MISSION STATEMENT
"LaTEACH promotes appropriate, inclusive education for all students. We work to make parents, educators, the general public and state leadership informed and supportive of research based and effective practices used appropriately for each student."
LaTEACH (Louisiana Together Educating ALL Children), is a statewide grassroots advocacy organization created for the purpose of effecting systems change.
We are working to recruit families and other interested persons statewide to receive pertinent information on laws, proposed legislation, administrative policies and other issues that impact students in Louisiana. We are working to coordinate member advocacy statewide through list serves, phone trees and volunteer teams organized throughout the state by our area coordinators. We are working to educate teachers, administrators, higher education professionals and policymakers on issues that impact our students.
Get the facts on Corporal Punishment in Louisiana and why LaTEACH believes this practice should end in Louisiana Schools.
Click HERE for a fact sheet on Corporal Punishment
Louisiana needs Regulations on the use of Restraints and Seclusion with Students.
Click HERE for more information
LaTEACH members were introduced to the world of legislation on education topics with several pieces of legislation being introduced, debated, amended and passed this legislative session. Below is information on the final status of the three LaTEACH advocacy agenda items as well as other bills of interest to parents of students with disabilities:
- Positive Behavior Support
- Restraints and seclusion
- Corporal punishment
- Other bills impacting students with disabilities
The status of issues at the national level is included were appropriate.
Positive Behavior Support
LaTEACH successfully advocated for a rewrite of the discipline regulations to reflect proactive, positive, and effective approaches. While Senate Bill (SB) 628 did not pass, a Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR101) passed that will establish a task force to review student discipline regulations and make recommendations for necessary revisions.
Restraints and Seclusion Updates
Louisiana Legislative Update
Advocates wanted rules and regulations governing the use of restraints and seclusion in schools as indicated in the initial version of House Bill (HB) 405. Unfortunately the final version of HB405 (Act 305) passed granting the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) the authority and responsibility to establish guidelines for the use of restraints and seclusion on students with disabilities. Guidelines will only give an illusion of protection as local school systems will have the option as to whether they will adopt these guidelines or not. Guidelines are not enforceable and LEAs will not be required to even report instances to parents.
Congressional Update
House Resolution (H.R.) 4247: Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act) passed through the House on March 3, 2010. This bill would require minimal requirements regulating restraints and seclusion in schools. Unfortunately the companion bill in the senate (S 2860) has not moved.
A good resource on this issue is: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/restraint.hr4247.butler.htm
Corporal Punishment
Louisiana Legislative Update
There were six (6) pieces of legislation to address corporal punishment this past session. House Resolution (HR) 167 passed that requests for BESE to provide a report to the House Education Committee on the use of corporal punishment in Louisiana public schools. The session ran out of time before two House Concurrent Resolutions (HCR 235 and HCR246) seeking to have similar reports provided to both the House and Senate Education Committees could be voted on in the Senate. Ironically, bills that would have required LEAs to report the information listed in HR167 did not pass. The fact that BESE will have the authority to request the information is viewed as a victory and should move Louisiana one step closer to abolishing corporal punishment.
Congressional Update
On June 29, 2010 U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY) introduced H.R. 5628 the "Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act," legislation that aims to eliminate the use of corporal punishment in schools.
Other Bills of Interest to Students with Disabilities
HB 78 (Act 683) moves the responsibility of Due Process Hearings from the Department of Education (DOE) to the DOA. Considering the technical nature of special education regulations and the infrequent occurrence of these cases there is concern that DOA will not have the capacity to fully appreciate the complexity of issues and regulations and parents will find themselves even further disadvantaged in these hearings.
HB216 (Act 515) establishes a pilot program to offer tuition vouchers for students with disabilities to attend private schools in certain parishes. Pros: This creates a 'money follows the pupil' program that will grant families more control over choosing the services their child receives. Cons: Since the tuition voucher would provide half of the per pupil allocation of state funds this does not allow equal access to lower income families.