Cadets in khaki uniforms answer civic questions at New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy, a public high school in Algiers.
Each student has a slip of paper to match with another’s. A student reads aloud: “What is federalism?”
Silence, about five seconds. Then another cadet quickly shouts, “Division of government power between the federal government and the states.”
Everyone cries, “Oorah.” Marines use the phrase, and here, it means well done.
The lesson was part of Celebrate Freedom Week, created by Louisiana lawmakers in 2022. Schools in a few other states, like Georgia, Montana and Texas, also celebrate it.
Public schools observe the week, timed to national Constitution Day on Sept. 17, by teaching students about Americans' freedoms and where they come from.
Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said the week is part of Louisiana’s recent civics push, and he pointed to rising test scores. Last year, 38% of students passed the state’s high school civics test, up five points from the year before.
Brumley celebrated by visiting cadets in New Orleans and, on another day, joining a George Washington impersonator at an elementary school outside Baton Rouge.
“I hope that schools are taking the time to help students know more and understand more about the freedoms that they have as citizens,” Brumley said.
That includes the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
“We let them engage in those documents, and ultimately make decisions on their own about their beliefs about this country,” he said.
In 2022, Louisiana’s board of education approved the state’s updated social studies standards amid the politicized fight over critical race theory and teaching race and racism in schools.
The standards — now called the Freedom Framework — emphasize American exceptionalism and tell the story of the country’s “path to freedom as one of struggle and sacrifice,” Louisiana’s Department of Education says.
The department endorses content from PragerU, a conservative media nonprofit, as a tool teachers can use to teach social studies, but are not required to. According to the company, 13 Republican-led states have partnered with PragerU.
Louisiana Democrats and Black lawmakers blasted Brumley for the partnership when it was announced in 2024, calling it a “concerted effort to infuse political indoctrination.”
PragerU has described its content as “pro-American” and promoting Judeo-Christian values.
When Brumley visited New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy on Wednesday, a PragerU video about the Constitution was paused on a screen at the front of the room.
Another wall held a poster of the Ten Commandments designed by the state’s Department of Justice. Louisiana law requires schools to display a specific version of the text in every classroom.
Last month, a New Orleans teacher appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. His lawsuit argues the law violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
Brumley thanks cadets
During his visit, Brumley thanked New Orleans cadets for the sacrifices they’ve already made while they stood at attention in the hot sun.
“You are developing character as citizens of this country in a way unlike students across many of the schools in this country,” he said. “Thank you for your service and what you’re doing now, but potentially what you may do for the future of this country.”
Adelis Bonilla-Ulloa is a senior and plans to join the military.
She came to the U.S. from Honduras when she was 8 years old, learned English as a student in Jefferson Parish and later moved to Algiers.
Her mom, a single working parent, chose the school because of its location.
“She thought it was some type of crazy boot camp and going to the military, so she was scared for me,” she said.
Bonilla-Ulloa said she was scared too, and it took some adjusting — to the uniforms and routines — but she liked it, made friends and appreciated the structure and support.
“It’s not a school where you have to go to the military, but it gives you the choice, and it helps guide you,” she said.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR.
