Teacher union head raps Jindal education plan

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Mar 5, 2008 - Page: 13A

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Gov. Bobby Jindal’s teacher pay raise proposal is too small, should have included public school support workers and Jindal is off-base on several other hot button education issues, the president of a teacher union said Tuesday.

“We are always willing to talk to the governor and anyone when it comes to education, but he hasn’t opened that door,” said Joyce Haynes, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators.

Jindal and the LAE have been at political odds for years.

Last year the union endorsed Democrats Foster Campbell and Walter Boasso in the race for governor, which Republican Jindal won in the Oct. 20 primary.

In 2003, the LAE backed former Gov. Kathleen Blanco in her win over Jindal.

Haynes issued an unusually pointed round of criticism at the governor during an hour-long meeting with the editorial board of The Advocate.

She repeatedly criticized the results of Jindal’s special session that sparked a wide range of new laws to toughen state ethic rules.

“I think it is feel-good legislation,” Haynes said.

Asked about the criticism Melissa Sellers, Jindal’s press secretary, said the governor has proposed $3.2 billion in basic state aid to public schools, a pay plan that would keep teachers salaries at the regional average and new steps to ensure that all children have equal access to quality schools.

Haynes said her group will back a package that would cost the state about $500 million per year. Highlights include:

• $2,000 across-the-board pay raise for teachers compared to about $1,000 proposed last week by Jindal.
• $2,000 pay raises for cafeteria workers, school bus drivers and other support employees, which were not included in the governor’s spending plans.
• $5,000 pay boosts for teachers with a master’s degree and other financial incentives.

Officials of a state panel said last week that public schoolteachers are paid an average of $46,800 per year, which they said meets the regional average for the first time.

However, Haynes said teacher pay remains below the regional target.

“We need double what they are proposing,” she said.