Rapides Parish School Board Candidates Address How to Solve Teacher Shortage
The Rapides Parish School Board held a candidate forum to educate the public on how they will improve the school system.
They informed the public on what issues they plan to tackle for the school year.
Rapides Parish School Board District E Candidate Linda “Gram” Burgess addressed teacher shortage in Rapides Parish.
“People may say it’s the pay. But I don’t think it’s the pay. I think it’s because they are having a hard time teaching in those classrooms.”
Rapides Parish School Board District G Candidate Bill Christophe says he has the solution to teacher retention.
“Right now, in New Orleans, they offer educators up to $65,000 towards the purchase of a home and up to another $5,000 towards closing costs. What does this do? This brings people to our community and if you’re buying a home, you’re going to stay for a while. We’re looking for teachers that’s going to be in the system for 10, 15, plus years. We need to recruit with incentive, and once they get here, we need to have support for those teachers in order to have them stay here.”
Rapides Parish School Board District E Candidate Linda “Gram” Burgess says, “Not only do they need to teach the subject, but they also need to manage the classroom. So, we don’t need to throw those people in there. What we need to do is train them, give them mentoring teachers, teachers that are going to help them in that classroom.”
Rapides Parish School Board District G Candidate Wally Fall says the school board needs to be more involved with students.
“Visit the schools more often, everyone doesn’t go out and visit the schools. You find out what they need to work on and what problems you can help them with.”
Angelina Iles, Police Juror District D Candidate says, “We need to also work on the school system because no one will bring their family here with a business and you have a school system the way it is set up now. I want to see people live a good quality of life and I’ve done great things for me, and my family and I want to see other people live as well as I am.”
Each forum encourages the public to vote intelligently to govern themselves in their communities.
Early voting for the Rapides Parish School Board will end on November 1st.
