A frustration that’s become commonplace among community groups that feel disenfranchised by the Recovery School District’s latest decisions prevailed Wednesday night at a New Orleans meeting of the state school board. More than 100 people gathered Wednesday to hear the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approve requests for changes to one submitted charter application, […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Band, dancers and majorettes shine during Carnival; playground and garden draw vols
Langston Hughes Academy’s Marching Eagles band, dancers and majorette unit participated in six Carnival parades this season, including two on the West Bank and one in Metairie. “How the parents made it all the way across town, on-time, every time is beyond me,” chief operating officer Adrian Morgan said in a report to the school’s […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Pre-k programs OK'd for next year at Dibert and Hughes; school finances in good shape
John Dibert Community School and Langston Hughes Academy will both offer a pre-kindergarten program next year, the FirstLine board of directors decided at its monthly meeting, Feb. 28. Interested parents will be able to apply through the Recovery School District’s “One App” enrollment form, on which they designate their first three choices for pre-k placement. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Inmate stabbed 14 times, deputy beaten with broomstick in separate OPP incidents
By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A pair of December incidents at the Orleans Parish Prison draw continued attention to security risks faced by inmates and staff at the facility. In the first incident, an inmate suffered 14 stab wounds. In the second, an inmate broke out of his cell, snapped a broomstick […]
Posted inOpinion
Key to charter success: a principal rarely found in school's front office
By Folwell Dunbar, The Lens contributing opinion writer | Over the years I have had an opportunity to conduct quality reviews of numerous charter schools here in Louisiana and throughout the country. Working with teams of national and local experts, we look at everything from leadership and assessment practices to technology integration and community engagement. […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Academic performance soars; school budget on track despite move; LPO/band concert slated
The school’s latest academic performance data show major improvements, highlighted by a school-wide reading mastery rate of 81 percent or above. Kindergarten has made extraordinary progress, with students ranked as “emerging readers” jumping from 58 to 82 percent. The data were reported by principal Michelle Douglas at the monthly meeting of the school’s board of […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board meeting agenda released
Review the agenda for the March 1 meeting here.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Land Use
City seeks to demolish cemetery cottages, replace them with concrete block structures
Correction: Based on misinformation provided by City Hall, an earlier version of this article stated incorrectly that FEMA’s March 1 meeting on the West Bank is open to the public. It is for consultants only. By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | The latest skirmish in the preservation wars: whether to demolish century-old sexton’s […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Audit looks good; fundraising strategies mulled; new faculty being interviewed
Formal review of the school’s 2011 audit topped the agenda as the board of Akili Academy gathered Feb. 27 for its monthly meeting. The audit showed that Akili passed muster in all facets of its financial bookkeeping. The board’s committee on institutional advancement reported that it met earlier in the month to review new fundraising […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board briefed on new RSD application process; musical instruments arriving by the truckload
At their monthly meeting, Feb. 25, Crocker’s board was briefed on the Recovery School District’s newly centralized application process, as well as the school’s equity report. Titled “One App”, the new application form seeks to ensure a more equitable distribution of students among schools, while still maximizing parental choice. While both Crocker and the RSD […]