Current:Home > MarketsBaton Rouge Metro Councilman LaMont Cole to lead Baton Rouge schools -DataFinance
Baton Rouge Metro Councilman LaMont Cole to lead Baton Rouge schools
View
Date:2025-04-12 10:36:34
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has selected Metro Councilman LaMont Cole to lead the state’s second-largest traditional school district.
Wednesday’s unanimous vote came after weeks at an impasse following the withdrawal of several top candidates to replace Sito Narcisse who left the system in January six weeks after the School Board voted 5-4 to not renew his contract.
The decision comes just two weeks before students return Aug. 8 for the new school year and a day before State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley planned to take unspecified action to compel the selection of a new superintendent.
Cole jumped in Tuesday after sitting out the initial round of applications held last month. He immediately rose to the top of the second round of applicants. Four hours after the application deadline, Cole was selected as the lone finalist and immediately sat for a 90-minute interview, The Advocate reported.
“I’m not remotely interested in leading a district that is just good,” Cole told board members. “I want our district to be great.”
Cole has spent 26 years in education in Baton Rouge. The past 13 have been as chief academic officer for CSAL Inc., a Baton Rouge-based charter school network. He also spent several years working for the parish school system, including stints as principal at both Capitol and Park Forest middle schools. The biggest hole in his résumé is a lack of experience as a Central Office administrator.
“Baton Rouge, this is my home. This is the city I love and I care about it so much,” Cole said, choked up with emotion.
Cole made clear his mission is more than just the 40,000 students enrolled in the school district.
“All of the children in this city are our students whether they go to our schools or not,” Cole said. “If they are eligible to attend one of our schools, we have to be concerned about the education they are receiving wherever they are and we have to be willing to own that responsibility.”
In a statement after the vote, Brumley spoke positively of the board’s action Wednesday.
“I’m encouraged by the board’s decision to come together around a new superintendent. Choosing a system leader is a core responsibility of a board, but the true work lies ahead,” Brumley said. “Too many students lack a basic education and graduate without the skills to lead a productive life. Too many teaching positions go unfilled. Too many families are trapped in failing schools. For Louisiana to succeed, we need East Baton Rouge to succeed.”
Cole’s path to the job was made easier when Narcisse withdrew his application minutes before interviews were to begin. Adam Smith had served as interim superintendent, but his six-month contract expired Tuesday, putting the district into legal uncertainty.
In response to a question from board member Mike Gaudet, Cole said, if hired, he would withdraw immediately from seeking re-election to District 7 this fall and would immediately start the process of leaving the Metro Council. Cole was first appointed to the seat in 2016 after his predecessor, state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, was elected to the legislature. His current term ends in December.
veryGood! (89437)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbs for the first time since late May to just under 7%
- Alexi Lalas spot on after USMNT’s Copa América exit: 'We cannot afford to be embarrassed'
- U.S. to announce $2.3 billion in military assistance for Ukraine
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- How many points did Caitlin Clark score? WNBA All-Star records double-double in loss
- From 'Beverly Hills Cop 4' to 'The Beekeeper,' 10 movies you need to stream right now
- Open on July 4th: Retailers and airlines. Closed: Government, banks, stock market
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbs for the first time since late May to just under 7%
Ranking
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Arkansas grocery store reopens in wake of mass shooting that left 4 dead
- Yes, petroleum jelly has many proven benefits. Here's what it's for.
- Man admits kidnapping Michigan store manager in scheme to steal 123 guns
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Illinois man sentenced to life in prison for his role in 2020 killings of his uncle, 2 others
- Flying objects and shrunken heads: World UFO Day feted amid surge in sightings, government denials
- Jamaica braces for 'extremely dangerous' Hurricane Beryl: Live updates
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Tempur Sealy's $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm challenged by FTC
Illinois man sentenced to life in prison for his role in 2020 killings of his uncle, 2 others
Usher and Janet Jackson headline 30th Essence Festival of Culture
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
No fireworks July 4th? Why drones will dazzle the sky
Philadelphia radio host Howard Eskin suspended from Phillies home games over ‘unwelcome kiss’
Rudy Giuliani disbarred in New York for spreading falsehoods about 2020 election