City Council again approves short-term rental freeze The city’s freeze on the most popular type of short-term rental license got one step closer to being codified in municipal law last week. The city council unanimously voted to accept the recommendations of the City Planning Commission, which endorsed the temporary ban in July. There is only one […]
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 inCriminal Justice
Lens fake subpoena suit against New Orleans DA goes before state appeals court
Appealing an earlier ruling for news outlet, Cannizzaro’s office says that public records requests for so-called “DA subpoenas” were too broad. The Lens is asking for more records.
Posted inSchools
Newly unified Orleans school district hires director of charter board compliance
Charter advocates question whether the measures will step on schools’ autonomy, but community advocates say the work is necessary.
Posted inSchools
Ethics panel upholds nepotism ruling against charter school CEO
Ethics judges found that Friends of King CEO Doris Hicks violated anti-nepotism laws by hiring close relatives at her charter schools. She was ordered to leave her post and fined $20,000. Her lawyer said he plans to appeal.
Posted inInside the News Room
Week in Review: Short-term rental group partners with platform; One fight against the S&WB
Opinion: Lens reporter’s year in S&WB hell: collapsed pipes, collapsed billing system Lens founder Karen Gadbois has been fighting the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans for more than a year. She has a bill upwards of $1,000 and other months she’s received conflicting statements. Some say she owes money, others say the embattled […]
Posted inSchools
Orleans School Board approves $450 million annual budget
$450 million budget is first since the July 1 return of all Recovery School District charter schools to local control. Board also approves going after city for withheld property taxes.
Posted inSchools
Installation of water filters to screen lead will begin this week, Orleans school district says
The long-awaited filters come more than two years after the district promised to test school water for lead.
Posted inSchools
Children return to schools without promised water filters to screen lead
After school officials announced they would test school water for lead in 2016, they decided to install filters instead. But the school district has yet to sign a contract with a filter company.
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Orleans school district cites Harney charter school for possible violations of federal law
The school has racked up nine district warnings this year.
Posted inSchools
Three top Orleans school district officials resign
The shakeup at the central office comes as RSD schools transition back to local oversight.