Speech Pathologists & Audiologists in Louisiana Schools, Inc.
P.O. Box 12177
Lake Charles, LA 70612

2003 Legislative Action Information

At the last two General Business Meetings, SPALS has discussed legislative topics. Some questions have arisen regarding the direction SPALS is taking and this article seeks to address those concerns.

Why do we need Legislative Action?

All the funding and policies that direct the services we provide to students ultimately come from the Louisiana Legislature.  They authorize funds to school districts, set guidelines for testing and curricula (think LEAP), and initiate new programs.  Therefore it is important that the members of the Legislature be aware of who we are and what services we provide. 

Don’t they know about us already?

When compared with the number of teachers in the state, our numbers are small (approximately 1,000).  Our work in communication disorders is not well known or understood, nor does the general public understand the impact of communication disorders on academic progress.  (How many times have you heard - “he’s not in special ed; he’s only speech”?)  It is important that we raise legislators’ awareness of our work. 

What happens if we don’t do anything?

In 1996 and 1998, teacher pay raises were enacted by the state Legislature.  In both of those situations, speech-language pathologists and audiologists were omitted from the original version of the bill.  (The Legislature wanted the raise to go to people who work directly with students, not to administrators or Central Office personnel.  Since we are not classified as “Classroom Teachers”, we were not included.)  Both times, SPALS launched major campaigns to have SLPS and Auds added in, and we were successful, but only with extraordinary effort. 

But the current initiative will only benefit people with Master’s.  Why should I help?

There are two main reasons why we think all SPALS members should support the current Pay Raise Initiative:

1. The lobbying we are doing for this initiative will be geared to increasing legislators’ awareness of the impact of communication disorders and the services we provide.  Increased awareness can only benefit the students we serve and our resources to meet their needs.
2. This initiative addresses a basic point of equity – teachers and counselors who have pursued National Certification receive the extra compensation; it is only right that SLPs and Auds who have pursued national level credentials (i.e., CCC) should receive the same compensation.

What should I do?

Contact your State Senator and Representative to ask their support of this legislation.  Get in touch with your SPALS Regional Representative to participate in phone trees or other communication activities within your local area.  Talk to your family, friends, and co-workers to increase awareness of our services and of this initiative.  Plan to visit Baton Rouge on May 6 for the Day at the Capitol.

See a sample letter to your senator or representative here

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