Calcasieu Parish School System Superintendent Wayne Savoy. (American Press)
Informer: Law removes boards’ hiring, firing authority
Last Modified: Friday, July 20, 2012 8:07 PM
By Andrew Perzo / American Press
Is it true that because of a new law, the local school board will have no say or vote on anyone hired or fired except for the superintendent?
Yes.
Under one of this year’s education reform measures, boards statewide must hand authority over personnel decisions to district superintendents, and they must then set policies directing superintendents to give school-staffing authority to principals.
“The distinction between the authority delegated to the superintendent and the authority delegated to the principal is that the principal’s authority to hire/place teachers and other school personnel at the principal’s school is subject to the approval of the superintendent,” reads a state Department of Education memo issued earlier this year.
The memo is available on the department’s website, as is the following rundown of the teacher tenure provisions contained in the new law, which the agency refers to as the “talent statute”:
Based on evaluation results, demand, and experience, the new law requires districts to compensate teachers based on effectiveness.
Although Act 1 permits districts to reward teachers who go above and beyond, it prohibits any current teacher’s salary from being decreased and has no impact on retirement benefits.
Likewise, the statute gives districts and schools the flexibility to set their own pay scales, rather than adhere to the current state-defined pay scale.
The new law prohibits districts from using seniority as the primary factor in layoff decisions.
Starting in 2014, only teachers who are rated Ineffective would lose their tenure status. All other current tenured teachers would retain tenure.
Teachers who are not tenured prior to September 1, 2012 would be required to earn five Highly Effective ratings during the course of a six-year period in order to earn tenure.
Online: www.louisianaschools.net.
Report problems to city department
Who would I contact about drainage problems in the city of Lake Charles?
Call the Public Works Department at 491-1220.
According to the city’s website, the information given by the caller — unless it’s urgent — will be entered into the department’s work-order system.
“When calls come in about emergencies such as ‘cave-ins,’ they are immediately dispatched via radio to the Street Division so that the area of the emergency can be barricaded,” reads the site.
“The location of the emergency is noted in the Street Division’s Barricade Report and is monitored daily by the Barricade Custodian.”
Online: www.cityoflakecharles.com.
The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com
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