Last week, when Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon in her Senate confirmation hearing, he provided an eye-opening picture of the state of America’s education system and why we must break free from the failing status quo. Responding to Senator Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) opening comments, he observed:

“When I think about the issue of education, I [wonder]: how in the world do we ever get to a meritocracy if the vast majority of the kids today are going to segregated schools that are failing those kids? [There are] 13 schools in Maryland where … 99% of kids cannot perform at grade level. I think about Chicago on the south side … where 95% of the kids cannot perform at grade level. I think about Charleston, South Carolina (my hometown) where 60% of African American males don’t go to college. I think about the quagmire pit failure that is consistently the case in inner-city schools across America. You talk about the re-segregation of America’s public schools? It’s already happened.”

Scott went on to say, “The Department of Education doesn’t educate kids. It’s a federal agency. Local communities and local teachers educate kids. Our Department of Education is a federal behemoth that needs to focus on getting more money in the hands of more students so that they have a better chance.”

Some local schools that are showing America how to successfully teach kids are in the state of Louisiana. Last month, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released its findings on the state of America’s schools. With the exception of better fourth grade math scores, almost every state produced worse results compared to 2022, when the NAEP last tested schools. Knowing that students were profoundly damaged by the COVID shutdown, many were anxiously waiting to see how 2024 scores would compare to 2019 scores. Only two states, Alabama and Louisiana, could celebrate improved student scores in either math or English.

In just over four years as Louisiana’s state superintendent, Cade Brumley has provided the leadership that his state needed to dramatically improve their NAEP scores — and the rest of the country is taking notice. As Family Research Council’s Senior Fellow for Education Studies Meg Kilgannon told TWS, “I have been blessed to hear Cade Brumley discuss this plan in person. I am always impressed by his sincere love for his work, for parents, children, and educators. Louisiana is showing that it is possible to improve student outcomes while valuing input from everyone who is interested in serving the needs of their communities. He has done an inspirational job engaging teachers and parents in school reform, while centering students’ educational achievement. In her confirmation hearing last week, Linda McMahon mentioned Louisiana as a state model to follow. Clearly the results in Louisiana are getting well-deserved attention across the nation.”

‘BRAVE’

Brumley was recently interviewed by “Fox & Friends’” Steve Doocy, where he pointed out that six years ago, Louisiana was ranked 49th in country. Now they’ve climbed to 32. They’ve also led the country in fourth grade reading growth for two consecutive cycles of the nation’s report card, and they’re in the top five for math growth.

Brumley went on to explain, “We’re just trying to be brave. We’re going back to the basics. We’re redesigning systems. We’re accelerating parental rights, we’re valuing teachers, and we’re expanding educational freedom across the state of Louisiana.” (Their “BRAVE” plan stands for “Back to Basics,” “Redesigning High Schools,” “Accelerating Parental Rights,” “Valuing Teachers,” and “Expanding Educational Freedom.”)

Back to Basics

Louisiana’s Department of Education explains, “Instead of chasing other pursuits, schools should go back to the basics with a laser focus on teaching fundamental academic content and skills.” One of those obvious “pursuits” that has distracted schools from teaching the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and science is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Thankfully, President Trump noticed this and issued the “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” executive order during his second week in office. Among other things, this order states:

“In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics. In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed. These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity.”

Brumley explained, “Schools and school systems have been chasing shiny things for too long. We’re just trying to do what we’re ordained to do. Whether that’s using artificial intelligence or just shipping flash cards to elementary classrooms across the state, we have a comprehensive set of educational reforms.” He noted that they are also providing “high-dosage tutoring” if a child is falling behind.

Redesigning High Schools

Louisiana’s Department of Education acknowledges that many high school seniors are not looking to attend a four-year college after they graduate high school. However, there are a number of careers that require an apprenticeship, technical training, or a license. Louisiana helps these students develop skills so they can take their next step. They say, “Whether it’s a college degree or an apprenticeship, we want every student — no matter their challenges — to find meaningful careers.”

Accelerating Parental Rights

As TWS readers know, parental rights have been relentlessly trampled on in recent years. The Biden administration, teachers’ unions, and Washington bureaucrats, including the Department of Education, believe they (not parents) should have the primary responsibility of teaching children.

By contrast, Louisiana’s Department of Education believes parents are their children’s primary teachers, saying, “Children belong to their parents, not the government. Further, a child’s first — and foremost — teacher is their parent. Anything to solidify and accelerate the fundamental rights of parents should be a priority. Parents, not bureaucrats, must be in the driver’s seat of their children’s education. Parents send their children to school with a desire for their child to receive a quality education.”

Valuing Teachers

Louisiana is also taking specific steps to ensure that they fully support, equip, and encourage teachers. This includes the Believe and Prepare program which provides future teachers with one year of practice under a mentor and a competency-based curriculum. In addition, they provide teachers with instructional support and professional development resources.

Brumley said, “I’m really proud that we have a governor, a state legislature, [and] a state board that are aligned to do the work. But our credit in the state of Louisiana really goes to the teachers that are doing amazing work with kids. They’ve worked through a global pandemic, multiple hurricanes, and they continue to deliver. And we are not satisfied, but we’re pleased.”

Expanding School Choice

According to Education Week, 28 states along with Washington, D.C. have at least one school choice program. The more school options that parents are given (public, private, charter, or home school), the easier it is for parents and teachers to accommodate a child’s learning style, develop his strengths, and help him to achieve his full potential.

As Senator Scott said, “I can’t think of a more important civil rights issue today than … the education of our kids.” He further explained, “I do believe that competition makes your quality go up and your cost go down. Charter schools prove that. Private schools prove that.”

Superintendent Brumley and the state of Louisiana are proving that the solution to failing schools and continuously falling test scores is not more money and bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. It’s through competent and inspiring leadership at the state and local level, providing resources, flexibility, and freedom to parents and teachers in their own communities.