METAIRIE, LA – In an effort to create a better quality of life through a more educated workforce, safer streets, and increased property values, leaders throughout Jefferson Parish have come together to support the May 4th initiative to give teachers their first real pay raise since 2003.
Although Jefferson Parish is one of the largest school systems in the U.S., our teachers are paid less than teachers in seven other districts in our region alone. “Reforming our schools by providing adequate funding can simply be transformational for Jefferson Parish,” said Todd Murphy, President of the Jefferson Chamber.
The proposed pay plan is part of a well-designed, results oriented, strategic plan to raise our district’s overall score from a grade C to a grade A. As such, the plan is not necessarily aimed at across the board raises, but addresses the needs of retention, target content and target schools. The plan is a collaborative effort of a newly elected Jefferson Parish School Board working with and supporting its new Jefferson Parish Superintendent, Dr. Cade Brumley.
In a system of 3,200 teachers, Jefferson loses 30% of its veteran teachers and 40% of new teachers every year. With such a revolving door of educators, the Jefferson Parish Public School System cannot expect systemic changes to be made. For these reasons, the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson Federation of Teachers, the Jefferson Business Council, the Westbank Business & Industry Association, the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO, and the Home Builders of Greater New Orleans have all united behind the effort to improve teacher pay.
A complete analysis of the millage proposal with a favorable nod was completed recently by BGR, the Bureau of Governmental Research. For more information on the pay plan, please visit www.jpschools.org.
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About the Jefferson Chamber:
The Jefferson Chamber is a leading voice for Jefferson Parish’s business community. As a non-profit, membership-driven organization, the Chamber is an effective advocate for small and large businesses at the local, state and federal levels. The Chamber’s mission is to work for the advancement of the business community; to enhance the economic, civic and cultural environment; and to improve the quality of life in Jefferson Parish. The Jefferson Chamber is Five-Star Accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the 2013 and 2015 Chamber of the Year Award by the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in the Large Chamber Category.
For more information about the Jefferson Chamber, visit www.jeffersonchamber.org, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
