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Senate Education Committee:
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Senator Conrad Appel (Chairman)
721 Papworth Avenue, Suite 102A
Metairie, LA 70005
(866) 946-3133
appelc@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Eric LaFleur (Vice-Chairman)
P.O. Box 617
Ville Platte, LA 70586
(337) 363-5019
lafleure@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Dan Claitor
7520 Perkins Road, Suite 160
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 765-0206
claitord@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Jack Donahue
3030 East Causeway Approach
Mandeville, LA 70448
(985) 727-7949
donahuej@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Elbert L. Guillory
633 East Landry Street
Opelousas, LA 70570
(337) 943-2457
guillorye@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Mike Walsworth
4007 White's Ferry Rd., Suite A
West Monroe, LA 71291
(318) 340-6453
walsworthm@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Mack "Bodi" White
808 O'Neal Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
(225) 272-1324
whitem@legis.la.gov | |
Senator Page Cortez (Interim Member)
101 W. Farrell Road. Bldg. 5, Suite 100
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337) 993-7430
cortezp@legis.la.gov |
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The following groups opposed these changes and recommended for BESE to not move forward with these changes:
- The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council,
- Louisiana Special Education Advisory Panel,
- Louisiana Special Education Administrators Association, and
- The Superintendents Advisory Council.
Advocates, special education professionals, district administrators and parents have expressed concern over several issues with this drastic change in funding for schools to serve the needs of students with disabilities. Some of those concerns include:
- Schools receive more funds to lower their referral rates regardless if the referrals are done appropriately;
- Funding incentives for segregated settings;
- Emphasis on academic outcomes without addressing incentives for meeting individualized goals and objectives;
- Not aligning funding to account for costly individualized supports and services;
- Negative impact on resources to smaller or less financially stable districts in providing a free appropriate public education to their students with disabilities; and,
- Failing to address the inequities (unfairness) in how funds are distributed across all schools systems that serve different percentages of students who need more costly special education supports and services.
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If you have concerns with proposed changes to the state education funding formula, called the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), contact members of the Senate Education Committee before Wednesday, May 22nd and let them know how you feel.
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 The MFP for next school year (2013-2014) was passed by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and must be approved by the Legislature. This week it was discovered that the wrong version of the MFP was sent by BESE to the Legislature. The MFP, now Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 23, is expected to be discussed and voted on by the Senate Education Committee this coming Wednesday, May 22nd (or sooner). As soon as an exact date and time are announced LaTEACH will alert you!
Prepare to join other LaTEACH members for a Purple Shirt Day next week when the MFP is heard by the Senate Education Committee!
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I TOOK ACTION
If you took action please let us know by replying to this email or clicking HERE
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FAST FACTS:
- There is no information to support that these proposed changes in funding will improve student outcomes.
- The proposed funding formula as outlined in SCR23 does not recognize progress and/or accomplishments of students with disabilities as based on their individualized goals and objectives.
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 More Information: There are major changes in the MFP formula for students with disabilities.
As proposed in SCR 23, districts will no longer receive an additional 150% add-on weight of funding for each student with a disability. The 2013-14 funding formula (SCR23) would apply multiple weights for funding based on: - Disability classification of the student
- Setting or placement where the student is educated
- Student performance on standardized assessments
- Graduation rate of students with disabilities graduating in four or five years
- Continued funding after students are declassified (i.e., determined to no longer need special education services)
- Reduction in the rate students are referred to special education
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