Stop the attack on sabbatical and extended sick leave!

HB 454 would allow school boards to deny sabbatical and extended sick leave

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A bill is about to be heard in the legislature that would restrict teacher and school employee rights to sabbatical leave and extended sick leave. House Bill 454, by Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Gray), will be heard by the House Education Committee on Thursday, May 12, after the House adjourns from its morning session.

Currently, teachers are allowed to take sabbatical leave in order to enhance their professional credentials. Rules are in place to make sure that the sabbatical leave does not put undue hardships on the school board.

Thanks to years of struggle by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and others, teachers and school employees in Louisiana are entitled to 90 days of extended sick leave for every six years that they are employed by a school system.

The extended sick leave can be taken for personal illness, or to care for an immediate family member, after an employee uses all accumulated sick leave.

HB 454 would allow school boards to deny sabbatical leave or extended sick leave in any year in which the state Minimum Foundation Program is not increased by 2.75%, the formula’s traditional growth factor.

The Jindal administration has proposed a budget which, for the third year in a row, includes no growth factor in the MFP. Capitol insiders say it is possible that the growth factor will never again be included in the funding formula.

This bill is just one more attack on the hard-won rights of teachers and school employees. If it passes, it is possible that sabbatical leave and extended sick leave will become nothing but memories.

Please take action and tell members of the House Education Committee that you oppose HB 454, and want to retain the rights to sabbatical leave and extended sick leave.