Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana's State Superintendent of Education, joins the show to discuss key educational initiatives and challenges. He highlights the third-grade retention law, which mandates that third graders must demonstrate minimum reading proficiency to advance to fourth grade. This law aims to end social promotion and ensure students are academically prepared. Brumley emphasizes the state's efforts to improve elementary reading scores, noting significant progress.He also discusses the Louisiana Gator program, an educational savings account initiative that allows families to direct education dollars to their chosen schools or service providers. With nearly 30,000 applications received, the program's initial funding will support 11,000 students. Brumley stresses the importance of legislative approval for vendor support to administer the program effectively.Additionally, Brumley addresses the need for high school internships, acknowledging that Louisiana lags behind neighboring states in this area. He advocates for integrating internships into the state's accountability system to better prepare students for the workforce. Brumley highlights the collaboration between the business community, schools, and policy leaders to enhance career education and work-based learning opportunities.Throughout the discussion, Brumley underscores the importance of communication between parents, schools, and the Department of Education to ensure students' success. He remains optimistic about the future of Louisiana's education system and the potential for significant improvements in student outcomes.