Enabling Excellence Through Support and Resources

(BATON ROUGE, LA) - More Louisiana teachers are choosing to remain in the profession. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) previewed findings from their upcoming Teacher Exit Data Report today. The annual report shows a 2-percent decrease in the number of teachers exiting their current position. The LDOE will present the full report to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in January.

“Outside of the parent, the classroom teacher has the largest impact on student learning,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Louisiana is committed to providing every student with an effective teacher, and we must continue to listen to these professionals and give them the support they need to thrive.”

Less Louisiana Teachers Leaving the Classroom

Louisiana saw less traditional public school teachers exit their current position last school year. In 2023-2024, 13 percent of teachers exited (6,297). That’s down from 15 percent (6,873) in 2022-2023. The overall number of teachers exiting the profession has decreased for two consecutive years. In 2021-2022, 6,944 (15%) teachers left their current position.

Valuing the Teaching Profession

Louisiana has implemented a number of initiatives and policies designed to support teachers and provide school systems with additional avenues to recruit and retain quality educators.

• Dr. Brumley launched the Let Teachers Teach workgroup to develop common sense solutions to unnecessary bureaucracies and classroom disruptions that keep teachers from teaching students. Composed of over two dozen teachers from across Louisiana, many of the workgroup’s recommendations have been adopted into state policy.
• Over the past few years, Louisiana has created additional pathways into the profession such as a program targeted at military families and the associate teacher program PDF.
• Along with multiple statewide stipends and teacher pay raises, Louisiana provided school systems funding to direct additional pay towards areas of greatest need. School systems can use these funds to address the recruitment and retention of teachers in critical shortage areas, highly effective teachers, teachers working in high need schools, and teachers in leadership positions.

About the Teacher Exit Data Report

State law requires BESE to annually report the results of teacher exit interviews conducted by local school systems. The LDOE develops this report each year. During the 2023-2024 school year, the LDOE received data from all 69 traditional school systems in the state.