LPAE Leadership Addresses Conferences and Instructional Minutes Concerns

Hello Fellow Educators:

We have had a busy week during the intersession. I wanted to keep you posted on the recent meetings that have been held with Dr. Cooper and Mrs. Billeaudeau. We addressed the concerns that teachers had for parent conference days and the existence of banked days that some schools have in place.

After the meetings, we have a better understanding of the situation. We need to have 182 contract days of work per year as a teacher. The instructional minutes and the parent conference times are separate issues yet they play into the situation. I will address each separately.

The days missed for Hurricane Isaac will be made up as part of parent conferences. This will honor the required 182 contract days. The two days equaled 15 hours, yet we will be required to make up 12 hours of contracted time.

Schools which have a deficit with instructional minutes will have minutes added to their day to account for a lack of instructional minutes required by the state. Schools will add only the minutes that are required to get them into compliance. Through our meetings, we have found that almost each school is different with their need.

Teachers will need to be in attendance for parent conference sessions scheduled for October and November. Teachers who have scheduling issues with the time set by their school may plan make up time with their administration to handle the conferences. Documentation must be kept to show that you are meeting the requirement and your administration must be aware of these changes. Parents must be made aware of these changes. We have been told by Dr. Cooper that teachers will not be docked for rescheduling the conferences. Every effort must be made to be in compliance.

All employees in the district are faced with state mandates and the parent conference (Act 845) issue is a prime example. LPAE/LAE leadership will continue to work on your behalf. Dr. Cooper has committed to us that we will work together to transition through all of the changes and mandates that all educators face day in and day out. We ask that members make every effort to be a proactive part of their profession and stand together with leadership as we go through this year of change.

WELCOME!

Thanks for stopping by our brand spankin' new blog! We're here to keep you in the "know" about what's going on in the world of public education in Lafayette Parish. We want to be your local source for education news, so check back frequently for the most current updates on LPAE activities and information vital to your professional future.