Submitted by Louisiana Association of Educators
Bill passed unanimously through the Senate and 99 – 2 in the House
LAFAYETTE, LA (June 19, 2024) – Governor Jeff Landry signed Act 311 in the presence of Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) State President Dr. Tia T. Mills, other LAE leaders, Senator Blake Miguez, sponsor of the bill, and other co-authors. The law calls for educators to receive additional pay for additional duties assigned outside of their normal scope of duties.
Senator Miguez says, “it is time our educators get paid for the appropriate amount of time they spend molding Louisiana’s greatest asset….our children! This is a much-needed change that received broad support from the legislature.” SB205 also calls for payment to teachers who do not receive their daily, unincumbered, 45-minute planning period or the weekly equivalent of minutes per a law supported by LAE and authored by Senator Katrina Jackson in 2021. “The lack of planning time along with additional duties assigned to teachers has led to teacher burnout” said Marcus Thomas, Director of Government Relations for LAE. This bill addresses a major cause of the crisis we are facing in a shortage of certified teachers in the classrooms and our ability to recruit and retain teachers in Louisiana. “Students and communities continue to suffer from the educator shortage in Louisiana. Without trained professionals in the workforce, the future of our state will not receive the best learning conditions to perform at their highest learning potential,” says Dr. Tia T. Mills, President of LAE.
Last year, SB205 was filed as HB205 by LAE, authored by Representative Marcus Bryant. HB205 passed through the legislature with bipartisan support before being vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards. LAE celebrates the new administration’s commitment to supporting teachers where the previous administration fell short.
