The upshot is that new teachers—and the schools looking to hire them—will have to wait for the state to complete their background check and issue their license before they can start working in classrooms.

A bill to give parents tax dollars to pay for private school passed the Louisiana Senate, handing Gov. Jeff Landry a major victory and thwarting critics—including some Republicans—who balked at the plan's possibly massive cost and its potential to destabilize the state's public schools.

The state, like much of the country, is grappling with teacher shortages in nearly every subject as educators cite mounting workloads, large class sizes and persistently low pay. Data shows the state lost about 7,000 teachers in 2022 with a turnover rate of around 13%—a number higher than before the pandemic.

"I have considered declaring bankruptcy," one Louisiana teacher wrote. "I cannot stay in this profession unless we receive a 25% raise."