(Lake Charles – November 23, 2015) Dr. Lottie Beebe and Carolyn Hill were named today as the Louisiana Federation of Teachers’ Friends of Education for 2015. The Friend of Education Award is the highest honor that the Louisiana Federation of Teachers bestows on non-members of the union. It is presented to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to public education.
It was only natural. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers was the first organization to publicly endorse Governor-elect John Bel Edwards in what seemed like a long-shot bid for the governor’s mansion. Edwards returned the favor on November 22, when he made his first public address since the election to the LFT’s 51st annual convention in Lake Charles.
A new study from Stanford University says that the proliferation of charter schools in New Orleans has “created a set of schools that are highly stratified by race, class, and educational advantage, operating in a hierarchy that provides very different types of schools and to different types of children.”
LFT announces endorsements, favorable candidates and constitutional amendment recommendations
(Baton Rouge – September 30, 2015) This fall’s elections will mark a watershed in Louisiana history. Eight long years of misrule by the Jindal administration make it crucial that supporters of public education vote for candidates who respect our teachers, schools and students.
The Jefferson Parish School Board’s approval of a collective bargaining agreement with the Jefferson Federation of Teachers marks the return of teacher voice in educational decisions and a culture of collaboration, which have been rejected for the last three years by the former board.
Statement by LFT President Steve Monaghan
(July 24, 2015) Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the senseless, tragic shooting in Lafayette last night. It is especially poignant to learn that two of the victims are our colleagues, high school teachers who were simply taking in a movie on a Thursday night.
UPDATE: The board of Benjamin Franklin High School unanimously voted to ratify the contract with the United Teachers of New Orleans. Here is a link to the contract that has now been ratified by teachers and the board.
NEW ORLEANS (March 18, 2015) –Benjamin Franklin High School and the United Teachers of New Orleans announce a tentative agreement on an initial three-year contract. This bargaining agreement is a promising start to a stronger relationship and improved communication between the faculty, the administration and the school board, reinforcing the school’s mission of preparing students of high academic achievement to be successful in life
(Baton Rouge – March 11, 2015) Citing his longstanding support for public education, his family values and his inspiring life story, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers today announced that it is supporting State Rep. John Bel Edwards for governor.
(New Orleans – March 2, 2015) Teachers at Morris Jeff Community School today petitioned their administration and board to recognize the United Teachers of New Orleans as their representative and to begin negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement.
(Baton Rouge – February 5, 2015) A rising movement calling for parents to opt their children out of taking high-stakes tests is just the latest sign of chaos in the Baton Rouge education bureaucracy, and a signal that the state education board must take decisive action and give parents, teachers, and local school districts a sense of direction, according to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.