Cade Brumley

Cade Brumley is an American educator and administrator who has served as the Louisiana Superintendent of Education since June 8, 2020. A native of Converse in Sabine Parish, he previously served as superintendent of DeSoto Parish Schools and of Jefferson Parish Public Schools, the largest school district in Louisiana.

Following his appointment, Louisiana's overall ranking on National Assessment of Educational Progress rose from near the bottom of U.S. states in 2019 to 32nd in 2024, and a joint Harvard–Stanford Education Recovery Scorecard ranked the state first in the nation for reading recovery and second for math following the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the most recent ACT data by state, issued in 2024, shows low percentages of Louisiana high schoolers meeting the test's benchmarks by subject, with 46% meeting the English benchmark, 20% meeting the Math benchmark, 32% meeting the Reading benchmark, and 22% meeting the Science benchmark.

Early life and education Brumley was raised in Converse, a small community in Sabine Parish in northwest Louisiana.

He earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, a master's degree in school administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport, and a doctorate in educational leadership or school leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

DeSoto Parish Schools In 2012 Brumley was appointed superintendent of the DeSoto Parish School System in northwest Louisiana. He led the district for roughly six years, a period during which DeSoto's district performance score moved from near the bottom of Louisiana's 70-plus districts into the top tier and the district received an overall “A” rating from the state accountability system.

During his tenure, DeSoto Parish recorded rising graduation rates, reductions in dropout and suspension rates, and increased participation and performance in Advanced Placement courses, according to district and state summaries cited at the time of his move to Jefferson Parish and later to the state superintendency.

In Jefferson Parish, Brumley oversaw efforts to standardize curriculum across schools, expand Spanish-language offerings, reorganize some schools into K–8 models, and restructure the central office. The Louisiana Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment on June 1, 2020, and he assumed office on June 8, 2020.

On January 17, 2024, BESE unanimously voted to reappoint Brumley as superintendent, citing improvements in state and national academic indicators during his first term.

As of 2025, state records show that Superintendent Brumley's total compensation for that fiscal year was $350,717.36.

Educational policies

Brumley assumed office during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Louisiana schools were responding to disruptions in instruction and declines in student performance. During his tenure, he promoted what he described as a “back to basics” approach to education, emphasizing reading, mathematics, science, curriculum quality and preparation for life after graduation. Education Week described the approach as focusing on core academic subjects rather than cultural issues and linked it with Brumley's support for expanded school choice. Louisiana subsequently expanded high-dosage tutoring for elementary students who had not reached proficiency in reading or mathematics.

Academic performance and accountability

Louisiana recorded substantial improvement relative to other states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress during Brumley's tenure. Across the four regularly administered NAEP assessments—fourth- and eighth-grade reading and mathematics—the state's composite national ranking rose from 49th in 2019 to 32nd in 2024.

The largest change occurred in fourth-grade reading. Louisiana's reported ranking rose from 50th in 2019 to 42nd in 2022 and 16th in 2024. The state led the nation in fourth-grade reading growth over both the 2019–2022 and 2022–2024 NAEP cycles. Louisiana was the only state to post a statistically significant increase in fourth-grade reading between 2019 and 2024, while 38 states recorded declines. The National Assessment Governing Board likewise identified Louisiana as the only state whose fourth-grade reading score surpassed its pre-pandemic 2019 result.

National reporting described Louisiana as a comparatively rare bright spot in the generally weak 2024 NAEP results. The 74 noted that Louisiana's elementary reading performance reflected both gains within the state and declining performance elsewhere, and that it was the first NAEP cycle in which Louisiana fourth graders' reading average exceeded the national public-school average, although the difference was not statistically significant. The Associated Press highlighted Louisiana's fourth-grade reading improvement and reported that gains occurred among both higher- and lower-performing students.

The Harvard–Stanford Education Recovery Scorecard, which analyzes state and district assessment results rather than NAEP rankings alone, ranked Louisiana first among the states in reading recovery and second in mathematics recovery between 2019 and 2024. It identified Louisiana as the only state in which average student achievement had surpassed 2019 levels in both subjects.

Brumley attributed Louisiana's performance to a sustained emphasis on foundational literacy and mathematics, adoption of high-quality instructional materials, teacher training and expanded tutoring. Independent coverage also connected the gains to Louisiana's 2021 literacy reforms and implementation of reading instruction aligned with the science of reading, while noting that no single policy could fully explain the state's results.

Litigation and political decisions In 2024 the Louisiana Legislature enacted House Bill 71, a law requiring public K–12 and postsecondary classrooms in the state to display a poster-sized font-specific copy of the Protestant version of the Ten Commandments. Brumley had no part in the passage of the law, but in his official capacity as state superintendent he was chosen as the named defendant in the federal lawsuit Roake v. Brumley filed by parents and civil-liberties organizations challenging the law.

In February 2025, following guidance from the U.S. Department of Education under President Donald Trump’s administration concerning the use of race-conscious practices in education, Brumley sent a letter to Louisiana K–12 system leaders urging compliance with the federal directive and with a state executive order limiting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public schools. In the letter he wrote that discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin is “illegal and morally reprehensible” and advised districts to review programs and awards for compliance with the new federal and state guidance.

Personal life Brumley is married to Toni Vail, a fellow Northwestern State University graduate. They have two sons.