The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approves a new funding formula for the 2023-2024 school year that would give $2,000 raises for certified teachers and $1,000 for non-certified and support staff. State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley said the formula also gives schools the flexibility for additional pay to instructors needed in critical shortage areas like math, science, and special education.
“Teachers working in hard-to-staff schools, teachers who have great performance with student outcomes, and teach relievers who work to support peer teachers in the buildings,” said Brumley.
Brumley said it allows schools to direct funds where they are needed most to drive down vacancy numbers and increase teacher quality. $61 million has been allotted as a block grant for schools to use as they wish.
The across-the-board raise of $2,000 and block grant must have legislative approval first, but Brumley said allowing schools to direct additional funds as they see fit, could give select teachers an additional bump in salary.
“Once it’s coupled with that across-the-board pay raise I think that this is a real opportunity for us to shift the way in which we think about teacher pay moving forward,” said Brumley.
Governor Edwards is encouraging lawmakers to approve the two and one-thousand-dollar teacher pay increases and Brumley said while Louisiana will still be below the southern regional average every increase helps. Brumley said how schools use the additional funding to either attract, retain, or reward teachers is historic.
“It’s just a real opportunity in front of us in Louisiana to rethink compensation in the 21st century way for our teachers,” said Brumley.
The legislative session begins on April 10th.
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