The Senate passes a 3.8-billion-dollar funding formula for public education that includes a 1,000-dollar teacher pay raise, a 500 dollar support personnel pay raise, and a 39 million dollar block grant to school districts.
Winnfield Senator Gerald Long says it’s important this proposal passes, because it’s a statement of intent that Louisiana understands how important education is.
“We need to make a public, positive statement to public education, and those teachers who work day and night to educate our children, that we value what they do.”
The MFP has the support of the Governor and teachers’ unions.
The House passed a 1,200-dollar teacher pay raise, but is resisting the 39 million dollar education funding increase in favor of more money for early childhood education. In a likely preview of the upcoming disagreement between the House and Senate, Metairie Senator Conrad Appel voted against the proposal…
“I don’t believe that a teacher pay raise of this magnitude would have any short-term effect. Early childhood would have an immediate, measurable effect almost at once.”
Appel says Louisiana has the highest per pupil spending of any southern state.
New Orleans Senator JP Morrell hit back at that argument, saying there’s not reason why the Legislature cannot address both adequate funding for schools, higher teacher salaries, and early childhood education credits.
“It’s a false equivalent to say if you are for this bill, you are against early childhood. The two things are not the same, early childhood is a priority.”
