Work-based learning, truancy summit, LA GATOR top items during BESE meeting

Yahoo

09-04-2025

BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held its meeting Wednesday morning. While the future of Linwood Elementary was not directly addressed, many other education topics were.
During his reporting, Louisiana State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley said that work-based learning in the form of available internships and apprenticeships is lagging in Louisiana compared to other states. He said the availability of those resources is a vital element in helping students get hands-on workforce experience.
For comparison, Brumley said accessible work-based learning is 20% in Georgia, 25% in Tennessee, and below 5% in Louisiana. He says more opportunities need to be created between industry and the department to increase the availability of these programs.
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Another issue at the forefront for BESE members and the state superintendent is taking a more proactive role in addressing truancy. Brumley said LDOE will commit three staff members to oversee truancy as part of the department's operations division.
Brumley said the department will place 'additional emphasis on attendance, committing a small group of individuals to address the issue,' similarly to the hyper-focus LDOE placed on statewide improvements in Math and ELA.
BESE's annual Teacher Leader Summit is slated for June. Part of the summit will include a 'truancy summit' which will bring together district attorneys, members of the judicial branch, and school leaders for three sessions on June 12. The sessions will share best practices for schools, school districts, and Family in Need of Services (FINS), a specialty court that works with families to remedy issues with early judicial intervention to prevent delinquency and child abuse.
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There was also a presentation about the LA GATOR school choice scholarship program. The LDOE believes that interest in accessing the $93 million earmarked by Governor Landry will exceed the allotted amount.
The funding applications are being accepted until April 15, 2025, and submitted through Odyssey, a digital marketplace that aids states in administering school choice programs like LA GATOR. Families apply through Odyssey, which manages funding and connects them with educational resources, including tuition, tutoring, and expenses.
Brumley noted to board members that the program would not begin without the legislature approving the $1.9 million contract, allowing the vendor to manage the account, noting that the state's current voucher program will sunset in June.
'The current vendor program ends June 30. If the vendor contract is not approved, we don't have a program,' Brumley said.
BESE Board general and committee meetings can be viewed live on YouTube or on demand.
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