METAIRIE, La. — Parents from Jefferson Parish have been contacting WWL-TV with their concerns about the teacher shortage since the new school year began.
Now there are some answers about why this is happening, and what is being done about it.
Check in with parents in the Riverdale High carpool line, and they know about the teacher shortage in Jefferson Parish.
“He just complains because there are not enough teachers to help him in his class you know,” said one parent.
“I have chosen to let my daughter attend the Jefferson Virtual School because it's actually a security that my daughter will have a teacher, that is giving her the one on one attention that she needs,” said another mother.
“I had to transfer her from the school on the Westbank because of the shortage,” said one mother waiting to pick up her child.
Jefferson Parish schools says 214 positions are open. That's six percent of the faculty. They say it's in line with the shortages in other school districts across the country. Teachers retired or moved on to new careers after COVID-19.
JP Schools says they are facing the shortage by:
- hiring retired teachers part time
- paying current teachers to build lesson plans for students in other districts
- using contracted substitutes
- while making class sizes bigger is not part of the plan
“These aren't long-term strategies. These are short-term strategies. So, we are hiring teachers every day. So, it is a solution as we make sure students get the content that they need,” explained Laura Roussel, Chief Academic Officer of Jefferson Parish Schools.
But the main solution for now is technology, using certified teachers from across the country, virtually. Each student has a device with high quality curricula material on it. They are never alone in a virtual classroom. There is always a proctor during that time.
“There was a study that just went out that said that some of these supplementary programs we are currently using, got great gains,” added Roussel.
“I've talked about the workload in Jefferson Parish, and the pay, and those are the two driving factors that we hear from members is the reasons for leaving,” said Sandra Hauer, President of the Jefferson Parish Federation of Teachers.
JFT says they are in talks with JP schools about making changes to keep more teachers. They say, for instance, beginning teachers in Plaquemines Parish make around $10,000 a year more than those in Jefferson Parish.
“And it is hard when you do see other surrounding parishes are receiving different types of percentage raises, or getting a flat raise across the board,” Hauer said.
And while all involved are working towards long-term solutions, it is unclear when all positions will be filled.
Jefferson Parish Schools asks that if any parent is having a problem, to call the school for help.
If it can't be solved at the school level, they ask that you call the administration.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.