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Bossier Parish highlights teacher‑pipeline gains: Pre‑Educator growth, Call Me Mister partnerships and Reach apprenticeship graduates
Summary
Supervisors told the board that pre‑educator club membership rose to 62, the Aspiring Mister program grew to 88 students, and Reach University apprenticeship candidates and other residency pipelines produced graduates and hires. Officials and university partners described local partnerships and regional recruiting efforts.
Dr. Tracy Burrell, the district’s supervisor of recruitment and retention, presented a progress report May 1 on Bossier Parish Schools’ teacher pipeline programs, detailing growth in student programs and partnerships with universities and national initiatives.
Burrell said the Pre‑Educator club — a three‑year program for middle‑ and high‑school students — grew from 50 to 62 registered students this year, and 17 students placed in the top 10 at the Louisiana State Educators Rising conference. She said two students received bids to attend the national conference in Orlando.
Burrell also reported that the Aspiring Mister program increased from 50 to 88 students and that the district added a junior program at an elementary school so fifth graders can feed into the middle‑school program. Burrell introduced Regina DigiLarmo (identified in the presentation as the district’s Pre‑Educator teacher leader), who recognized students who qualified for state and national competitions.
Grambling State University representative Dr. George Nofflin Jr. spoke about the Call Me Mister program, a national initiative to recruit men of color into the teaching profession. Nofflin described outcomes from partner institutions, named current graduates who are teaching in local districts, and said Grambling has memorandums of understanding with multiple school districts, including Bossier Parish.
Burrell also reviewed the district’s Reach University apprenticeship pathway, presenting graduates who completed registered apprenticeship degrees that combine full‑time employment with coursework that meets Louisiana teacher licensure requirements. Reach University representatives and district staff named multiple graduates from June, December and May cohorts who are expected to enter classrooms.
Other highlights included: 11 seniors received honors cords for completing pre‑educator course requirements and dual‑enrollment credits; 28 seniors signed to local institutions committing to education programs; and Regina DigiLarmo was recognized as a Phi Delta Kappa 2025 Emerging Leaders Fellow, a national honor for education leaders.
Burrell and university partners emphasized that the district’s pipeline strategy combines in‑school programs, university partnerships, and residency pathways to address teacher shortages. They did not specify budget figures for the initiatives during the presentation.
