Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees

Today, President Larry Carter had the opportunity to address the Legislative Audit Advisory Council regarding Executive Order 26-047 and its potential impact on school funding and teacher and school employee pay.

He shared what we are hearing directly from teachers and school employees across Louisiana. Educators are clear, they do not want a pay cut. They want a permanent raise that recognizes their dedication and helps Louisiana recruit and retain quality educators.

If a permanent raise is not currently available, then the stipend must be protected. No teacher or school employee should begin the school year with less money in their paycheck.

At the same time, teachers and school employees have serious concerns about reducing Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) funding to pay for the stipend. They want answers. They want to know who will receive the payment, when it will be paid, how it will be distributed, and what protections will be in place to ensure every eligible employee receives the full amount.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees is continuing to survey all employees statewide.

While we have not yet taken a final position on the executive order, we believe legislators, teachers and school employees deserve clarity before any final decisions are made.

Louisiana's recent educational progress was made possible by the hard work of teachers and school employees. They should not have to wonder whether that work will be repaid with a pay cut.

Thank you to the Council members for the opportunity to share the voices of teachers and school employees.

🚨 LFT Survey on Executive Order 26-047 🚨

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees (LFT) is seeking input from teachers and school employees across Louisiana regarding Executive Order 26-047.

Your voice matters. The results of this survey will help LFT better understand teachers and school employees perspectives on the Executive Order and guide our advocacy efforts.

✅ Who can participate?
Teachers and school employees working in a Louisiana public school district or charter school. The survey is open to both members and non-members.

🔒 Privacy and Confidentiality
No names will be collected from respondents. Individual responses will remain confidential. Survey results may be published in aggregate form, unless disclosure is legally required.

📅 Survey Deadline
The survey will close on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

📞 Questions?
Contact LFT President Larry Carter Jr.
📧 [email protected]
📱 (225) 923-1037
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please take a few minutes to share your perspective and help ensure that the voices of Louisiana teachers and school employees are heard.

Click here:
https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/pzU1gk.

Survey Participation

Today, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter testified before BESE on behalf of more than 18,000 teachers and school employees across our state.

President Carter made it clear: teachers and school employees cannot afford a pay cut.

While acknowledging efforts to continue teachers and school employees stipends for the 2026-2027 school year, he urged BESE and the Louisiana Department of Education to provide full transparency about how proposed funding changes would impact local school districts, students, and school employees.

Louisiana's academic progress has been the result of a team effort. Teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, specialists, principals, and support staff all play a critical role in student success. Every employee deserves respect and fair compensation.

President Carter called for a district-by-district impact analysis so parents, employees, taxpayers, and community members can understand exactly how funding reductions would affect their schools.

"Louisiana needs a plan that protects compensation, protects students, protects school funding, and moves us toward a permanent salary solution."

Thank you to President Carter for standing up for Louisiana's educators, school employees, and students.

LFT-Supported Teacher’s Shield Act Advances to Governor’s Desk

HB 283 becoming law is an important step for the teachers and school employees who have been seriously injured while doing their jobs, and for the students whose learning depends on safe, orderly classrooms.

This law is not about ordinary classroom discipline or low-level student misbehavior. It is a targeted response to serious incidents involving assault or battery on teachers, bus operators, substitutes, and other school employees.

When violent behavior is not dealt with, the classroom becomes unsafe for everyone in it. A serious assault or battery does not affect only the employee who is injured. It disrupts instruction, undermines the authority of teachers and school employees, creates fear and instability, and affects every student’s ability to learn in a safe environment.

Teachers and school employees told us clearly that they need to know the law will back them up when serious violence occurs.

HB 283 does that by strengthening the response to assault and battery, requiring serious incidents to be documented, requiring appropriate alternative placement and intervention for the student, and making clear that injured teachers and school employees may use leave for medical treatment, psychological treatment, and physical rehabilitation.

This matters for school safety, but it also matters for teacher recruitment and retention.

Louisiana cannot ask teachers and school employees to stay in the profession, or convince new people to enter it, if they do not believe they will be safe and supported at work.

HB 283 sends a clear message: serious violence in schools must be treated seriously, injured teachers and school employees should not be left to navigate recovery alone, and every student deserves to learn in a classroom where safety is protected.

We appreciate Representative Candace Newell, the legislators who supported this bill, and the teachers and school employees who shared difficult personal experiences so lawmakers could understand why this protection was needed.

LFT-Supported Paid Parental Leave Heads to Governor’s Desk

SB 157 has been sent to the governor’s desk, and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers strongly supports it becoming law.

This is an important and long-overdue step for Louisiana’s teachers and school employees, and for the families and students they serve.

For too long, many teachers and school employees have had to choose between caring for a newborn, recovering from childbirth, welcoming an adopted or foster child, grieving a pregnancy loss, or protecting their paycheck.

We heard from members who returned to work before their babies were ready for daycare, who used every day of sick leave for maternity leave and then were docked when their child got sick, and who delayed starting families because they could not afford unpaid or underpaid leave.

Louisiana’s teachers and school employees care for other people’s children every day. When it is time to care for their own families, they should not be left on their own.

SB 157 recognizes that paid parental leave is not just a benefit. It is a recruitment and retention tool.

If Louisiana wants to attract and keep qualified teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, clerical staff, nurses, and other school employees, then we have to respect the realities of their lives and families.

SB 157 establishes the framework for eligible employees to receive six weeks of paid parental leave at 100 percent of base pay for birth, pregnancy loss, adoption, and foster placement, subject to future legislative funding. It also protects employees from being forced to exhaust their sick, annual, or compensatory leave before taking parental leave.

Importantly, SB 157 also creates the Paid Parental Leave for Educators Fund to reimburse school systems for substitute costs associated with paid parental leave. That fund matters.

Creating the policy is the first step, but the legislature must fund it in the future, so this promise becomes a reality in every school system and does not become an unfunded mandate.

This law reflects Louisiana family values in a meaningful way. Supporting families should include supporting the people who serve Louisiana’s children in our public schools every day.

LFT appreciates Senator Jenkins’ continued advocacy on behalf of teachers and school employees. He has sponsored many important bills on behalf of LFT and educators in the past, and SB 157 is another meaningful example of that commitment.

SB 157 is the kind of family-friendly policy that reflects Louisiana’s family values.

LFT appreciates the legislators who chose to step up, support this bill, and recognize that supporting families must include supporting the teachers and school employees who serve Louisiana’s children every day.

We will continue to advocate for the future funding and implementation necessary to make this promise real for school employees across the state.

Join us at the 2026 Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans!

If you’re attending TLS ‘26, be sure to stop by the LFT booth and connect with leaders, staff, and affiliates from across Louisiana.

We’ll be there throughout the summit sharing resources, advocacy updates, professional support information, and opportunities to get involved in strengthening public education for educators and students alike.

Whether you are a classroom teacher, support employee, aspiring leader, or veteran educator, we want to meet you.

Come say hello, ask questions, pick up materials, and learn more about how LFT and our local affiliates are working for educators every day.

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans, May 26 to May 28!

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice secured the freedoms we cherish and the opportunities we work every day to protect for future generations.

On this Memorial Day, we pause in gratitude for those who never made it home and for the families who carry their memory forward.

May we honor their legacy not only with words, but through service, unity, and compassion for one another.

Louisiana legislators started moving a revised version of the state budget today.

Latest Louisiana budget plan leaves teacher pay cut, increases pay for prison guards • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana legislators started moving a revised version of the state budget Thursday that pulls back funding for K-12 school districts and public school educators across the board, while also increasing pay for prison guards.

Today, President Larry Carter, parents, and advocates took another important step forward for Louisiana families.

SB 157, the Paid Parental Leave for Educators Act, passed out of the House Education Committee with an amendment and continues moving through the legislative process. This bill would provide eligible school employees with six weeks of paid parental leave following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.

Educators should not have to choose between caring for their family and protecting their paycheck. Strong schools depend on supporting the people who serve students every day.

Thank you to Senator Sam Jenkins for authoring this bill and those who showed up, spoke out, and continue advocating for policies that respect educators and strengthen public education in Louisiana.

We will keep pushing forward.

Louisiana teachers and school employees should not face a reduction in pay while the state has resources available to prevent it.

The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund exists to help Louisiana navigate critical financial needs, and protecting educator pay should be a priority. Teachers and support staff have continued showing up for students every single day, and lawmakers must do the same for them.

Take action today and tell legislators to use Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund dollars to prevent a pay cut for teachers and school employees.

Sign the letter here:

(https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-legislators-use-the-revenue-stabilization-trust-fund-money-to-prevent-a-pay-cut)

Our educators, students, and schools are worth the investment.