Providing All Louisiana Students with Opportunities to Learn

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Welcome to the Louisiana Department of Education

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) serves over 800,000 students in a growing portfolio of educational settings. As the state agency that oversees early childhood and K-12 education in Louisiana, the LDOE is committed to providing every child with the opportunities they need to graduate high school ready to succeed in a career, college, or service. The LDOE is responsible for a variety of services such as policy and regulations, funding, school oversight, research, and training.

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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.

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Policy Guidance

State Advisory Groups

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

Learn more about our education groups

Lafourche Parish and Pointe Coupee Parish educators will spend year advocating for education initiatives

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Education announced the winners of the annual Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship for the 2021-2022 school year. Bridget Berry of Pointe Coupee Parish and Trinette Wallace of Lafourche Parish were named this year’s honorees during last week’s 2021 Teacher Leader Summit. The fellowship program allows recipients to spend a school year advocating for an education initiative of their choosing.

Berry’s fellowship initiative is to develop and implement a virtual mentoring program for first year teachers across Pointe Coupee Parish Schools. The goal of her program is to provide the support, knowledge and guidance needed to help new teachers be successful.

Wallace’s fellowship initiative is to create an organization that will recruit and support minority educators into Louisiana public schools. Through its fellowship work, the organization will help attract more minorities to the teaching profession to help ensure the educator workforce is reflective of the population of students they serve.

“Our nation was built by people with the drive and courage to put their ideas into action. That’s what this award represents and that is what makes Bridget and Trinette such fitting honorees,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Louisiana’s educators are valued professions and each of these initiatives will help ensure our children benefit from a diverse, highly effective workforce.”

The Louisiana Public Interest Fellowship allows recipients to spend the upcoming school year advocating for a key education initiative of their choosing. These initiatives are aligned to the Department’s priorities. Winners are chosen from the previous year’s list of Louisiana Teacher of the Year Finalists.

Bridget Berry is a 27-year educator and 2021 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Finalist. She presently serves as the 5th grade reading and English language arts teacher at STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee.She is a native of Vernon Parish and began her teaching career in 1994 in Vernon Parish teaching at Fort Polk, Louisiana. She later moved to Rapides Parish where she taught at Phoenix Magnet Elementary.After moving to Pointe Coupee, she taught at Rougon Elementary where she earned National Board Teacher Certification as a middle childhood generalist. In 2006, she transitioned into educational leadership roles in Pointe Coupee Parish as the assistant principal and principal of Valverda Elementary, then later as an instructional supervisor. In 2017, she made a personal decision to return to the classroom.She has been teaching at Stem Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee since then, serving as school building level committee chairperson as well as a mentor teacher. Berry earned a bachelor's degree in education from McNeese State University,and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northwestern State University.

Trinette Wallaceis a 15-year educator and 2021 Louisiana Middle School Teacher of the Year. She presently serves as a 6th grade ancient history teacher, but will be promoted to the master teacher position for the upcoming school year at West Thibodaux Middle in the Lafourche Parish School District. She is the daughter of a 33-year veteran educator who was hired as the first black administrator at a predominately white school in the Assumption Parish School District. Reared with a priority placed on education, Wallace excelled in academics. She received her bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and master’s degree from Southern University. While working as a physical therapist technician, Wallace was asked to substitute teach. Although teaching was not an initial want, she fell in love with the profession the moment she entered the classroom. Subsequently, Wallace enrolled in Nicholls State University’s Alternative Teacher Certification Program, ultimately obtaining 30 hours in educational leadership. In 2017, Wallace was selected as a Lafourche School District Curriculum Development Think Tank member for social studies. Successfully implementing Kagan Strategies and responsive classroom techniques, she shares her expertise with all stakeholders. Wallace has served as a supervising teacher for Nicholls State University since 2014 and as an LDOE Mentor Teacher in 2018.

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