More than half of Louisiana teachers unhappy with pay

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - The Louisiana Federation of Teachers recently sent out surveys to teachers in the state, asking about their pay and more than 65% responded that they feel underpaid and undervalued.

Jackie Lansdale is the President of Red River United, a group that represents teachers in Caddo and Bossier parishes.

Lansdale is also the Executive VP for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

"When teachers say, 'you don't pay me enough,' they're really saying, 'you don't pay me enough for the level of stress, for the complications, for the discipline problems, for the fact that you don't value me as a professional," said Lansdale.

Protests recently broke out in Baton Rouge from teachers over wages.

Now, Lansdale says it's possible to see the outrage spread to other parts of the state.

"Never underestimate the militancy of a teacher."

Teachers in other states first brought the issue to light after grabbing national headlines in places like Oklahoma and West Virginia.

"This started in West Virginia, and again, and what's very interesting about that is these are all right to work states. So that should tell you volumes that any time you see a right to work state, you see workers who are not paid well," said Lansdale.

With Louisiana falling near the bottom in wages for teachers, Lansdale says this problem begins and ends with our lawmakers.

"What kind of legislators do we put back in? Are they going to have to answer for the dastardly deeds for what they did in 2012 when they watered down tenured rights to almost nothing? Whenever the value-added model tied to merit pay practically insured that you would not get a substantial pay raise?"

Here's a look at teacher's salaries across the United States.

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