BATON ROUGE - As schools prepare to welcome students back, East Baton Rouge School Superintendent LaMont Cole has made it his new priority to walk through each of those doors to hear from educators about their biggest concerns.

He laid out his 100 day plan at the Baton Rouge Press Club.

"I plan to spend the next few months traveling East Baton Rouge Parish, talking to anyone who's willing to talk with me, and then listening to anyone who's willing to share an idea," Cole said.

Cole took the reins of superintendent after the search was delayed multiple times. He says he will prioritize leaving his office chair to connect with the school system, something community members were asking for. 

"Those of us who work at central office don't need to spend our time at central office unless it is absolutely necessary. We need to spend our time in schools," Cole said. 

He said he's already started the process of meeting principals and teachers in person, and will continue until their concerns have been addressed.

"We're going to spend time in our schools identifying where our strengths are, where the challenges are, where the weaknesses are," Cole said. 

Just last month and because of the controversy surrounding the superintendent search — the teachers union said their members would not show up for work on the first day of school. Cole thanked them for reconsidering. 

"I want to thank the unions for agreeing to make sure they encourage their members to report on the first day of school," Cole said. 

Monday morning, Cole announced his departure from the Metro Council. He said he's been advised to not seek out a replacement.