This is Cade Brumley in his element.

Louisiana’s state superintendent of education parks his Ford Expedition outside of a rural elementary school. He greets a school district official and asks about his wife, then strides into a conference room crowded with school and district administrators. He leads a lively and wide-ranging discussion on a host of education shop talk, speaking about math instruction, tutoring and teacher certification with an expert’s acumen and a communicator’s clarity.

Then Brumley, a former teacher and principal, tours a few classrooms where students use the math flashcards he had shipped to every elementary school. “This is where the magical work is happening,” he tells school staffers on his way out. “I can’t thank you enough.”

The school visit took place in ea

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