The Beginning

The Caddo Federation of Teachers and Support Personnel (CFT/SP) first took shape in the mid-1990’s when our founding members created a “PEG” — a Professional Educators Group — with guidance from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). We had two dreams: improvement in our student’s academic performance and a better working relationship with the Caddo school administration.  "AFT’s training program was an eye-opener," says CFT/SP president Jackie Lansdale who taught high school history at the time. “I used to be surprised at how poorly we were treated in Caddo compared to other places,” Lansdale recalls. “Teachers were told to walk between the lines, to avoid original thoughts, and to be grateful for the smallest raise. We were blamed for things outside our control, and no one defended us. AFT’s PEGS program changed all that for me.”

Then as now, membership grew quickly. In 1997, we received our CFT/SP charter from the AFT.

Champion of Professional Development

Classroom management was the focus of our first PEG's professional development class, taught by national trainers from AFT. The workshop attracted a large turnout from teachers and assistants hungry to be more effective in the classroom. Our next goal was clear: to grow big enough to participate in AFT’s nationally recognized ER&D (Educational Research and Dissemination) program which offers training to educators in new, research-based practices. In the years since PEG, AFT has trained CFT/SP members to offer ER&D classes in classroom management, reading comprehension, new instructional models, and more. In close cooperation with the Caddo Parish school board and the Superintendent, CFT/SP members are now trained to pass on their expertise both to fellow school staff and to the home school community.

First Above All: Member Support

CFT/SP is a tireless advocate for our members at schools and work sites, in adminstrators’ offices, at School Board meetings, and through the media. We — CFT/SP officers, building reps, and activists — represent school employees in budget battles and workplace issues. We are also the employee’s voice in public dialogue over stalled pay gains, rising insurance costs, representation rights, and any issue in which workers

should be heard.

What We’ve Won

• A written policy on duty-free lunch
• Twice monthly pay schedule
• Local funding for National Teacher Certification
• Representation rights at all levels in grievance policy
• Teachers’ aides pay raise
• A salary schedule unique to athletic staff
• Differential pay for academic degrees.
• A salary schedule for bus drivers and bus attendants.

A Positive Presence in the Community

CFT/SP realizes that to represent employees within our institutions, we must also look outside — to our school system and the families it serves. Thus our union has become an  important community partner in family and student support. Our annual program for “Most Improved Student” offers coveted awards for outstanding teacher-student-school collaboration. More than 200 students and their families have been honored in annual award ceremonies.

CFT/SP is also active in organizations with a broad reach into the Caddo community. When local business, religious and community leaders meet together as the Alliance of Education, we offer them an educators’ perspective. In addition, we sit on the Central Labor Council, speaking up for education in the larger context of local trade union activity.

Perhaps most important, CFT/SP is a respected partner with the District in providing quality professional development for new teachers. We also offer course work for teachers to gain HOUSSE credits in pursuit of Highly Qualified status, and for teacher aides seeking to improve their skills.

Fighting for Education at Home, in Baton Rouge, and Washington, D.C.

CFT/SP, like all AFT locals around the country, works hard to elect friends of education to political office.  Every day, elected officials at home and in Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C., make decisions that impact Caddo’s teachers, children, and families.

In Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) pushes hard for funding for school employees and education.  The LFT is vigilant in protecting educators’ interests on issues ranging from taxes and state budgets to children’s health and collective bargaining.

At the national level, AFT and its local unions work hard with local and state boards and the U.S. Department of Education to tailor No Child Left Behind legislation and other education laws to the needs of teachers, support staff, and children in the classroom.