Progress in the Parish: Why Jefferson Schools Should Reject Collective Bargaining

By Ben Kilpatrick

05/21/2013

Like New Orleans, Jefferson’s reforms are now bearing fruit. And like New Orleans, Jefferson benefits from leadership that places students above special interests. Here are five reasons why approving a new CBA would stymie momentum and risk recent gains.

TAGS: CBA, collective bargaining agreements, Course Choice, Education Reform, Jefferson Federation of Teachers, Jefferson Parish, JPPSS, School choice, teachers union

Value-Added Teacher Evaluation Divides BESE Candidates, Draws Union Opposition

By Kevin Mooney

11/03/2011

Test scores that measure the progress students make each year will now be used as part of a new evaluation system that determines how effective teachers are in the classroom. But not everyone with a stake in the public education system is pleased with the change.

TAGS: Advisory Committee on Educator Evaluations (ACEE), BESE, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Louisiana Association of Educators, Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, teachers union, value-added teacher evaluation

Union Wages Drive Up Costs, Increase Tax Burden for Louisiana Residents

By Kevin Mooney

03/09/2011

Public sector unions are boosting taxpayer costs in Louisiana just as they are in other states. The demonstrations in Wisconsin, New Jersey and Ohio relate back to a fundamental change in the composition of organized labor. For the first time in American history, more union workers are employed by the government than the private sector.

TAGS: Louisiana Federation of Teachers, public sector unions, Right to Work, teachers union, unionfacts.com, Wisconsin

Louisiana’s Comeback Agenda

Louisiana’s Comeback Agenda is a bold vision for policy change in Louisiana. Given our economic and cultural assets, Louisiana should be an economic powerhouse. This agenda is the roadmap for how we get there. It’s intended to serve as a guide for lawmakers, candidates, and community leaders to spark discussion and debate toward proven policies that will...

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