(KMDL-FM) When you think of Forbes Magazine, the image your mind might conjure is that of Wall Street in New York City or some busy boardroom filled with concerned people wearing expensive suits and ties, not a public school system. But a Louisiana school system has earned a spot in “the boardroom,” so to speak.
True, Forbes does cover those topics related to big businesses and high finance, but they also cover topics that affect regular people, and in the course of doing that, Forbes has made a very special observation about the schools in Lafayette.
Here’s Why Lafayette Educators Are Heroes To Me
I have never worked in education, but I am very close with many who have and who do. They will tell you that sometimes it’s a thankless job, especially when parents don’t support the educational initiatives and “blame the teacher” for poor parenting skills at home.
Working in that kind of environment must require a very special workplace. Forbes has identified Lafayette schools as one of those special workplaces in Louisiana. In fact, Lafayette Parish Schools are being mentioned in the same breath as some of Louisiana’s largest and most respected companies when it comes to fostering a productive work environment.
Every year, Forbes releases a list of the Best Employers in All 50 States. They also break down the list in a state-by-state format. The list shows the ranking of employers based on employee satisfaction surveys focusing on working conditions, paths for career advancement, competitive benefits, and organizational community.
Lafayette Parish Schools were ranked at #10 in the entire state. Some other names on the list that you might recognize are Ochsner Health Care System and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. The Louisiana employer at the top of the list? Raising Cane’s. So you see, the Forbes list is all-encompassing in just about every aspect of employment.
How Many People Work in Lafayette Parish Schools?
Lafayette Parish Schools employ some 4,000 people. Their mission is to educate our children in a safe environment while making sure the needs of the individual child do not get lost in the enormity of the student body. That student body is estimated to be about 30,000, so you can see the undertaking is quite a heavy lift.
Francis Touchet is the Superintendent of Lafayette Parish Schools. Under his tenure, the school district has had to make some hard choices, some of them seemingly unpopular. But then again, almost every choice involving a budget or reallocating money always seems to come with passionate opposing positions…