A survey from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers indicates that 61 percent of union members support a statewide walkout or strike to accomplish their goals of better school funding and pay raises. The survey was inspired by a series of successful teacher’s strikes in other states. LFT president Larry Carter says teacher pay has stagnated since 2012, and is now clearly below the regional average.
3,800 teachers responded to the survey
And a low pressure system in the gulf heading for the coast this Memorial Day weekend is picking up steam, and is now tagged for investigation by the National Hurricane Center. That means additional computer models will be simulated to provide a clearer picture on just how strong, and where the system may hit. Current, incomplete models indicate that it could land anywhere from New Orleans to Miami.
The special session kicks off today, giving legislators two weeks to come to an agreement on how to handle a 648 million dollar budget shortfall that threatens to potentially devastate healthcare and higher education. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says he’s open to compromise plans, but will not support any budget that resembles those passed by the Louisiana House and Senate that either slashed healthcare or gutted higher ed and TOPS.
US Representative Clay Higgins’ bill that would require the US to collect information on how many school resource officers are in place in schools passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. The North Louisianan Congressman says after the Parkland school shooting, he realized DC was lacking critical information on school safety.
The bill is one of two pieces of legislation aimed at improving school safety, the other being an attempt to establish national standards and best practices for responding to school shootings