St. Helena Teachers Union Abandons Kids Weeks before Graduation
St. Helena Parish School Board unionized public school teachers and employees refused to show up to work today, leaving more than 1,170 public school students at home and with no access to education just weeks before graduation.
Their reason? Because they wanted more money from taxpayers and didn’t get it. On April 29th, St. Helena voters overwhelmingly rejected two separate tax proposals to fund pay raises for teachers and public school system employees—so now they are refusing to show up for work.
When announcing the walk out via a statement posted online Sunday (giving working parents less than 24 hours to make alternative childcare arrangements for their children) they wrote:
"We are shocked. The failed tax measure would have provided literacy support for our young learners, enhance school safety and technology, offer more dual enrollment opportunities, and support employee retention. It's hard to grasp why some parents, who depend on educators for everything, would deny their own children's success in the district in which they live."
Despite their feigned concern about the literacy programs and dual enrollment opportunities, it is clear this is an organized effort by the education establishment designed to punish parents because the teachers’ union did not get the pay raises they wanted.
Voters in Livingston Parish rejected a similar tax hike proposal in March, despite a legally-questionable all-out effort from the education establishment. Following that election and tax failure, teachers at Denham Springs High School and Southside Junior High walked out on their students as well.
The timing of today’s walk out in St. Helena is even more egregious because benchmark assessments to determine student achievement were scheduled for this week and graduation is just around the corner.
St. Helena Superintendent Dr. Kelli Joseph issued a statement this morning that seems to reveal the union’s strategy to hold parents and students hostage:
“We hope classes will resume tomorrow but we honestly don’t know at this point. We will meet with everyone later today to discuss next steps.
“Every school function, including graduations, cannot take place without our teachers. They do the work. We understand the concerns of our families regarding graduation. Their children worked hard to reach that milestone moment. But let’s not forget it was a teacher who also worked to get them there.”
Based on reactions posted on a local news site today, St. Helena residents who work outside the public school system don’t seem to appreciate the hostage taking maneuver. Here are a few of the comments:
“Kids are always learning, and today teaches them…. When you don’t get what you want …. Stay home and cry about it! Woke educators = woke kids.”
“You chose your career, accepted a job offer from your employer, and now you moan and further defer, delay, and deny providing the education to the children in your class. Do your job or quit.”
“Educator Sick Day is not the way to handle this. I understand teachers deserve more, but reading this article, the STUDENTS are losing. If teaching is your passion, and you love your job, why walk out on the students? They do not pass laws, nor do they vote. Some of these students want more, and what are you teaching them? If you don't get what you want, just quit, cause chaos, and tell them they do not matter.”
Indeed, unionized teacher walk outs like this show that the entrenched education establishment is more concerned with serving the system than students. It’s one of the many reasons Louisiana needs more programs that provide access to options outside of the traditional public school system and empower parents to decide what is best for their kids.