Louisiana Department of Education Encouraged With Teacher Retention Stats

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Over the last couple of years, Louisiana has seen some small wins as it continues to dig out of its near last place rankings in education (#48 according to usnews.com).

One of the small wins that comes to mind is the number one national ranking that the state saw in 2022 for improvement in 4th grade reading scale scores and proficiency rates. Louisiana’s results outpaced national trends in all four National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) grades and subjects.

I want to thank our teachers for their efforts through the pandemic and multiple hurricanes,” said Louisiana Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. “This is not a ‘jump for joy’ moment because we still want to get better; however, they show our strategy for academic recovery and acceleration is working...The progress our 4th graders made in reading is a testament to Louisiana’s educators for embracing our fundamental shift in how we teach students to read.

 

Louisiana has struggled for years with literacy and this is "a step in the right direction" as Louisiana school systems are developing their Louisiana Comeback plan.

Teacher Pay Raises & Providing Emotional Support

Speaking of our teachers, various teacher pay raises over the last five years have increased the average teacher's salary in Louisiana to $52,000.00. Also, according to our news partners at Louisiana Radio Network, Dr. Brumley says the Louisiana Department of Education has worked to provide no-cost counseling service “for any teacher that might need some level of support, and I think too across our state we have tried to provide additional pay opportunities.”

What are the 2 Encouraging Stats that Show Louisiana Success in Retaining Teachers?

A new report being touted by the state Department of Education is showing an apparent reversal in what many feared would be a growing outmigration of teachers either to the same positions out of state or to a career change.

• A 2% increase in the percentage of teachers choosing to stay in the profession over the last year. (84-86%)
• A 5% increase in first-year teacher retention (78-83%)

When you also factor in another 2% increase (67-69%) of certified teachers in the state, it's another small win for a state that needs to continue building momentum in the educational arena and Dr. Brumley is optimistic.

We’re really excited about those two numbers at the same time understanding that we still have a long way to go," said Dr. Brumley to LRN. "Teachers deserve high quality pay. They deserve leaders in their schools that they value and appreciate...and we’re going to keep pushing forward on doing the things it takes to make sure every kid has a high-quality teacher.