Press

In case you aren’t engaged with what’s been happening in New Orleans public education for the past 19 years, all but two of our public schools are now privatized, which means their operations are contracted (or “chartered”) to private, nonprofit organizations. These 72 schools are run by 37 private operators – some subsidiaries of national charter school groups, some homegrown. Each charter operator has a board of directors, but these boards are not publicly elected.

(New Orleans – September 25) Louisiana’s charter schools must recognize and bargain with unions if that is the desire of teachers and school employees, according to a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The September 21 ruling by a three-judge panel affirmed a decision by the National Labor Relations Board, asserting that the International High School of New Orleans violated the National Labor Relations Act when the group holding the school’s charter refused to recognize the school’s bargaining unit.

(Baton Rouge – August 13, 2018) Louisiana spends more than a billion dollars less on education, adjusted for inflation, now than it did prior to the recession of 2008, according to a new study by the American Federation of Teachers.

“It has taken our legislature 10 years to finally adopt a budget that is stable and predictable, without playing budget tricks and sweeping funds for one-time money,” said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter. “Now it’s time to address the neglect the situation that bad decisions by the previous administration brought us to.”

Nearly 4,000 teachers respond to LFT survey
LFT will confer with local leaders and partners about next steps

(Baton Rouge – May 21, 2018) Large majorities of Louisiana public school teachers favor some type of action to convince the state legislature and local school boards that pay raises are needed, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 teachers released by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers today.

(Baton Rouge – October 25, 2017) After years of litigation, approximately 350 Filipino teachers who were held in virtual bondage in Louisiana by a placement agency are slated to receive money from a class action lawsuit against the recruiter and her company. Each teacher will receive approximately $2,200.00.

“This is the bittersweet ending to a sad story of exploitation,” said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter. “While these teachers can never be properly compensated for their suffering, we have at least validated the rule of law and sent a strong message to those who would profit from such human trafficking.”

 (September 1, 2017) An annual survey by a respected education organization shows that Americans generally favor public education, oppose over-testing of students, and don’t want public education funds spent on private and religious schools.

“The Phi Delta Kappa survey tells us that most Americans are leery of what the status quo has been offering,” said Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter. “They are more interested in building a bright future for their children than in compiling test data.”

Vote raises salaries after four year freeze

(Covington – June 13, 2017) Teachers and school employees in St. Tammany Parish unanimously agreed Tuesday to new contract terms that will raise salaries this year and for the next two years.

(New Orleans – May 22, 2017) Educators at Mary D. Coghill Charter School will move to bargain a first contract with the school administration after decisively voting to join the United Teachers of New Orleans, an affiliate of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

Thanks to a months-long campaign by Red River United, an affiliate of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the Caddo Parish School Board on Tuesday approved a five percent pay raise for teachers and school employees.