Welcome to the Louisiana Department of Education
About the Louisiana Department of Education
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) provides guidance and support to all publicly funded early childhood centers and elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana. Specifically, the department provides tools and resources to schools and school systems to support classroom instruction, assessments, workforce development and college and career preparation. Additionally, the department provides families and the public with transparent reporting of center, school, and school system performance and quality through the Louisiana School Finder.
To stay connected with the LDOE and receive updates on our work and our resources, visit our newsroom and our newsletter subscriptions page.
Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)
The LDOE is the administrative arm of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). BESE was established by the 1974 Louisiana Constitution. The Board is composed of 11 members: eight elected by the citizens of Louisiana’s eight BESE districts, and three appointed by the governor of Louisiana to represent the state at-large. Together, these members adopt and enact policies governing the elementary and secondary schools of Louisiana.
Louisiana's Education Priorities
Louisiana's education priorities maintain a clear focus on what matters most for academic achievement.
- Early childhood leading to kindergarten readiness
- Literacy instruction aligned to the Science of Reading
- Math instruction from foundational to advanced skills
- Opportunities ensuring a meaningful high school experience
- An effective teacher for every student
- Expand educational choice for students and families
Request Information
If you have questions, including public records requests, questions about licensure, or other types of inquiries, please see our contact us page.
Louisiana State Superintendent
Dr. Cade Brumley
Dr. Brumley is a Louisiana native who has dedicated his career to serving children, parents, and educators.
Back to the Basics
Louisiana's Education Priorities
From being ready to learn on the first day of kindergarten to thriving in a career, college
Employment Opportunities
Careers at LDOE
Join the Louisiana Department of Education as we strive for excellence.
Policy Guidance
State Advisory Groups
The LDOE facilitates over a dozen councils, committees, task forces, and other groups.
Key takeaways from the most recent annual report include:
- Overall teacher retention increased two points to 86%
- First-year teacher retention increased five points to 83%
- Certified teacher percentage increased two points to 69%
- Diversity of teacher workforce increased two points to 29%
- Average teacher salary increased by $1,268 to $52,174
Louisiana’s comprehensive recruitment and retention plan has included actions such as:
- $1,500 pay increase approved for teachers, $750 pay increase for support staff, and the inclusion of a $2,000 stipend for Mentor Teachers.
- Creation of the first Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council. Twenty-two educators were chosen from nearly 900 applications to serve on the inaugural council. This cohort of educators will meet with Dr. Brumley quarterly to share feedback on current education initiatives and offer insight on how Louisiana can continue to improve student outcomes.
- The Geaux Teach Fund was established in the 2022 Regular Legislative Session with an allocation of $5 million for the purpose of awarding scholarships to high school students in teacher preparation programs.
- Over $1 million was allocated to school systems to expand pre-educators pathways, which offer education courses to high school students interested in the profession. The Pre-Educator Pathway is offered in over 90 schools in 46 school systems for 2022-23. The Department released the Louisiana Grow Your Own/Pre-Educator Pathway Development and Expansion Guidebook and supports.
- The Department collaborated on new legislation that allows professionals with a master’s degree in any field to enter the classroom as a teacher
Because public charter schools do not have the same certification requirements, the Workforce Snapshot uses only traditional Louisiana public schools to inform certification tables in core courses for certified, uncertified, and out-of-field educators in K-12 English, math, science, social studies, and special education.