Seventeen Caddo Parish Schools employees transition to certified teachers

SHREVEPORT, La. - The Caddo Parish School Board recently recognized 17 graduates of the Reach University program, marking the largest graduating class in Louisiana for the initiative.

The partnership allows active school employees to earn their degrees for $75 a month. This year’s graduates, many of whom previously served the district as paraprofessionals and substitute teachers, successfully balanced full-time jobs and family responsibilities to complete their studies.

To commemorate the achievement, graduates were presented with special purple and orange pins.

The transition from classified to certified status will have a significant financial impact on the new teachers. Each graduate will see a salary increase that doubles their previous pay.

District officials noted that the program has become a valuable recruitment tool for Caddo Parish, allowing the school system to grow its next generation of educators from within its own workforce.