Correction in last paragraph in Monday's post:
 in last paragraph instead of instructional coaches it should read instructional strategists.  Sorry about the error.

Hello Everyone!

The following information is from the recent budget hearing and school board meeting.

• You will have the 174 days of instructional time, 6 professional development days, 2 parent/teacher conference days and NO  SKINNY.  It was rejected. 
• The insurance committee has determined that an increase of 10% to insurance premiums should help us stay within budget. This increase is the first in 3 years. Only employees with basic and enhanced plans will see the increase. People with the high deductible plan will see no increase.
• Board member Greg Awbrey’s discipline survey was approved by the board.  You will receive a survey in the mail about discipline in the school.  It will be an anonymous document that will be numbered (hand stamped) to insure that duplicates are not made.  Different people will stamp, stuff, and label the envelopes so no one will know what number goes where.  The stamping is done so that if there is a duplicate, both will be discarded.  It is IMPORTANT that you return the survey and put the school name. This survey is a method by which the board will receive a true look at discipline in the classroom. Marcella Baudoin, President of the Lafayette Parish RETIRED Teachers Association will receive the surveys at her home and the tally of the surveys will be done by volunteer members of LPRTA.  You cannot be identified by your handwriting because it is mostly just circling your answer. On the "COMMENT" part, all you have to do is print out your comments from your computer and attach it to the survey.This is an opportunity to express (in total anonymity) your concerns and feelings of what is happening in your school.  The board is just now coming to grips with the discipline problems in the parish and want this survey to be able to make changes to the discipline matrix. 
  This is YOUR opportunity for INPUT in this matter.
• The board will conduct an evaluation of the superintendent in the next few weeks.
• LPSS has heard two proposals from charter schools wishing to open in Lafayette. Be aware that students in charter schools draw them away from public schools, thus loss of teachers, funds, etc. We as public school employees should remain diligent in this matter.
• The LPSB has been looking at the budget for 2013-2014.  The next budget workshop is Tuesday, May 21^st at 5pm.  Many items such as higher pupil/teacher ratio, loss of instructional coaches, and using excess funds from the 2002 Teacher Tax to fund some programs may affect you.  The next workshop is May 28^th at 5:30 pm with a public inspection scheduled for June 6-19 and the final approval by the LPSB at 4:30 pm on June 19^th.

Karen Martin, LPAE President