Jefferson’s Business Leaders, Teachers Union and BGR all give favorable approval for Jefferson Parish Teacher Pay Raise Millage
METAIRIE, LA – In aneffort to create a better quality of life through a more educated workforce,safer streets, and increased property values, leaders throughout JeffersonParish have come together to support the May 4th initiative to giveteachers their first real pay raise since 2003.
Although Jefferson Parish isone of the largest school systems in the U.S., our teachers are paid less thanteachers in seven other districts in our region alone. “Reforming our schoolsby providing adequate funding can simply be transformational for JeffersonParish,” said Todd Murphy, President of the Jefferson Chamber.
The proposed pay plan is partof a well-designed, results oriented, strategic plan to raise our district’soverall score from a grade C to a grade A. As such, the plan is notnecessarily aimed at across the board raises, but addresses the needs ofretention, target content and target schools. The plan is a collaborativeeffort of a newly elected Jefferson Parish School Board working with andsupporting its new Jefferson Parish Superintendent, Dr. Cade Brumley.
In a system of 3,200teachers, Jefferson loses 30% of its veteran teachers and 40% of new teachersevery year. With such a revolving door of educators, the Jefferson ParishPublic School System cannot expect systemic changes to be made. For thesereasons, the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson Federation ofTeachers, the Jefferson Business Council, the Westbank Business & IndustryAssociation, the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, the GreaterNew Orleans AFL-CIO, and the Home Builders of Greater New Orleans have allunited behind the effort to improve teacher pay.
A completeanalysis of the millage proposal with a favorable nod was completedrecently by BGR, the Bureau of Governmental Research. For moreinformation on the pay plan, please visit www.jpschools.org.
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Aboutthe Jefferson Chamber:
TheJefferson Chamber is a leading voice for Jefferson Parish’s businesscommunity. As a non-profit, membership-driven organization, the Chamber is aneffective advocate for small and large businesses at the local, state andfederal levels. The Chamber’s mission is to work for the advancement of thebusiness community; to enhance the economic, civic and cultural environment;and to improve the quality of life in Jefferson Parish. The Jefferson Chamberis Five-Star Accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the2013 and 2015 Chamber of the Year Award by the Louisiana Association of Chamberof Commerce Executives in the Large Chamber Category.
For more information aboutthe Jefferson Chamber, visit www.jeffersonchamber.org, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.