Publications and Reports

BESE Report
December, 2017

Public education funding likely to be frozen again

State Superintendent of Education John White announced to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that a funding increase for public education’s Minimum Foundation Program is unlikely in the coming year.

After hearing from teachers, principals, superintendents and local school boards, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved modest changes to the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan. The changes aim to ease the “sticker shock” expected to lower school letter grades when tougher standards are imposed.

LFT President Larry Carter urged the board to adopt a four-point plan proposed by school superintendents, instead of the harsh BESE plan that would see many schools drop at least one letter grade.

Abbreviated BESE meetings sidestep ESSA issue

Faster than a speeding bullet, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education sailed through its slate of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday in record time. Committee hearings that generally last until the sun goes down (or later) were gaveled to a close with hours to spare, leaving onlookers puzzled more about what did not happen than what did.

Governor announces MFP freeze for 2017-18

UPDATE: At a January 27 meeting of the legislature’s Joint Committee on the Budget, Gov. John Bel Edwards pledged that there will be no cuts to this year's Minimum Foundation Program, family services or department of corrections in a special session slated to run from February 13-23.

BESE Report - October, 2016
BESE okays plan for teacher internships

A plan to reconfigure teacher preparation in Louisiana was unanimously approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education following a close favorable vote by the board’s Teacher Effectiveness Committee.

LFT has conducted a comprehensive survey to evaluate the concerns of educators and community members with regards to schools reopening later this summer. LFT received responses from nearly 15,000 teachers, support staff, parents, students and concerned community members regarding the reopening of schools. The survey was conducted electronically between June 30-July 10, 2020 and distributed widely through various online platforms.

Until a vaccine is developed for COVID-19, each community is going to need support in charting a path to safely and responsibly reopen school buildings and other institutions crucial to the well-being and economic vitality of our communities.

The AFT’s detailed, science-based “Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities” features five core pillars based on the science as well as educator and healthcare expertise—not on politics or wishful thinking.