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