Teachers union speaks out against Jindal's education reform plan

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Confusing and troublesome.  Those two words are how one man describes Governor Jindal's plans for education reform.  Last week, the Governor laid out a list of ways to fix schools in the state.  Steve Monaghan, President of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers calls it a controversial plan.

Last year, school systems around the state were forced to cut millions from their budgets.  
Barbara Freiberg, President of the East Baton Rouge School Board says they are looking to cut another $30 million this year.

"We were able to do it without cutting teacher positions.  This year we may be looking at something different," Freiberg said.

Now, school systems could be facing more change in the way of reform, being pushed hard by Governor Bobby Jindal.  Change that not all are so sure about.

"What are we really looking at?  Are we looking at a political speech or a legislative agenda?" said Steve Monaghan.

Monaghan with the Louisiana Federation of Teachers says Jindal's plan presents confusion and controversy.

Monaghan says while Jindal started off positive, saying teachers should be recognized and appreciated.  He later said teachers need to paid based on the job they do - not how long they've been around.  A point of major dispute for the teachers union.

"We need to have a debate over value of experience," Monaghan said.

Another area of concern, the issue of public versus private.  Jindal's plan would give parents the choice of taking their child out of a failing public school and getting a voucher to enroll at a private school.  Monaghan says Jindal is sending a message that private is better.

"There has to be the assumption that school is better," Monaghan said.  "There's choice and there's informed choice."

If the voucher program takes off, he says it would only create a larger gap between the have's and have-not's and further devastate public education.

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