Luedtke was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, attending Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland and later the University of Maryland, College Park. He worked as a middle school social studies teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools from 2004-15. After becoming a teacher, he became involved with the Montgomery County Education Association, where he served on the Board of Directors. He also served on Montgomery County's East County Citizens Advisory Board, advocated on environmental issues with the local Sierra Club, and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sandy Spring Museum. Following his election, he continued to work as a classroom teacher for a number of years prior to returning to his alma mater, the University of Maryland, first as an adjunct instructor and then as a clinical professor.
