Are Louisiana Teachers Ready To Walk Out Over Salaries? [VIDEO]
Red River United Teachers Union President Jackie Lansdale talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about a recent email sent to educators across the state by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The email, which included a questionnaire titled "Louisiana Teacher Salary Satisfaction Survey," asks about topics ranging from teacher pay to enthusiasm in backing increased taxes. Lansdale tells KEEL teachers that the survey "is asking some very compelling questions. What we are really looking for is to take the temperature."
Lansdale also points out that, though the email made reference to teacher "actions" in states including West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky, "nobody's saying that anybody's going to create any type of job action."
The Louisiana Federation Survey of teachers survey contains fifteen questions:
1.What is your school district?
2. Is your school site:
3. The most recent surveys show that Louisiana teachers’ average salary is $49,745. Is your current salary4. The state has not funded a permanent teacher pay raise in nine of the past 10 years. Have you received a local pay raise in the past five years (not including salary step increases)?5. Has your school district frozen salary steps in the past five years?6. Local salary schedules now include a “merit” component in addition to years of service and academic degrees earned. Do you think this makes it more or less likely that you will advance on the salary schedule?7. Does your school district have a salary schedule that is easy to understand?8. Does your district salary schedule have more than 20 steps?9. Have you considered leaving the profession because of low pay?10. Teacher salaries are paid from a combination of state and local funds. Do you believe the state or your local school board should fund substantial pay raises?11. Would you be more willing to support a sales tax or a property tax to fund pay raises from your local school board?12. Should local Industrial Tax exemptions be limited in order to fund pay raises from your local school board?13. Would you support a small state income tax increase in order to fund pay raises from the state?14. Should the state limit business tax exemptions and rebates in order to fund pay raises for educators?
15. Please rank the issues that you believe are the most important ones facing our schools today.