Formation of a Workgroup Aimed at Streamlining Classroom Time for Teachers

The Louisiana Department of Education unveiled a fresh team Thursday tasked with tackling classroom disruptions.

“One of the best ways we can show our appreciation for educators is by safeguarding their time for the essential tasks they carry out,” stated Cade Brumley, the state superintendent of education, in the official announcement.

Introducing the Let Teachers Teach workgroup, the department aims to address issues that encroach on teachers’ time. The issues highlighted in the announcement encompassed excessive training and paperwork, scripted lessons, and student discipline.

The fundamental objective of the workgroup is to minimize these interruptions, allowing teachers more time for effective classroom instruction.

The composition of the workgroup will include educators spanning from pre-kindergarten to high school, although the specific members are yet to be determined. Kylie Altier, Louisiana’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and a first-grade teacher from Baton Rouge, will lead the workgroup.

The establishment of the workgroup stemmed from input Brumley received through various forms of engagement, such as classroom visits and interactions with the Teacher Advisory Council, a panel comprised of 22 educational leaders across the state.

The workgroup’s objectives are in line with suggestions formulated by one of Gov. Jeff Landry’s transition councils. The K-12 Education Policy Council report, issued recently, focused on several critical matters, including teacher recruitment and retention.

The report advocates for legislative actions to cut down on time-consuming directives and to “scrutinize unnecessary licensure requirements… recognizing that professional experiences can often offer more value than licensure procedures in many instances.”