By Victor Skinner
EAGnews.org

AMTE, La. – Teachers union officials urged the Tangipahoa school board to allow teachers to take a day off from school to picket in front of the Louisiana capitol against recent education and health care reforms.

The school board, to its credit, did not grant the request.

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Tangipahoa Federation of Teachers President Kevin Crovetto told board members at a recent meeting that they should allow some teachers to convert a sick day to a personal day so they can protest in Baton Rouge April 30 against the state’s new private school voucher program and privatization of hospital services, Tangilena.com reports.

The Tangipahoa school district is one of several public school districts that have filed a lawsuit against the state in an effort to halt the private school voucher program, according to the news site.

Like many public school officials, Tangipahoa’s leaders are concerned about the potential of lost revenue if too many students transfer to private schools seeking a better education.

Crovetto appealed to the school board’s financial interests, claiming that state funding for schools hasn’t increased in four years, and told board members the Tangipahoa Perish needs to send teachers to the rally for support, Tangilena.com reports.

Apparently school board members weren’t convinced it was a good idea.

Perhaps they’d like teachers to focus on educating the district’s students instead of petty political fights. Maybe the school board didn’t see the sense in arguing against vouchers when the issue will soon be settled in the courts.

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Either way, board members didn’t take action on Crovetto’s suggestion and the students of Tangipahoa schools will be better off for it.