Teacher pay in Louisiana ranks among the lowest in the nation. That makes it hard for education majors to want to stay in-state after college. Despite the low pay, many are still choosing to stay.
Kamille Joubert, education junior, is one of many students faced with the dilemma when she chose to become an education major.
“I’m tossing between going out of state or staying here,” Joubert said. “I think I might prefer leaving because there are more benefits, but Louisiana offers free graduate school.”
According to the National Education Association, Louisiana’s teacher average annual pay ranks 44th in the country at $39,022. The District of Columbia has the highest pay at $58,456. California follows in a close second place at $57,876. Georgia has the highest pay out of the South Eastern Conference states, ranked No. 18 at $46,526 annually.
For some students, it might seem more attractive to go out of state to teach, where more money can be made. But for Joubert, money is not an issue.
“I got the proper preparation and help from LSU to teach in any situation,” Joubert said. “I feel so blessed to have that opportunity that I want to go back and teach in a low income school.”
Patricia Exner, associate dean of the College of Education, said she hopes students look more at facilities and public support than salary.
“We encourage students to stay in-state because the needs are here,” Exner said.
Joubert hopes to fulfill some of those needs if she does stay in Louisiana. While student teaching a class at Belfair Montessori Magnet, she realized teaching could be a tool to help others in need.
“Some of the kids get emotional,” Joubert said. “One girl wrote in her journal, ‘I love all my four teachers.'”
Joubert said it’s hard not to get attached to the young students.
“Another student ran up to me and excitedly yelled, ‘I did it, I did it,’ after he finished an assignment,” Joubert said. “That’s when I knew I’m meant to teach.”
Not all education majors want to donate their skills to Louisiana. Out of the 138 early education majors who graduated last year, 29 reported back that they were employed full time. Nineteen of those graduates stayed in Louisiana to teach. At least seven left to seek opportunities in other states.
“I think a lot of the education majors who do go out of state go for the benefits,” said Sara Crow, public relations director for Career Services.
Students are often offered benefits in other states that Louisiana can’t match, Crow said.
“Sometimes out of state schools might offer teachers laptops or better facilities,” Crow said.
According to the Louisiana Department of Education, starting pay in East Baton Rouge Parish is $32,525.
“I think it’s not really an issue for students now,” Exner said. “But it might be an issue later when they have families to feed.”
Although TOPS was created to keep college students in-state, a large number of students still leave after graduation.
“This isn’t specific to education graduates,” Crow said. “But I’d say that just a little more than 50 percent stay in-state after graduation.”
For Louisiana, that means a loss of almost half of its future teachers and professionals.
—–Contact Kristine Breithaupt at [email protected]