The KIPP New Orleans School Board’s finance committee met Dec. 15 in an office on Prytania St. to review a public accounting firm’s independent audit of the charter management group’s financial statements. The audit found that the board’s “controls are strong, with no major inefficiencies.” Four members of the finance committee attended the meeting, as […]
Landry alums fight merger plan, as RSD grapples with shrunken Algiers enrollment projection
Over a hundred people attended a Recovery School District meeting Dec. 15 at L.B. Landry High School to discuss a planned merger with O. Perry Walker High School. Chris Meyer, an RSD department supervisor, gave a presentation on how and why the schools will be combined. The presentation was greeted with shouts and jeers from […]
Though praised by some, new system for enrollment in RSD schools draws critics
By Jessica Williams, The Lens staff writer | Recovery School District head John White needs to rethink his strategy for helping students get into higher-performing schools, critics of his enrollment plan said Tuesday. Top education officials and members of the public critiqued White’s new centralized enrollment plan at a rare New Orleans gathering of the […]
Committee will explore possible Audubon High School; French for 3-year-olds initiated
At their monthly meeting, Dec. 17, the board of Audubon Charter School — FAME — voted to induct new board members, re-instate French for 3-year-olds, establish an exploratory committee for a possible Audubon High School, and more. As part of the annual turnover of board members, former vice-chairman Carlos Zervigon stepped down. New members voted in […]
Anti-violence week declared a success; mold and window issues addressed
At their monthly meeting Dec. 14, Warren Easton’s board discussed many school improvement projects, which are under way and on track. Projects manager Ken Ducote said the window replacement project is almost complete. Emergency bids were obtained in November to deal with mold in rooms 202 and 302. The mold was eliminated over the Thanksgiving […]
It's official: School is renamed Sci Academy; college admissions rate expected to top 90%
Collegiate Academies of New Orleans, the board that runs Sci Academy, met on Dec. 14 to review an audit, discuss options for a future campus, and approve a name change. “You’ve got a nice reserve going into the next year, you’re healthier than other charter schools,” auditors from the Carr, Riggs & Ingram accounting firm […]
Parent-student fight at Jefferson bus stop sparks heated discussion
The mood was tense as directors of New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy gathered for their monthly meeting, on Dec. 15. Five parents were on hand in response to an altercation at a Jefferson Parish bus stop between one of the parents and the son of two others. Nanita Bailey, eyewitness and friend of the […]
Board resolves to fight loss of charter; LEAP test prep to follow winter break
The Treme Charter School Association, which governs McDonogh 42 Elementary, met Dec. 17 and decided to fight the loss of their charter. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted not to renew TCSA’s charter contract. The state Department of Education came to the same conclusion. McDonogh 42’s school performance score dropped to 62.6 […]
Digital doomsday: No faith in America, Newt?
Two power outages delayed the Monday Night Football game between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. The temporary blackouts were an embarrassment, to be sure, but I cringed the most when the ESPN broadcasters kept asking their reporters at the stadium whether panic ensued when the lights went off. As if that’s the natural expectation, among adults, […]
Students bring back environmental message; board to start running Craig campus
The Friends of King School Board meeting began, after a short Christmas blessing, with the entrance of about 15 members of the high school fraternity, Mu Lambda Kappa (MLK), who described a recent trip to Denver. “We learned about the environment, ” sophomore Earl Thomas said, “and ways to make it better. They told us […]