About 70 candidates have applied for two administrative positions at Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans, and that’s enough, principal and chief executive officer Keith Bartlett told the board at a brief meeting on Tuesday.
Parent Charles Varley asked whether the temporary incumbents in those positions — Lora Reugger, coordinator of development, and Mary Carstens, coordinator of admissions and enrollment — would have to reapply to be considered. Bartlett said they would.
A number of parents have been critical of the two women because their business, Sweet Olive Design and Development was hired by the prior school leadership — which largely resigned after embroiling the school in various controversies.
In other business, the board agreed unanimously that Bartlett should continue negotiations for classroom space at nearby St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, as discussed at last month’s meeting. Member Mary Jacobs Jones said the school would formalize an agreement to be voted on at next month’s meeting, April 14.
Bartlett said a KaBOOM! playground was successfully constructed, with parents and staff participating. Now that sand is no longer being tracked into the building, the floors have been rewaxed he said.
The school’s new playground coach, Ashley Aucoin, fared well on a 10-question faculty survey, Bartlett said. Teachers reported increased participation and more positive behavior from students since Aucoin was hired, Feb. 1.
The school’s annual Fête de la Musique will be March 16 at Generations Hall. Performers include Ani DiFranco, Kermit Ruffins, and the Fleur de Tease Burlesque Troupe.
Vice chair Alysson Mills told the board that the one-year terms for board chair Tim Gray and treasurer Courtney Garrett were now expiring. Gray is willing to serve another term, but Garrett leaves the board in June, she said.
In the absence of several members, the board decided to skip the scheduled review of its 990 audit form.
Board members Ann Meese, Courtney Garrett, and Ben Castoriano were also present. Tim Gray, Erin Greenwald, Lisa Tropez-Arceneaux and Michelle Williams were absent.
Sweet olive needs to go. They are liability Keith Bartllet”s decision to keep them was one of weakness. This unqualified team and their admissions policies are questionable at best. The school is doing better but it will never change it’s image without these two gone . Embarrassing.
Yes! Please replace the last hold outs from the bad old days. Send Sweet Olive packing! Integrity is very important for employees working with student records and personal information. Background check all applicants. Find people worthy of the job!
When is the Lens going to do an in depth article on Sweet Olive and why so many parents at the lyc
And so much more. Please do a story on them and ask Keith why he was hoodwinked ?
The article states,
LYCEE: Take a “more objective look,” “lapses in judgment”…(sounds like a typical charter CEO to me). Presents a nice picture, looks eager, but overpaid and performs as expected by a lackluster board. With this student population (low at-risk, free-lunch numbers) and high parental participation, any number of individuals could have filled this position. Just love to pay those legal firms with other people’s money, don’t they?
Well said. I know only a very few of the characters in this saga, but it is frankly enough that these ladies are associated with the previous board that they should find new work and move on. Great news that they have 70 applicants for the positions! It’s a good thing that the board is looking for new space…this school is finally ready to live up to it’s promise.