New Workgroup Wants to Save Teachers Time in Classrooms

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The Louisiana Department of Education announced Thursday a new workgroup that will seek solutions to problems deemed classroom disruptions.

“One of the best ways we can value teaching professionals is by simply protecting their time to do the important work entrusted to them,” Cade Brumley, state superintendent of education, said in the news release.

The department announced the Let Teachers Teach workgroup to find solutions to certain problems that take up teachers’ time. The news release specifically listed excessive training and paperwork, scripted lessons and student discipline as some of the problems they plan to address with the workgroup.

The goal of the workgroup is to limit these disruptions so that teachers have more time to devote to classroom instruction.

The group will be made up of pre-kindergarten through high school teachers, but its members have not been chosen yet. Kylie Altier, Louisiana’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and a first-grade instructor in Baton Rouge, was named chair of the workgroup.

The workgroup was formed based on feedback Brumley received through engagement, including classroom visits and the Teacher Advisory Council, a group of 22 classroom leaders from throughout the state.

The goals of the workgroup align with recommendations from one of Gov. Jeff Landry’s transition councils. The K-12 Education Policy Council report, released last month, highlighted several issues, including teacher recruitment and retention.

The report recommends legislative action to reduce time-consuming mandates and “examine unnecessary licensure burden… understanding that professional experiences can be more valuable than licensure processes in many cases.”

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