In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil drilling disaster, Louisiana’s two U.S. Senators, Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, and David Vitter, a Republican, did not call for more research. Like most rational people, they called for safety measures to mitigate the potentially devastating impact of future disasters. You might think it was a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Government & Politics, Investigations
City cancels plans for Super Bowl drone despite enthusiasm and interest from NOPD, others
A month after The Lens began asking questions about city officials’ plans to use a U.S. Homeland Security Department aerial drone to monitor Super Bowl crowds, a spokesman for Mayor Mitch Landrieu said today that the city is scrapping those plans. Spokesman Ryan Berni offered no reason for dropping the eye-in-the-sky technology, telling a reporter […]
Posted inLand Use
Live blog: City Council committee discusses property issues
The New Orleans City Council’s Housing and Human Needs Committee meets at 10 a.m. today to discuss three issues: Amendments to the Lot Next Door program in order to widen the pool of eligible buyers Cases in which townhouses and condos have not been renovated, causing problems for their neighbors What can be done to get […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board meeting agenda released
Review the Sept 17 board meeting agenda here.
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
School Director Richard Best resigns; more funds needed for busing
At the conclusion of a lengthy executive session held at its Sept. 13 meeting, the board governing New Orleans Science and Math High School announced that Dr. Richard Best, School Director, had tendered his resignation. Once the hour-and-45-minute closed-door discussion returned to open session, there were no objections or comments put forth before the motion […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Pride leaders optimistic about charter extension; school construction slows
At its meeting on Tuesday September 11, the Pride College Prep board announced it had officially submitted its application for a charter extension. Though the school is still graded far below average, results from an internal Pride study and student Assessment Index (AI), based on standardized test scores, offered hope for improvement. Tests showed that 2012 […]
Posted inOpinion, Schools
Should controversial art exhibit cost Slidell teacher his job?
No, this is not the cartoon that stirred controversy in a Slidell school. credit: Donkeyhotey Hurricane Isaac interrupted an appeals hearing over the firing of a man named Robert Duncan, a teacher at Boyet Junior High in Slidell. Duncan was fired for his decision to hang controversial student artwork in a school hallway. One piece […]
Posted inSchools
Orleans Parish School Board approves $42 million budget
Update, 9:36 p.m. The story has been updated to reflect the board’s budget approval. The Orleans Parish School Board approved a near $42 million general fund budget* today, close to a 5 percent decrease since last year. The decrease mainly stems from (1) a drop in expected costs associated with the August merger of McDonogh No. […]
Posted inInside the News Room
WWNO-FM, The Lens shift collaborative strategy to play to strengths
The University of New Orleans, which operates WWNO-FM, today announced revised plans to support a collaborative, nonprofit multimedia news operation, expanding the reporting role of The Lens and increasing the NPR affiliate’s focus on news and cultural information. The new plan shifts the effort from creating NewOrleansReporter.org and its newsroom to building on the established expertise, brand […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Isaac worsens building conditions; board looks to RSD to speed up improvements
Repairing the school building was a focus of attention at the monthly meeting of Einstein’s board of directors, Sept. 11. “I think it’s time we aggressively and assertively move forward to get our building up to the standards that our children deserve,” principal Shawn Toranto said. Last week Toranto, along with several teachers, voiced frustration […]