Groups in Louisiana get $1.3 million to address early educator pay

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Groups in Louisiana were given $1.3 million to put toward demonstration projects to boost early educator compensation.

According to a release from the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC), seven grantees were awarded, including Ascension Parish School Board Ready Start Network, East Baton Rouge Public School System Ready Start Network and Pointe Coupee Early Childhood Coalition.

The funding came from a $3 million grant given to the LPIC from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative. This allows the LPIC to build a system that recognizes and rewards early childhood educators in Louisiana.

“Investing in early care and education is investing in our future,” said Candace Weber, Ph.D., partnerships director of LPIC. “By providing these grants, we are taking a crucial step towards creating a sustainable and equitable compensation system for our early childhood educators. Their work is foundational to the success of our children, and it is time they are compensated fairly for their invaluable contributions.”

Each recipient’s demonstration project shows they are committed to creating effective strategies to improve early educator compensation.

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Ascension Parish School Board Ready Start Network’s plan includes building a package for early educators by making a sustainable infrastructure to retain and attract qualified educators.

East Baton Rouge Public School System Ready Start Network plans to explore sustainability methods to increase early educator compensation.

Pointe Coupee Early Child Coalition says their plan would leverage the existing School Readiness Tax Credit efforts to increase compensation without causing a “benefits cliff.”

Other grant recipients were Agenda for Children, For Providers by Providers, Jefferson Community Foundation and the St. Tammany Parish Ready Start Network.

“The funding for these demonstration projects will empower local and regional efforts to implement innovative solutions, ensuring that early childhood educators in Louisiana receive the recognition, support, and wages they deserve,” said Ola Friday, Ed. L.D., executive director of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative.

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