview Alpha Elementary School, will receive a $650 award because of this achievement.
“We honor these outstanding educators and hope to empower them to transform the profession by driving innovation that leads to positive student outcomes,” said CEO of the NEA Foundation Harriet Sanford.
Crystal has also been invited to participate in a special global learning fellowship, an extensive, year-long professional development opportunity to cultivate the global competence skills educators use to improve their practice and to prepare their students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Crystal will travel to China next summer to wrap up this year-long experience.
LAE nominated Crystal after she received the association’s coveted Teacher Image Award at the Representative Assembly this past spring. Congrats, Crystal! Your colleagues are very proud!
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
Debbie Meaux, President
Une nouvelle année scolaire et quelle différence!
What a difference a year makes! Our nation’s schools are now being governed by policies set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a new federal law that stands to restore local control over education operations. I truly feel that for the first time in more than a decade, Louisiana’s true public education stakeholders have the unique opportunity to directly influence how our kids are educated. With great power comes great responsibility, and we all know that educators are always ready and willing to rise to the challenge. Members of the LAE have proven this by leading the charge to ensure that our state education leaders properly and appropriately enact the law here in Louisiana.
So far, we’ve convinced Governor Edwards to establish an ESSA advisory council which will review the law, its regulations, and ultimately make recommendations on implementation. LAE has four seats on this council, where we plan to work closely with experts from the NEA to ensure that educators and students’ needs are taken into consideration.
The association has a team of local members who have been trained and are ready to work as advocates for proper ESSA implementation in their respective school districts. We’ve also established a special ESSA toolkit for members who want to help us in this endeavor; it can be found on our website at lae.org/essainla.
Many LAE members have already joined the movement by attending the Louisiana Department of Education’s statewide ESSA forums. I was proud to see so many members out in full force, ready to take a stand for their students and their classrooms, but I worry that this energy will die down when school starts. It must not. Our conversations must continue. It is critical that we continue to communicate and collaborate on this important initiative, as the authentic feedback and engagement of rank and file community members, parents, and teachers is crucial to ESSA’s success in Louisiana. Through working together, we are sure to experience positive educational outcomes for the children who live in our communities. This is why LAE leaders and members will be bold in our efforts to keep these discussions going by hosting a series of forums in major cities across the state beginning mid-September. Details on specific locations are forthcoming, but the forums will take place on the following dates:
* Shreveport - September 14
* Lafayette - September 20
* Lake Charles - September 21
* Morgan City - September 22
* Monroe - September 27
* Alexandria - September 28
* Baton Rouge - September 29
* LaPlace - October 4
* Bogalusa - October 6
Event registration and specifics on times and locations can be accessed by visiting lae.org/communityconversations.
Those who join us can expect to get to work, as we will focus on collaborative discussion with the intent of establishing a community support plan. With this in mind, please make plans to join us for the forum taking place in the city nearest you, and be sure to invite your friends and neighbors to attend with you. We are serious about getting ESSA right for Louisiana’s school children. It is time that Superintendent White, BESE, and the rest of our lawmakers not only hear, but act upon the concerns of the experts – those closest to our students and their classrooms. Our power to impact these types of decisions and others like them will ultimately lead to positive change in our schools. This power continues to grow; it is especially evident in our success in making major headway in an oftentimes hostile education reform environment. We must keep the momentum going. We must be persistent, but also patient in our expectations. Nothing will change overnight. Real change takes time. We have a chance to get it right for the children of Louisiana – don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of this.
I know that ESSA is not perfect, but it far exceeds the policies which have preceded it. The U.S. Department of Education has put forth some questionable recommendations surrounding testing, and I’ve communicated our concerns and suggestions for strengthening this and other areas of the law. We will keep you updated on any developments as they take place.
I greatly appreciate the work each of you do for each and every student of this state. Louisiana’s children are in capable and compassionate hands. So, without future adieu, welcome back and best of luck: Bienvenue et Bonne Chance! I know you’ll make the 2016-17 School Year the best yet!
In Solidarity,
Debbie Meaux
2016 RECAP OF 1ST EXTRAORDINARY, REGULAR, AND 2ND EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE
June 23rd marked the end of a unique legislative season. With a new governor in office, legislators gathered for not one, but three sessions (one regular and two special), focusing on fixing the state’s massive budget deficit. Legislators ultimately raised about $1.5 billion in new annual revenue.
During the first special session, legislators found ways to raise $1.3 billion in new state state revenue. These dollars came mostly from a temporary one cent increase in the state’s sales tax. Lawmakers also raised taxes on alcohol and tobacco, in addition to eliminating some exemptions to the state sales taxes. Governor Edwards also applied spending cuts where possible, adding almost $300 million to the budget.
The $263 million raised during the second special session came mostly from health maintenance organizations, homeowners with property insurance, large businesses that pay taxes on inventory, and companies that overpay their taxes. Looking ahead to the 2017 Legislative Session, LAE lobbyists predict that lawmakers will take a more permanent look at reforming Louisiana’s tax structure since the one cent sales tax approved this session will expire in 2018.
As far as Louisiana’s K-12 budget goes, LAE was successful in making sure that the 2015-16 School Year was not shortchanged. In addition, to securing $20 million for the 2016-17 School Year, the LAE Lobby Team played a key role in the preservation of $7 million in MFP funding which will protect educator pay. Unfortunately, schools will still face a $24 million reduction in funding for the 2016-17 School Year; and as we all know, it is likely that this reduction will have a direct impact on every classroom in the state, as these dollars impact the implementation of higher learning standards, dual enrollment, high-cost special education services, and supplemental courses.
LAE leaders were instrumental in working with Governor Edwards to establish an advisory council to conduct an extensive review of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The group is charged with making recommendations on specific actions necessary for the implementation of ESSA in Louisiana. Not only did LAE push for the establishment of the council, leaders also secured representation on the council, which will ensure that authentic educator voices are taken into consideration when crafting policy under the new federal mandates.
LAE lobbyists worked closely with Senator Gerald Boudreaux to reduce the impact of the value-added model on teacher evaluations. After much negotiation with various stakeholder groups, the proposal (SB 477) gained overwhelming support from both the House and Senate before it was signed into law by Governor Edwards. The new law changes the weight of the value-added model from 50% to 35%, meaning that the data derived through the “value-added assessment model” will not account for more than 35% of a teacher’s evaluation on the quantitative side. The remaining 15% will be determined by student learning targets, which all teachers are using at this time.
As a result of the backlash surrounding the Common Core State Standards, BESE gave the green light on replacement standards recommended by Louisiana teachers and community members. The Louisiana State Student Standards were approved earlier this year and will go into effect for the 2016-2017 School Year. By supporting and helping to pass SB 262 (now Act 498) by Senator Blade Morrish and representatives Ed Price and Patricia Haynes Smith, LAE helped to safeguard schools, teachers, and students from any unintended consequences that may arise as a result of the transition to the new standards. Results from the assessments administered to students based on any new, standard-aligned assessments cannot be used for purposes of evaluating teacher performance or making placement decisions for fourth and eighth grade students. In addition, BESE will not be able to use results from the assessments as the basis for distribution of school and district letter grades that vary from the 2012-2013 assessment results, unless school/district performance is higher than it was in 2012-13.
LAE lobbyists and stakeholders helped to defeat legislation that would have limited assault leave benefits for educators who sustain life-altering injuries in the line of duty. Representative Kevin Pearson proposed amending current state law which allows educators to earn income while recovering from major injuries endured at work. The proposed changes would have limited compensation to one year, even if the educator were injured while trying to protect a student. The legislation’s journey came to a quick end after Senate Labor Committee members voiced harsh opposition to the proposal.
On the retirement front, LAE worked closely with Senator Barrow Peacock and Representative Sam Jones to pass legislation to grant retirees a long overdue cost-of-living adjustment. The increase went into effect for eligible TRSL and LSRES retirees in July. Eligible recipients include: 1.) any retiree, other than a disability retiree, who has attained at least age sixty and who has received a benefit for at least one year; 2.) any beneficiary whose receipt of benefits is not based on the death of a disability retiree, if benefits have been paid to the retiree or the beneficiary or to both combined for at least one year, and if the retiree would have attained age sixty; and 3.) any disability retiree or beneficiary who receives a benefit based on the death of a disability retiree, if benefits have been paid to the retiree or beneficiary or to both combined for at least one year. In addition, the increase will be payable only on the first sixty thousand dollars of a retiree or beneficiary’s benefit.
ASSOCIATION BUSINESS ADDRESSED AND MEMBERS HONORED AT ANNUAL LAE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY
LAE representatives from across Louisiana gathered in Baton Rouge for the 2016 LAE Representative Assembly. Highlights from this year’s annual member meeting included a discussion surrounding association business, an address by Governor John Bel Edwards, a reception honoring legislative allies, and a speech by NEA Retired Vice President John Jensen.
Event attendees also took some time away from business to honor several talented individuals with the LAE Image Awards. Natchitoches Parish Teacher Crystal Pierce walked away with the coveted LAE Teacher Image Award. Acadia Parish Paraeducator Linda Abshire was honored with the association’s annual ESP Image Award. Retired teacher and civil rights activist Daniel Landry, Sr. received the LAE Human and Civil Rights Trailblazer Award – his daughter accepted the award on his behalf. Former LAE President Mary Washington was named LAE’s 2016 Friend of Education and former LAE Executive Director Linda Day was honored with the 2016 LAE President’s Award.
Thank you to all who attended! Be sure your mark your calendars for our 2017 event scheduled for April 22 and 23.
Downloads
Learn More
Membership Has Its Rewards
