THE
LPAE LINK
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH ASSOCIATION OF
EDUCATORS
VOL. XXV, NO. 9
MAY 2007
Lafayette
Parish
school
employees will miss Dr. David
Thibodaux, a great advocate for children
and school employees. The LPSB
appointed Mr. Mark Cockerham, a
friend of Dr. Thibodaux’s who knew and
understood his ideas and beliefs, to fill
the District 7 seat until the primary
election on October 20, 2007.
LPAE is proud to be the voice
that speaks for
the teachers and
support
professionals of
Lafayette Parish.
We invite you to
become an active
advocate for the children and employees
of Lafayette Parish. You are invited to
attend LPAE’S monthly meeting the first
Thursday of each month at 4:15 p.m. in
the L .J. Alleman Middle School
Cafeteria.
If you are a member, thank you
for belonging to LPAE/LAE/NEA. If
you are not a member, please take the
time to investigate which voice
represents the wishes of the employees
of the Lafayette Parish School System.
LPAE + LAE + NEA =
“Team” Work
By LPAE President Joycelyn Olivier
LPAE, with the assistance of
NEA and LAE, has taken an active part
in
LAE’S
Legislative
Plan.
LPAE/LAE/NEA members and staff
formed teams to visit all Lafayette Parish
Schools asking employees to sign a
petition requesting Legislators to
support BESE’s funding plan and
provide all school employees a
$3,000 raise for 07-08. The teams
also provided employees information
on the new Lafayette Parish
Insurance proposals. Employees will
have the option to choose from three
insurance plans in December. Thanks to
all employees who signed the petition
and agreed to contact their Legislators.
LPAE will provide information cards to
all employees that explain how to
contact legislators as well as Governor
Blanco’s office asking them to support
the $3,000 pay raise and BESE’s MFP.
GOOD NEWS!! Many LPAE
members expressed a desire for
Medicare eligibility. LPAE brought this
concern to the attention of the new
School Board members. The 2007–
2008 LPSS budget proposal, if approved
by the Board, will give employees hired
prior to April 1, 1986, the choice of
whether or not they wish to pay
Medicare-only taxes in order to qualify
for Medicare coverage upon retirement.
LPAE will keep employees informed on
the Board’s decision.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Talking Up Salaries………………… Pg. 2
NEA Member Benefits……..………… Pg. 3
Mother’s Day Lesson……….…........... Pg. 4
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address salaries for teachers and
other education employees, we're
kidding ourselves that we're
serious about quality.
Just so you know, raising teacher
salaries has fairly strong public
support -- just not from the media
and politicians. So who should
you trust -- parents who say we
need to raise salaries to get the
kind of teachers parents want and
students need or the media and
politicians?
Additional Talking Points on Teacher
Salaries
Parents and the general public
acknowledge the need to raise
teacher salaries to attract and
retain the kind of teachers
parents want and students need.
Enhancing teacher quality and
reducing class size are highly
effective strategies for improving
student achievement -- according
to research and common sense.
Parents and teachers support
raising -- not lowering -standards for teachers, together
with providing higher salaries.
According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, teachers work
an average of 44 hours a week.
NEA data shows teachers report
working an average of 49 hours a
week.
Teachers start out behind -- about
$8,000 below other college
graduates -- and the gap grows
larger over time -- about $32,000
compared to others with a
master's degree and 20 years
experience ("Quality Counts,"
Education Week, January 2000).
Why Is It Important
To
Talk
About
Education Salaries?
Here are a few points to help you engage
the public and your colleagues about the
importance of competitive salaries.
Teaching may be a calling, but it
shouldn't be a sacrifice.
Teachers make, on average,
about $20,000 a year less than
other
professionals
with
comparable education.
The salary gap for new teachers
starts out high - about $8,000
difference between beginning
teachers and other 22- to 28year-olds with bachelors' degree.
And it grows bigger over time about $32,000 between teachers
and other 44- to 50-year-olds
with a Master's degree. (Quality
Counts,
Education
Week,
January 2000, www.edweek.org)
We need to have compensation
for a teacher that attracts and
retains the kind of people
students need and parents want.
Why should people believe the laws of
supply and demand end at the school
house door?
Critics of public education often
talk about "injecting market
forces" to describe voucher
programs or "adopting efficient
business practices" on things like
purchasing. And yet, these same
people deny a relationship
between salary and quality.
Compensation is a teacher quality
issue.
We're willing to participate in a
wide array of issues that affect
teacher quality -- recruitment,
preparation,
continuing
education, etc. But unless we
Courtesy of LAE,www.lae.org/legislative/salaries.html
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NEA Long Distance – Get rates as low
as 3.9¢ per minute on state-to-state calls.
No monthly fees.
NEA Member Benefits
Get more out your hard-earned money
with NEA consumer discounts. Thanks
to the buying power of our 3.2 million
members, you can take advantage of
exclusive savings on products and
services designed to meet your family’s
everyday needs.
NEA Car Rental Program
– Get preferred member
rates and other special
benefits when you reserve
your rental car in advance
from Hertz or Alamo.
NEA
Bookstore –
Save an extra 5% at Barnes&Noble.com
on books, music, videos and more. Free
shipping on eligible orders of $25 or
more.
Collette Vacations – Travel the world
and save with Collette Vacations, a
leading provider of over 120 tours,
family cruises, and weekend getaways.
NEA Cellular – Your one
source for wireless with cellular
phones from the top names
including Nokia, Motorola, and
Sony Ericsson, plus calling plans from
the leading carriers.
NEA Classroom SuperStore Save an additional 10% off
Classroom Direct’s already low
warehouse prices, plus free
shipping on stocked items.
Nolo Legal –
Get a 5% discount from
the leading publisher of self-help legal
publications, software and forms.
NEA Magazine Service –
Save up to 85% off the cover
price of over 800 popular
magazines.
Courtesy of NEA Member Benefits
www.neamb.com/discount/index.jsp
3
We Need Your Voice!
Lesson Plan Idea:
Celebrate Mother’s
Day with Coupons
Remember:
Representation
is
important! The following schools had no
representation at the April 3, 2007
Association Representative Meeting.
Acadiana High
Broadmoor Elem.
CPS/LAPS/Charter
Carencro Middle
Lindon Elem.
Moss Middle
Plantation Elem.
Scott Middle
By Gary Hopkins, Education World®
Students can create a Mother's Day
Coupon Book, full of coupons that can be
exchanged for special services rendered by
students! Students can:
 brainstorm a list of thoughtful things
they might do for their mothers (or
another important person in their
life); and,
 use the list and their own ideas to
create coupons to give to their
mothers on Mother's Day.
Procedure:
What better gift could any kid give
Mom (or another important person in his or
her life) than a personal promise to do
something she would really appreciate? Ask
students to brainstorm ideas about some
special favors or services they might do for
their mothers. Write their ideas on a
chalkboard or chart paper. If students need
some ideas to get them thinking, you can
start the list by providing a couple of the
following ideas:
 Wash the Dinner Dishes
 30 Minutes of Quiet Time
 Breakfast in Bed
 Rake the Backyard
 Chore of Mom's Choice
Alleman Middle
Burke Elem.
Carencro Heights
Drexel Elem.
Live Oak Elem.
Ossun Elem.
Ridge Elem.
Woodvale Elem.
Give students time to write and
color their special coupons. Students can
create a Mother's Day card and insert the
coupons, or they can use construction
paper to make and decorate a cover for
their couponbooks with a title such as,
"Mother's Day Coupon Book -- Good
All Year Long!” Courtesy of www.nea.org
The LPAE Link is the official publication of the
Lafayette Parish Association of Educators
Joycelyn Olivier, President
Kirby Jambon, Editor
Regina Bourgeois, Executive Assistant
113 Chaplin Dr. Lafayette, LA 70502
Phone: (337) 231-0010, Fax: 231-0021
Website: www.lpae.org
Email: [email protected]
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