Braving torrential rains, hundreds of Louisiana Association of Educators and Together Baton Rouge leaders publicly launched, together, a public campaign to raise teacher pay (see photo above).
Days later, defying intimidation and veiled threats of reprisal, 400 teachers, aides, bus operators and support staff urged the Baton Rouge School Board to support raises and stop payouts to major corporations in the form of industrial tax exemptions.
Noting that teacher pay had dropped by $9,219 over ten years, even while the school board gave away $28 Million in tax exemptions, award-winning teacher Laverne Simoneaux passionately argued that schools "cannot afford to give away any of this money to tax exemptions."
The school board deferred action on the proposal.
[Photo Credit: Patrick Dennis, The Advocate)]
Baton Rouge Public Educators Plan Pay Raise Push at Thursday's School Board Meeting, The Advocate
EBR School Board Defers on Educator's Request to End Tax Exemptions in Favor of Pay Raises, The Advocate
School Board Weighs In On Future of ITEP, Teacher Pay After Deferring Resolution, Baton Rouge Business Report
Teacher Testimony by Laverne Simoneaux, Facebook/SupportOurEducators