The Orleans Parish School Board is planning to cut 21 positions for the coming school year, officials announced Thursday. The cuts, which will include teachers, social workers, clerical assistants, and other positions, are largely due to nearly $2 million in federal funding reductions, namely from Title I and special-education reimbursements. Two teachers will lose their […]
Author Archives: Jessica Williams
Jessica Williams stays on top of the city's loosely organized collection of public schools, with a special emphasis on charter schools. In 2011 she was recognized by the Press Club of New Orleans for her reporting on charter school transparency and governance. In 2012, she was part of a team that received a National Edward R. Murrow Award for their work following a New Orleans family's recovery after Hurricane Katrina. She graduated from Edna Karr Secondary School in Algiers, and she obtained her bachelor
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Schools
Teams will help schools with major curriculum changes
The Louisiana Department of Education today announced the creation of a support team to ease districts’ transition to student curriculum changes and new methods for educator evaluations, both of which will begin in the coming school year. The curriculum, called the Common Core State Standards, is an initiative being used in state education systems across […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board governing Harriet Tubman school adds members from Akili Academy board
The board that governs Harriet Tubman Charter School and the board that governs Akili Academy were merged at the Crescent City Schools’ June board meeting. However, the Akili Academy board will still exist legally and will still meet monthly as a separate group at least until September. The board does not plan to officially give […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board for Harriet Tubman Charter School begins to budget for addition of Akili Academy
The board that governs Harriet Tubman Charter School, which, in July, will extend its governing arm to Akili Academy, approved a budget for Tubman at its June meeting based on $5.3 million in revenues. The board also approved a $930,000 budget for Crescent City Schools, the charter management organization that runs the school. The organization will […]
Posted inSchools
School Board put off decision on disadvantaged-business policy
After a heated discussion, the Orleans Parish School Board delayed Tuesday night a decision on modifications to its disadvantaged business enterprise program. The program is intended to help socially or economically disadvantaged businesses to compete in, and obtain, contracts with the School Board. The City of New Orleans has a similar program, as does the […]
Posted inSchools
Few appeal RSD placement; most who do get a top-three choice
Of the 32,000 students that the Recovery School District placed in its schools this year through its new centralized application process, only 4 percent were unhappy enough with their assignment to submit an appeal, according to data provided by district officials. Just more than two-thirds of those who appealed ended up getting into one of […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Sophie B. Wright postpones June 20 meeting
The Institute of Academic Excellence’s June board meeting has been changed from June 20 to June 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Board meeting agenda released
Lake Forest Elementary Charter School has released the agenda for tomorrow’s 1:30 p.m. meeting.
Posted inSchools
School Board concerned over firings in Algiers Charter Schools
The first round of cuts has surfaced from the Algiers Charter School Association’s bid to improve student performance by terminating and moving around principals, and so far, it’s not only principals who’ve been targeted. At least one termination, at Edna Karr High School, is in violation of the Orleans Parish School Board’s contract with the […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Orleans Parish School Board raises concerns over terminated employees in Algiers Charter Schools system
The first round of cuts has surfaced from the Algiers Charter School Association’s bid to improve student performance by terminating and moving around principals, and so far, it’s not only principals who’ve been targeted. At least one termination, at Edna Karr High School, is in violation of the Orleans Parish School Board’s contract with the […]