Louisiana Department of Education

We're in search of Louisiana's next class of exceptional educators! The application process is now open for Louisiana Teacher & Principal of the Year, New Teacher of the Year, and Early Childhood Teacher & Leader of the Year. Submit your nominations today!
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Healthy and physically active students tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance, and classroom behaviors. At the August BESE meeting, School Physical Activity Award winners from Belle Chasse Academy, Cypress Grove Elementary in St. James Parish, Pecan Grove Elementary in Ascension Parish, Slaughter Elementary in East Feliciana Parish, and Mandeville High School in St. Tammany Parish were recognized.

Celebrating the achievements of the American worker- past, present, and future. Happy Labor Day from the Louisiana Department of Education.

2023 Public Interest Fellows Stephanie Richardson of Tangipahoa Parish and Justin Templet of St. Bernard Parish were recognized at the August BESE meeting. The Public Interest Fellowship enables the recipients to focus their talents on the initiatives they are most passionate about with support from the LDOE and BESE. Fellowship recipients help drive educational progress in our state and lead projects that will have a positive impact for Louisiana students and schools.

The 2024 PAEMST Louisiana Science Finalists were honored at the August BESE meeting. The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest and most prestigious honor bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching.

SPED Fellows Academy is a year-long, comprehensive development program for novice special education leaders across the state. The fellowship will provide in-person training, coaching, and a community of practice that will instill the knowledge and skills the next generation of leaders need to lead and sustain change to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Members of the 2023-2024 SPED Fellows Academy were recognized at the August BESE meeting.

School Health Service Provider of the Year honorees were recognized at the August BESE meeting. This award program provides an opportunity to acknowledge school health service providers who demonstrate superior provision of health services in schools.

Outstanding School Support Employee award winners were recognized at the August BESE meeting. These valued professionals make a difference in the lives of students, families, and teachers daily.

STEM Diploma Seal Honorees were recognized at the August BESE meeting. These school systems collectively earned 639 STEM diploma seals! Congratulations to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, DeSoto Parish School System, and Lafayette Parish School System.

Qiaoya "Georgia", a 5th grader at Bayou Community Academy in Lafourche Parish, was recognized as a Student of the Year finalist at the August BESE meeting. Congratulations to Georgia on her incredible achievement!

Louisiana Student of the Year finalists were recognized at the August BESE meeting. The honorees include 5th, 8th, and 12th graders from each of the state’s eight BESE regions. Congratulations to these students on their incredible achievements!

Catholic Diocese Student of the Year honorees were recognized at the August BESE meeting. Elementary Student of the Year Charles P. Fornet is a student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Shreveport. Middle/Junior High Student of the Year is Anthony Charles Amadeo III, who attends Jesuit High School in New Orleans. Congratulations to these students for their remarkable academic achievement!

The Steve Carter Tutoring Program is newly updated and now provides up to $1,500 in digital vouchers for both math and literacy tutoring for eligible students in grades K-12. Learn more and apply today at Tutor.La.Gov.

We're equipping educators with resources to harness the power of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Based on recommendations from the Artificial Intelligence Task Force, we developed a comprehensive new guide on the safe, ethical, and effective use of AI. https://ow.ly/SUcf50T8HU3

Louisiana has adopted a wide-ranging set of policies to help eliminate classroom distractions for teachers. Based on recommendations from Dr. Brumley's Let Teachers Teach workgroup, the changes include:

✅ Decoupling student behavior and the school accountability system.
✅ Ensuring teachers have the right to have a student removed from the classroom immediately when their behavior prevents the orderly instruction of other students or poses a threat.
✅ Streamlining and reducing dozens of non-academic trainings and lessons teachers had been required by the state to repeat annually.
✅ Increasing professional autonomy for effective educators.

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Phase 2 cards are being mailed over the next several weeks at 75k cards/week. Look for plain white envelopes from Erie, PA, addressed to the eligible child. Families with multiple kids may receive cards at different times. Learn more: dcfs.la/sunbucks

Louisiana's new educator evaluation system rewards effective teachers with fewer observations and gives school administrators more time to spend with new teachers and those most in need of additional support. https://ow.ly/iSOX50SXH1q

In-person workshops start in August 2024 and are an opportunity to network and learn from ACT experts. Participants gain a better understanding of the core ACT tests, the research behind them, and what is assessed. A deep understanding enables educators to enhance instruction that can improve students' college readiness, and their post-high school life. For more information about in-person workshops visit: https://ow.ly/YxeV50SUSE4

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission celebrated the start of the new school year this week by hosting a Back-to-School Pep Rally for Safety at Central High School in East Baton Rouge Parish. Michael Comeaux, Director of Safe and Healthy Schools for the Louisiana Department of Education, reminded drivers in Louisiana that most students return to school this week, and school bus laws will be in effect.

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley is proposing a set of policy recommendations inspired from his Let Teachers Teach workgroup. These policies would significantly reduce the number of trainings teachers are required to repeat every year, tighten student discipline, and give effective educators more freedom over lesson planning. https://ow.ly/PLpy50ST8fz

We are grateful to all the educators, staff members, parents, and students working to get this week! Tag .louisiana with all your back-to-school events and activities for a chance to be featured on our social media pages!

The Hurricane Preparedness Playbook includes best practices and expert guidance to support school and system leaders before, during, and after a hurricane. It was developed by our Protect Louisiana Schools Hurricane Preparedness Commission and made possible through a partnership with AT&T. https://ow.ly/pZl350SRyph

Last week, the LDOE hosted the New Teacher Experience at the Lod Cook Alumni Center in Baton Rouge. The goals of the event were to welcome new teachers to the profession, explain the components of Louisiana's New Teacher Experience, engage in professional learning around topics relevant to new teachers, and to provide statewide networking opportunities for new teachers. We are excited to watch these new teachers succeed this school year!

The LDOE launched its inaugural cohort of the Business Manager Academy in July. The year-long training is structured to provide attendees with a wealth of knowledge that will be beneficial in transforming the processes of their system’s business operations to increase compliance and efficiencies.

Last week, the LDOE and the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) welcomed 81 teachers from seven countries at the International Associate Teacher Orientation held in Baton Rouge. The teachers received onboarding information and a warm Louisiana welcome ahead of the upcoming school year when they will begin teaching in public schools across the state. We are incredibly thankful and excited for the contributions these teachers will bring to Louisiana classrooms!

The Louisiana Department of Education is proud to announce the 2025 Principal of the Year division level honorees. These educators are making exceptional gains with students, guiding them to achieve at the highest levels in the state. Their commitment to student success exemplifies Louisiana’s teaching profession. All Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semifinalists were honored at the 18th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Gala, which was held at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. This exciting event was co-sponsored by Dream Teachers. https://ow.ly/q9If50SPqap

The 2024 Louisiana Legislative session funded tutoring programs available to eligible students in the upcoming school year. School systems, parents and tutoring providers are encouraged to sign up for the Louisiana Tutoring Initiatives newsletter to receive program updates and resources. https://ow.ly/acVj50SOmfC

The Louisiana Department of Education is proud to announce the 2025 Teacher of the Year division level honorees. These educators are making exceptional gains with students, guiding them to achieve at the highest levels in the state. Their commitment to student success exemplifies Louisiana’s teaching profession. All Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semifinalists were honored at the 18th Annual Cecil. J. Picard Educator Excellence Gala, which was held at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. This exciting event was co-sponsored by Dream Teachers. https://ow.ly/vosw50SPtnR

Rockeisha Walker of Iberville Parish is the 2025 Early Childhood Leader of the Year. Rockeisha has over 10 years of experience leading early learning centers. She believes that excellence as an early childhood leader is enhanced by qualities like patience, adaptability, and a genuine passion for fostering children’s learning and development. https://ow.ly/BGIF50SOEwh

The 2025 Early Childhood Teacher of the Year is Nicole Williams of Jefferson Parish. Nicole believes that as an educator, it is her mission to ensure each student entering her classroom is provided with high quality learning experiences by giving them what they need when and where they need it. She is committed to being an advocate for all children, a partner for families, and a listening ear for fellow teachers. https://ow.ly/e5xs50SOA5q