NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE) will host its 2025 Annual Conference Dec. 9–11 in New Orleans, bringing together more than 900 educators, instructional coaches, librarians, administrators and district technology leaders from across the state. The three-day event provides hands-on professional development designed to help teachers integrate technology more effectively into their classrooms and strengthen student engagement.
This year’s LACUE conference, held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, includes more than 150 breakout sessions, workshops and hands-on labs focused on AI-supported instruction, STEM and makerspace tools, digital citizenship, cybersecurity, accessibility and district-level technology strategy. Attendees will also explore 3D printing, robotics, VR/AR, drones, microcontrollers, adaptive learning platforms, and widely used applications such as Google Classroom, Kahoot and SeeSaw. The conference’s Tech Playground gives educators the opportunity to test emerging technologies and smart-classroom devices in an interactive setting.
Presenters are selected for their expertise in integrating tools, apps, web platforms and instructional strategies that support both individual student achievement and whole-class performance. Participants may earn continuing education units and professional development hours required for certification renewal in Louisiana.
Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators: Conference Keynotes and Programming
Keynote speakers include Dr. Desiree Alexander, Founder and CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting and Deputy Director of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, and Greg Kata, Founder and Director of Kata Vocal and Acting Studio. Dr. Alexander is widely recognized for her leadership in digital learning and educator training, while Kata is known for his work in communication and performance, offering insight into teacher engagement and student creativity.
The conference also features LACUE’s annual statewide Educator Awards and a Student Technology Showcase highlighting digital-media, robotics and coding projects from K–12 classrooms. A vendor expo with more than 60 exhibitors will introduce attendees to classroom technologies, instructional software, cybersecurity solutions and assistive-learning tools.
Louisiana’s Academic and Policy Landscape
Louisiana’s public schools posted their strongest results in more than a decade in 2025, with the statewide performance score rising to 80.9, the fourth straight year of improvement and more than a five-point increase since 2021. State education officials said the gains were broad-based, with nearly half of all schools earning an A or B under the current accountability system and more than 30 parishes improving their overall scores. Several districts reported their highest marks to date, reflecting continued progress in student mastery, graduation rates and academic growth heading into the final year of the existing accountability model.
The timing of the LACUE conference is especially significant as Louisiana prepares to implement a new statewide accountability system, Grow. Achieve. Thrive., in the 2025–26 school year. The updated model places greater emphasis on student academic growth and college-and-career readiness, making technology-supported instruction even more central to classroom practice.
The Louisiana Department of Education also recently launched “The Power of Presence,” a statewide attendance initiative aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism — one of the strongest predictors of low academic performance. The initiative provides districts with new data dashboards, communication tools and evidence-based strategies to help keep students engaged and consistently in class.
Louisiana’s Digital Transformation in Education
The conference comes at a time when Louisiana’s public education system is undergoing significant digital expansion. A statewide mandate requires all public schools to maintain modern educational-technology plans, including reliable broadband, devices, software and online-safety policies.
Guidance issued this year from the state’s AI-integration task force outlines standards for appropriate AI use in classrooms, data privacy, and emerging learning technologies.
Digital-learning grants of up to $40,000 are also available to school systems for computer-science teacher training and technology upgrades.
Louisiana is also continuing its multi-year broadband expansion effort, with thousands of previously unserved households gaining high-speed access through the state’s GUMBO grant program — a shift that is expected to increase digital access for students and educators statewide.
