HLS 21RS-639 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 39
BY REPRESENTATIVE MINCEY
TEACHERS: Creates a task force to study issues related to teacher shortages in Louisiana
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To create the Teacher Recruitment, Recovery, and Retention Task Force to study the
3 declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs and to study strategies and best
4 practices by which the state and individual school districts where there are teacher
5 shortages can increase rates of employment and retention of teachers and to provide
6 a written report of findings and recommendations to the governor, state
7 superintendent of education, president of the State Board of Elementary and
8 Secondary Education, House Committee on Education, and Senate Committee on
9 Education not later than January 14, 2022.
10 WHEREAS, the number of education degrees conferred by American colleges and
11universities dropped by twenty-two percent between 2006 and 2019, despite an overall
12increase in university graduates; and
13 WHEREAS, many public school systems throughout the state of Louisiana have
14experienced a decline in teacher applicant pools, especially in the subjects of mathematics
15and science and in special education; and
16 WHEREAS, school systems must proactively seek to overcome employment
17challenges by maintaining strong school leaders, positive work environments, and
18competitive compensation packages; and
19 WHEREAS, the current shortage of teachers is a statewide concern among districts;
20it is essential that Louisiana attract the most talented and ambitious teachers in the country
21to our schools; and
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1 WHEREAS, the members of the Legislature of Louisiana believe that structured
2dialogue and engagement will illuminate the path forward in facing this challenge.
3 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana hereby creates
4the Teacher Recruitment, Recovery, and Retention Task Force to research strategies to
5overcome the state's current and future teacher shortage challenge and secure a stronger
6educator workforce.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
8following members:
9 (1) The chairman of the House Committee on Education or his designee.
10 (2) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Education or his designee.
11 (3) A representative of the Louisiana Department of Education designated by the
12state superintendent of education.
13 (4) The commissioner of higher education or his designee.
14 (5) A representative of the Louisiana School Boards Association designated by the
15governing authority of the association.
16 (6) A representative of the Louisiana Association of School Executives designated
17by the governing authority of the association.
18 (7) The president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or his
19designee.
20 (8) A representative of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents
21designated by the governing authority of the association.
22 (9) A representative of the Louisiana State Association of School Personnel
23Administrators designated by the governing authority of the association.
24 (10) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Colleges for Teacher
25Education designated by the governing authority of the association.
26 (11) A representative of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, who
27is a certified teacher with one to five years of classroom experience, designated by the
28governing authority of the association.
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1 (12) A representative of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, who is a certified
2teacher with six to twenty years of classroom experience, designated by the governing
3authority of the federation.
4 (13) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Educators, who is a minority
5certified teacher with at least five years of classroom experience, designated by the
6governing authority of the association.
7 (14) The president and chief executive officer of the Council for A Better Louisiana
8or his designee.
9 (15) The executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools
10or his designee.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commissioner of higher education shall be
12responsible for designating Board of Regents staff to assist the task force in performing its
13duties, shall serve as co-chair of the task force, and shall call the first meeting of the task
14force, which shall be held not later than July 16, 2021, and at which the task force shall
15adopt rules of procedure, a work schedule, and any additional measures that it deems
16necessary for the timely performance of its duties, including selection of another co-chair
17and other officers.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the termination date of the task force shall be
19two years after the convening of its first meeting.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the task force shall serve without
21compensation.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit a written report of
23findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, relative to why the number
24of university-level students majoring in education has declined, why teachers are leaving the
25profession, and what can be done to reverse the trend toward a teacher workforce shortage.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall be submitted to the governor,
27the state superintendent of education, the House Committee on Education, the Senate
28Committee on Education, the president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
29Education, and the commissioner of higher education by January 14, 2022, and that such
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1recommendations shall include but not be limited to exploring answers to the following
2questions:
3 (A) Recruitment:
4 (1) How many university-level students are poised to become teachers over the next
5few years?
6 (2) How many students are in teacher preparation programs, disaggregated by
7elementary, junior high, and high school levels?
8 (3) What can be done to recruit high school students to major in education with the
9intention to pursue a career teaching math or science?
10 (4) What can be done to increase high school students' interest in pursuing teaching?
11 (5)(a) How is the one-year residency program affecting fourth year university-level
12students majoring in education?
13 (b) What are the consequences of university-level students majoring in education
14changing their major to avoid the residency program?
15 (c) How many students change from an education major to a different major?
16 (6)(a) Is there an adequate number of mentor teachers for residency programs?
17 (b) If no, why has the number declined?
18 (7) What best practices for recruiting people to the teaching profession are working
19in other states?
20 (B) Recovery:
21 (1) Why have teachers retired early or resigned since 2012?
22 (2) What are the results from exit interviews of teachers who leave school districts?
23 (3) What are the results of class measures surveys conducted throughout the state?
24 (4) How have the inadequacies of accountability evaluations affected teacher
25morale?
26 (5) How has a lack of pay raises affected teacher morale?
27 (6) What best practices for preventing teacher burnout are working in other states?
28 (C) Retention:
29 (1) How many of the following are teaching in the state?
30 (a) Certified teachers
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1 (b) Uncertified teachers
2 (c) Teachers with an alternative certification
3 (d) Teachers with a temporary teaching assignment designation
4 (2) How many teachers will be eligible for retirement by 2026?
5 (3) What can be done to increase the number of minority teachers?
6 (4) How have increased documentation requirements affected teacher morale?
7 (5) What best practices for retaining teachers are working in other states?
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 39 Original 2021 Regular Session Mincey
Creates the Teacher Recruitment, Recovery, and Retention Task Force to study strategies
and best procedures by which the state and individual school districts can secure a stronger
educator workforce. Requires a written report of findings and recommendations submitted
to the governor, the state superintendent of education, the commissioner of higher education,
the president of the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the House and
Senate education committees not later than Jan. 14, 2022.
Provides that the task force shall have 15 members who shall serve without compensation.
Provides that the commissioner of higher education shall serve as co-chair of the task force,
designate Board of Regents staff to assist the task force, and call the first meeting by July 16,
2021.
Provides for termination of the task force two years after the first meeting date.
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