The charter group recently confirmed diplomas for 67 seniors and is reviewing the status of about 80 more.
Author Archives: Marta Jewson
Marta Jewson covers education in New Orleans for The Lens. She began her reporting career covering charter schools for The Lens and helped found the hyperlocal news site Mid-City Messenger. Jewson returned to New Orleans in the fall of 2014 after covering education for the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with majors in journalism and social welfare and a concentration in educational policy studies.
Jewson has covered New Orleans schools for 15 years through the nation's largest education reform experiment. She was a founding member of the outlet's Charter School Reporting Corps and was instrumental in holding schools accountable to sunshine laws during the rapid expansion of charter schools in the city.
Posted inInside the News Room
Week in Review: Emails show Kennedy HS administrators scrambled to confirm graduates’ eligibility
Plus progress, but little information, on a city program to ID ‘high-risk’ residents. 911, 311 merger ‘improper,’ state AG says. And a new episode of Behind The Lens.
Posted inSchools
Emails: Kennedy High School administrators scrambled to confirm graduates’ eligibility, even after graduation day
Kennedy seniors are still waiting for their diplomas amid a grade-inflation investigation being conducted by the network, Orleans Parish School Board and a state review.
Posted inSchools
State education department to review Kennedy High School amid grade-inflation investigation
The state informed the New Beginnings charter school network it would review policies and practices relating to course credits and graduation records.
Posted inSchools
Former dump site eyed for school athletic field is under state environmental review
The district wants to trade McDonogh 7, a 142-year-old school, for a HANO site on Earhart. A neighborhood group is suing. And the state is reviewing steps taken to clean contaminants from the HANO site.
Posted inSchools
Kennedy High School seniors await transcripts as charter board investigates ‘malfeasance’
Board president says the network is looking into whether graduating seniors will be impacted by results of grade-fixing investigation.
Posted inInside the News Room
Week in Review: Bywater affordable housing development takes a big step forward
Bywater affordable housing development takes a big step forward On Thursday, the New Orleans City Council approved a zoning change that would allow the Housing Authority of New Orleans to move forward with a housing development in Bywater that would provide 82 affordable housing units. The proposed four-story building would take up an entire city […]
Posted inSchools
As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are ‘no longer employees,’ board president says
Charter network’s board will hear results of independent investigation into alleged grade inflation next week.
Posted inSchools
Orleans School Board moving ahead with McDonogh 7 land swap for former dumpsite
The district wants to build athletic fields atop the former dump that was more recently home to public housing, but a neighborhood group has filed a lawsuit against the district.
Posted inSchools
Small charter groups seek shared bus company in hopes of saving money
Small charter groups lack the buying power of large school districts.