Louisiana Superintendent Brumley: Education Department a Big Mistake

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley was in Shreveport on Tuesday and stopped by the KEEL Studios for a visit. One topic of conversation was an article in the New York Post titled "How One State is Getting Education Right: By Going Back to Basics."  And surprisingly, the story was about... wait for it... LOUISIANA!

The article said:  The Pelican State was the rare bright spot on the NAEP results, jumping from 49th place nationwide to 32nd in overall scores.  Dr. Brumley was also quoted in the story when asked how the state made such improvements and said "by going back to basics."

During his conversation with KEEL News, When asked about President Trump's plan to eliminate the Department of Education, Dr. Brumley told KEEL News:

I think that the US Department of Education was a mistake when it began in the seventies.  If you look at academic outcomes over a period of time, they've gone down in terms of our global rankings.

Brumley continued, If it's handled thoughtfully, I think it could be a real positive for education across the country.  I tend to think that education is best with moms and dads working with teachers and leaders locally as a local enterprise. So I think that it holds a lot of promise and I commend President Trump and that team on trying to move that forward.

The Success is Good... but What's Next for Education in Louisiana?

Dr. Brumley acknowleged that while the New York Post story is finally some good news about Louisiana education, he also acknowledged that we still have a long way to go.

We're pleased, but we're not satisfied. Louisiana is a state that's been long challenged. But in 2019 the state was ranked 49th in the nation's report card. In 2022, we moved to like, 42nd, 43rd...  and today we're ranked 32nd. Louisiana 4th graders ranked 16th for reading overall.  So, we're making progress, but we have to keep that moving. Back to the Basics continues.  We have to continue to elevate the teaching profession, make sure that every student has access to a teacher, accelerate parental rights, and make sure that we are expanding ed freedom to all the possible audiences.