ENROLLED
2020 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 51
BY REPRESENTATIVE HILFERTY
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the state Department of Education to study the education and training
requirements, compensation, and employment turnover rates of early childhood care
and education teachers and the implications of the data surrounding these issues on
child outcomes in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, through enactment of the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Act, the
Early Childhood Care and Education Network, and the School Readiness Tax Credit
Program, the legislature recognizes that the benefits of quality child care are indisputable
and that a strong connection exists between a child's early learning experiences and readiness
to enter kindergarten and ultimate academic success; and
WHEREAS, eighty percent of brain development takes place before the age of three
and ninety percent by age four; and
WHEREAS, children who start school behind generally stay behind, and more than
fifty-five percent of Louisiana's children entered kindergarten below grade level in literacy
in the 2019-2020 school year; and
WHEREAS, two out of three young children in Louisiana have both parents or their
single parent in the workforce, necessitating that the child be cared for by someone other
than a parent for the majority of the day; and
WHEREAS, the cost of child care in Louisiana has risen twelve percent over the past
three years and currently costs almost as much as tuition at a public college or university;
and
WHEREAS, breakdowns in the provision of child care have significant impacts on
parents' ability to work and impair the business community's access to a reliable workforce;
and
Page 1 of 3 HR NO. 51 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, studies estimate the annual loss attributable to child care breakdowns
to Louisiana's pre-COVID economy at $1.1 billion a year; and
WHEREAS, although the state has made sweeping reforms to early child care and
education, a teacher in a Type I or Type II early learning center and an assistant teacher in
a Type III early learning center is not required to have even a high school diploma to be
qualified to teach under current licensing regulations; and
WHEREAS, national data indicate that, despite the high child care costs borne by
parents, the median wage for child care workers in Louisiana in 2019 was $9.13 an hour,
which is less than half of the average kindergarten teacher's salary; and
WHEREAS, the turnover rate among early child care and education teachers reduces
the continuity of care for children and causes logistical and business issues for providers; and
WHEREAS, specific data on the education, training, compensation, and employment
turnover rates of early child care and education teachers in Louisiana are not easily or readily
available.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the state Department of Education to
study the education and training requirements, compensation, and employment turnover rates
of early childhood care and education teachers and the implications of the data surrounding
these issues on child outcomes in Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state Department of Education shall
collaborate with the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Louisiana
Workforce Commission, the Board of Regents, relevant stakeholder groups, and research
organizations to study these issues, including an analysis of the following data and
information:
(1)The education levels, compensation, and employment turnover rates of early
child care and education teachers of children from birth through age four in
Louisiana as compared to other states.
(2)A comparison of the compensation of Louisiana's early child care and
education teachers with similar professions in the state.
(3)The costs of early child care and education to parents of children from birth
to age four in Louisiana as compared to other states.
Page 2 of 3 HR NO. 51 ENROLLED
(4)Information on how other states or cities have endeavored to increase pay for
early child care and education teachers and the effectiveness of those
initiatives.
(5)Any other data or information the department deems pertinent and relevant.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state Department of Education shall submit
a written report of its findings, including recommendations, to the House Committee on
Education, the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Commerce,
and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by February 1, 2021.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
superintendent of education.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Page 3 of 3