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 Councils
The LDOE facilitates over a dozen councils, committees, task forces, and other groups.
(BATON ROUGE, LA) - More Louisiana teachers are choosing to remain in the profession. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) previewed findings from their upcoming Teacher Exit Data Report today. The annual report shows a 2-percent decrease in the number of teachers exiting their current position. The LDOE will present the full report to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in January.
“Outside of the parent, the classroom teacher has the largest impact on student learning,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Louisiana is committed to providing every student with an effective teacher, and we must continue to listen to these professionals and give them the support they need to thrive.”
Less Louisiana Teachers Leaving the Classroom
Louisiana saw less traditional public school teachers exit their current position last school year. In 2023-2024, 13 percent of teachers exited (6,297). That’s down from 15 percent (6,873) in 2022-2023. The overall number of teachers exiting the profession has decreased for two consecutive years. In 2021-2022, 6,944 (15%) teachers left their current position.
Valuing the Teaching Profession
Louisiana has implemented a number of initiatives and policies designed to support teachers and provide school systems with additional avenues to recruit and retain quality educators.
- Dr. Brumley launched the Let Teachers Teach workgroup to develop common sense solutions to unnecessary bureaucracies and classroom disruptions that keep teachers from teaching students. Composed of over two dozen teachers from across Louisiana, many of the workgroup’s recommendations have been adopted into state policy.
- Over the past few years, Louisiana has created additional pathways into the profession such as a program targeted at military families and the associate teacher program PDF.
- Along with multiple statewide stipends and teacher pay raises, Louisiana provided school systems funding to direct additional pay towards areas of greatest need. School systems can use these funds to address the recruitment and retention of teachers in critical shortage areas, highly effective teachers, teachers working in high need schools, and teachers in leadership positions.
About the Teacher Exit Data Report
State law requires BESE to annually report the results of teacher exit interviews conducted by local school systems. The LDOE develops this report each year. During the 2023-2024 school year, the LDOE received data from all 69 traditional school systems in the state.