Marta Jewson, Author at The Lens

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.

Schools

National labor board rules that two charter schools in New Orleans can be unionized

by Marta JewsonFebruary 1, 2017November 7, 2019

International High School and Lusher Charter School argued labor-relations law didn’t apply to them.

Schools

New Orleans’ last two traditional public high schools have another suitor: InspireNOLA

by Marta JewsonJanuary 30, 2017November 7, 2019

ExCEED Network is new, but it has the support of the school principals. InspireNOLA has three other schools.

Schools

Plans are underway to convert New Orleans’ five remaining traditional schools to charters

by Marta JewsonJanuary 26, 2017November 7, 2019

A new charter organization called the ExCEED Network has filed applications to take control of the schools. The Orleans Parish superintendent has advocated transforming the schools and has spoken at meetings held by the founding principals of the charter network.

Schools

New charter organization formed as OPSB officials meet with traditional schools

by Marta JewsonJanuary 18, 2017November 7, 2019

The new Exceed Network has the same name that school system staffers use for five remaining schools.

Schools

Study says New Orleans schools spend more on administration and less on teaching after charter transformation

by Marta JewsonJanuary 17, 2017November 7, 2019

“If you decentralize an entire district, there’s a loss in economies of scale,” says researcher Christian Buerger.

Schools

ReNEW is working on a fix to keep students off a roof at its Carrollton building

by Marta JewsonJanuary 10, 2017November 7, 2019

They want to install a fence to prevent anyone from walking from a fire escape to the edge of the roof.

Inside the News Room

Lens lawsuit over city’s purchasing records kicked back for a thorough hearing

by Marta JewsonDecember 21, 2016November 7, 2019

Appeals court said judge didn’t take all evidence into consideration before ruling for the reporters

Investigations, Schools

How ReNEW has tried to make up teaching for special-ed students shorted two years ago

by Marta JewsonDecember 16, 2016November 7, 2019

A state investigation found that ReNEW had inflated how much extra attention it would provide certain students, and then didn’t provide the extra help to students who needed it. The state made the charter network find those students and provide the help now.

Schools