Competitive And Fair Compensation from Jefferson Parish Schools on Vimeo.

  •  

    Jefferson Parish Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley’s plan to increase educator pay was approved by the Jefferson Parish School Board during tonight’s meeting. Three months ago, the board directed Dr. Brumley to develop a compensation plan for consideration. The measure is now turned over to the citizens of Jefferson Parish, who will vote on the plan during the May 4 election.

    “The proposal I presented tonight comes from hundreds of meetings over the last year with employees, parents, community members, and business leaders,” said Dr. Brumley. “I tried to deliver a forward-looking plan that overcomes the concerns from the last proposal. Without a doubt, and with any such effort, there will be components of the plan that are liked and some that are disliked. I do believe, however, the comprehensiveness of the plan shows value to our employees and is cognizant of our public’s desires.”

    Dr. Brumley’s plan is titled: Competitive and Fair Compensation – The Future of Jefferson Parish Public Schools.  Some of the approximate details of the plan include:

    • The average teacher would see an increase of $3,360 in base salary
    • Teachers would be eligible for additional stipends for working in exceptionally low socio-economic schools and/or schools with exceptionally high ELL populations
    • Teachers would be eligible for additional stipends ($1,000) if certified in a recognized hard-to-staff content area
    • Teachers would be eligible for up to $2,000 in performance pay
    • The starting teacher pay would increase by $4,000-$9,000
    • The average base pay for full-time support employees would increase in excess of $2,000
    • The plan provides the equivalency of a $15 per hour floor for all employees
    • The plan recognizes the value of school leadership as well as school leadership performance
    • The plan eliminates inequities that currently exist within administrator pay

    Increasing teacher pay will help the district retain its best educators and recruit the top new teachers. Starting pay for teachers in Jefferson Parish currently ranks 8th out of the nine parishes in our region. Average teacher pay in Jefferson Parish trails both the state and nation.

    JP schools now loses four out of every 10 new teachers and three of every 10 veteran teachers. Over the past three school years, the district has lost 1,555 teachers. The district currently has 44 teacher vacancies, which impacts around 1,100 students.

    The total cost of the proposal is $32 million. The district will cover $5 million of the plan within the existing budget. The voters will be asked to approve $27 million of the plan, which is an increase of 7.9 mils.

    “Throughout my career as a Superintendent, I have valued the recruitment and retention of excellent talent within the system,” said Dr. Brumley. “I know we are only as good as the employees we work alongside each and every day.”

    HOW YOU CAN HELP

    • Educate yourself on this important vote
    • Share this information with family, friends, and coworkers, then encourage them to vote. You can tell them to visit jppss.wpengine.com/employeecompensation
    • Vote! The election is May 4. You can vote early April 20-27.

    GENERAL VOTING INFORMATION

     

    DATE
    EVENT
    April 3 In Person/By Mail Registration Deadline
    April 13 Geaux Vote Online Registration Deadline
    April 20 Early Voting Begins
    April 27 Early Voting Ends
    April 30 Deadline to Request a Mail Ballot from Registrar
    May 3 Deadline for Registrar to Receive Voted Mail Ballot
    May 4 Election Day

     

    LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE