It was recently revealed by the 2021-2022 Educator Workforce Snapshot that more teachers in Louisiana are choosing to remain in the education profession and that the percentage of certified educators is trending upwards, according to this news release from the Louisiana Department of Education.  Teacher retention has been a topic of conversation for quite some time so this report is promising for the state’s education system.

The LDOE recently released the 2021-2022 Educator Workforce Snapshot, which is a statistical snapshot that provides an overview of “workforce data” for Louisiana’s 1394 traditional public schools. The snapshot was obtained using data from the End-of-Year (EOY) data from the recently concluded 2021-2022 school year. LDOE describes the purpose of the data “is to communicate annual workforce data and trends to stakeholders and to support decision making for statewide improvements regarding recruitment and retention.”

The Educator Workforce Snapshot provided a wide array of updates and data on both teachers and students in the 2021-2022 school year, but the following were pointed out as being the main highlights of the report: Louisiana’s overall teacher retention, certified teacher percentage, and diversity of teacher workforce had increases two points a piece. Overall teacher retention is now at 86%, whereas first-year teacher retention has increased five points to 83%. The percentage of Louisiana teachers who are certified had increased to 69% of all teachers, and the diversity rate of the state’s teacher workforce has increased to 29%.

With this upward trend in teacher retention across the state for both new and veteran teachers, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley commented by saying, “this is an enlightening report that shows Louisiana’s comprehensive recruitment and retention plan is working. Even with this early progress, we must remain laser-focused. Every educator deserves quality pay, strong leadership, and to be valued as professionals. This encouraging data is early proof of what can happen when you listen to teachers and create an environment where their voice matters.”

Additionally, the 2021-2022 Educator Workforce Snapshot also revealed that the average teacher salary in Louisiana has increased by $1,268 to $52,174. Along with compensation information for teachers, assistant principals, and principals, the Snapshot also had demographic information pertaining to ethnicity and gender listed for teachers as well as students. The certification date for teachers was further classified by whether or not the certified or uncertified teachers were teaching in a subject with a high-stakes state assessment, in a school evaluated with a high or low letter grade, and by subject area.

Louisiana has put a lot of effort towards its comprehensive recruitment and retention in recent history. Firstly, the past year saw a pay increase for teachers and support staff, as teachers saw a $1,500 pay increase approved and support staff saw a $750 increase in salary. Additionally, veteran teachers applying to be a Mentor Teacher for the school year were given a $2000 stipend for their additional responsibility.

Other actions taken to increase teacher recruitment and retention were that LDOE had recently collaborated on new legislation that allows for professionals with a master’s degree in any field to be able to enter the classroom as a teacher. Also, the 2022 Regular Legislative Session established the Geaux Teach Fund, which allocated $5 million for the purpose of awarding scholarships to high school students who are a part of a teacher preparation program.

Also, LDOE created the first Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council, which saw 22 educators chosen from nearly 900 applications to serve on the inaugural council. The council will consist of a cohort of educators who will meet with Dr. Brumley once a quarter to share their feedback on current education initiatives and to offer insight on how Louisiana can help to improve student outcomes.

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