Providing All Louisiana Students with Opportunities to Learn

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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

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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.

Meet Dr. Brumley

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

Learn about our priorities

Employment Opportunities

Careers at LDOE

Join the Louisiana Department of Education as we strive for excellence.

View current openings

Policy Guidance

State Advisory Groups

The LDOE facilitates over a dozen councils, committees, task forces, and other groups.

Learn more about our education groups

Funding intended to support early learning sites that safely remained open or reopened

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education today announced it would award nearly $11 million in federal funding to child care providers in a third round of grants to offset the financial impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The funding is intended to support early learning sites that safely remained open or reopened during this unprecedented time. This round of grants will include an additional amount for providers serving children in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

The funding stems from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act. The awards will benefit nearly 700 child care providers statewide who participate in CCAP, and in turn, serve over 46,000 children birth through age 13.

"For many in Louisiana, quality child care is the key factor in returning to work and providing for their family," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "These funds help support those educators who care for our youngest children. Our early childhood centers have been serving our essential workers, who in turn are on the frontlines of our health crisis. It's only right that we are there for them."

The grant awards represent the third round of this particular aid. These grants are available as the state continues forward on its Roadmap to a Resilient Louisiana, the Governor's plan for safely reopening the state.

Though early learning centers were not required to close under Louisiana's stay-at-home order, which went into effect in March, more than 70 percent of providers closed their doors. Those that remained open primarily served the children of workers on the frontlines of the response effort. Seventy percent of providers are now offering services, compared to 30 percent in April.

The latest round of grant funding builds on steps Louisiana has taken to support child care providers. The Department has:

  • Paid providers based on the enrollment of students receiving a subsidy, not attendance, to help ensure centers made closure decisions based on safety alone;
  • Issued rapidly-evolving health and safety guidance, including reopening guidance, for child care centers;
  • Connected child care workers to the important feeding programs run by school systems to ensure the people who care for children did not have to worry about putting food on the table for their own and those they educate; 
  • Enabled essential personnel to go to work with confidence their children are in good hands by opening, and then extending, the CCAP to essential workers across the state;
  • Released a suite of resources and additional funding opportunities to ensure a strong start for every child in every community; and
  • Equipped every child care provider with high-demand supplies to ensure a safe and health reopening.

While these efforts have provided much-needed support, more must be done, according to a recent report by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. The report shows early care and education providers, some of whom risk permanently closing, need support to reopen, and parents will have even more difficulty affording early care and education due to COVID-19 precautions. It emphasizes critical investments must be made in early care and education for employees to return to work and the Louisiana economy to fully reopen.

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