Louisiana is sabotaging its own future by refusing to pay teachers a living wage.
We live in a state where politicians bend over backward to hand out tax breaks to corporations, yet plead poverty when it comes time to fund our public schools. Teachers are expected to be miracle workers—educating our children, managing overcrowded classrooms, filling in as social workers, counselors, and often surrogate parents—all while making less than what many entry-level professionals earn in other fields.
The numbers don’t lie. Louisiana ranks 46th in the nation for average teacher salary, earning just $54,248 a year—nearly $12,000 less than the national average of $66,397, according to the National Education Association. In some parishes, like Red River, the pay is better, but in others—like East Feliciana—salaries can dip as low as $35,134, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. No wonder schools across the state are struggling to fill critical teaching positions.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a labor issue—it’s a justice issue. It’s a democracy issue. It’s an economic issue. You want a stronger Louisiana? It starts in the classroom. An educated public is the backbone of a healthy democracy. A prepared workforce is the foundation of a strong economy. And yet, the very people tasked with shaping that future can’t even afford to stay in the profession.
Imagine graduating from college with tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, only to take home barely enough to cover rent, food, and gas. That’s the reality for many Louisiana teachers. Meanwhile, the cost of living climbs, healthcare costs rise, and the legislature drags its feet on meaningful raises. When you adjust for inflation, teachers are making less now than they did a decade ago. It’s wage theft, plain and simple.
Other states have figured it out. New York and Massachusetts pay their teachers over $92,000 annually—and not coincidentally, they have higher-performing school systems and better retention rates. Globally, countries like Australia are treating educators with the respect they deserve. In New South Wales, teacher salaries were recently raised to over $90,000 AUD (about $60,000 USD), and educators now have the right to ignore after-hours work communications, as reported by The Times. In Louisiana, many teachers can’t even afford a quiet lunch break.
And what’s our excuse? Budget constraints? Priorities? Let’s stop pretending. Louisiana finds the money when it wants to. We find it for sports stadiums. We find it for corporate subsidies. We find it for campaign donors. But when it comes to teachers—the people responsible for the next generation of voters, workers, and leaders—we suddenly cry fiscal responsibility.
This is a moral failure. And it’s one we can’t afford to keep making.
If we want better outcomes for our students, we need better teachers. And if we want better teachers, we need to pay them a competitive wage. Not just with one-time stipends or hollow appreciation weeks, but with real, sustained investment that reflects the value of their work.
Because here’s the truth: underpaid teachers lead to undereducated students. Undereducated students lead to underperforming economies. And underperforming economies lead to deepening cycles of poverty, incarceration, and inequality. Louisiana already knows that story too well.
The teachers of Louisiana aren’t asking for yachts or six-figure bonuses. They’re asking for enough to live with dignity. To stay in the profession they love. To raise families in the very communities they serve.
We say we care about children. We say we care about the future. Let’s prove it.
Raise teacher pay. Fully fund public education. And stop treating the people building our future like they’re expendable.
This isn’t just about fairness. It’s about survival. The soul of Louisiana’s future is on the line.
The post If We Want a Better Louisiana, We Have to Start By Paying Our Teachers What They’re Worth appeared first on Big Easy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
