The budgeted amount for K-12 teacher pay raises in Louisiana appears to be on track for $800 and not $1000 as previously discussed by lawmakers. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey said the amount is disappointing and the goal to bring teacher pay to the southern regional average continues to be put on the backburner.
“Because we’re not actually investing in our children, in teachers, people don’t want to come into the profession and they don’t want to stay,” said Posey.
On Monday, the Senate Finance committee released their markup of the state budget that begins on July first.
Posey said there was an understanding to continue to increase teacher pay in an effort to retain and attract qualified educators in the state, but the momentum was sidetracked.
“Everyone understood it was a pandemic, no one knew what was going to happen but this year it’s time to begin that again,” said Posey.
Posey said teachers were in the classroom on day one of the 2020-2021 school year and lawmakers praised them for it because allowed it parents to reenter the workforce and also meet the nutritional needs of those students who received free or reduced-priced meals at school.
“They were the first ones to praise teachers. But when it comes time to make the hard decisions teachers are not at the top of the priority list,” said Posey.
The House approved budget includes $800 pay raises for teachers and $400 raises for support staff. Louisiana schoolteachers are paid on average $51,000 annually which is $4,000 below the southern average.
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