BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (BESE) voted eight to three today to select Dr. Cade Brumley as the next state Superintendent of Education. He will take the place of John White, who had served in the role since 2012.
Brumley is the current superintendent of the Jefferson Parish School District and the former leader of schools in DeSoto Parish, where he improved the schools’ ratings and rankings.
In February, Brumley posted a message on Twitter about his hopes to fill the state’s top education job.
“With a deep love for my home state and an optimistic outlook for her future I have submitted my application to serve as Louisiana’s next state superintendent of education,” he wrote. “I’m a product of the public school system, graduate of Louisiana universities, husband to a public charter educator and dad to public schoolchildren. … My present work in Jefferson Parish is incredibly important and we’re making steady progress [but] I believe I will impact even more students alongside committed stakeholders throughout Louisiana.”
There were two other finalists for the job: Jessica Baghian, the state’s assistant superintendent of education; and Lonnie Luce, former St. James Parish school superintendent.
“I would like to congratulate Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley on being appointed by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as our next State Superintendent of Education,” said Henderson Lewis, Jr., superintendent NOLA Public Schools. “Dr. Brumley is an experienced leader who is committed to improving outcomes for the children of Louisiana. I look forward to working with Dr. Brumley in this new role, as he leads teaching and learning efforts statewide on behalf of our students and educators.”
The Pelican Institute, a conservative think tank that weighs in on education issues affecting the state, also released a statement.
“The Pelican Institute would like to extend a warm congratulations to Dr. Brumley on being named our next state superintendent,” said Ethan Melancon, director of education policy at the Pelican Institute. “Louisiana has been a leader in education reforms that ensure every child has access to a school that best fits his or her needs. And yet, much remains to be done. This work is even more urgent now, and we look forward to working with Dr. Brumley to carry on that legacy and lead our state into a new frontier of education policy.”
