The pandemic created unprecedented challenges in K-12 education, according to Cade Brumley, State Superintendent, Louisiana Department of Education.

WorkingNation sat down with Brumley at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2022 in Beverly Hills.

He notes that K-12 leaders must address lost learning faced by students, particularly those in underserved communities. In his state of Louisiana, Brumley says there is a goal to reimagine what high school looks like.

“We began by pulling together – based on workforce regions – institutions of higher education, community colleges, school systems, and business partners. And we said, ‘Rethink the pathways to a high school diploma and invent new pathways to a high school diploma that makes sense in your region,’’ says Brumley.

“We’re working with career and technical education partners, higher education partners. We’re looking in areas such as aviation, health care, cloud computing, across the spectrum. We’re thinking about how we can make sure that when students graduate on May 15th, they’re ready for May 16^th.”

Learn more about the Louisiana Department of Education.