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

Lycée Français hires consultant for Priestley work, considers third-party deal

by Marta JewsonSeptember 10, 2015November 7, 2019

Charter considers selling building for $9-million-plus renovation, then leasing back finished campus.

Schools

Top charter-school advocate talks about changing attitudes here and Baton Rouge

by Marta JewsonAugust 27, 2015November 7, 2019

The Lens sits down with Caroline Roemer Shirley to talk about charter school changes in the past 10 years.

Schools

New Orleans has 19 new public schools as $1.8 billion building plan continues

by Marta JewsonAugust 25, 2015November 7, 2019

Post-Katrina rebuilding plan is affecting campuses across the city.

Schools

City says it’s hustling to fix school-zone lights before all campuses are open to students

by Marta JewsonAugust 24, 2015November 7, 2019

Work includes replacing bulbs and batteries, and reprogramming lights to match school hours.

Charter Schools, Schools

New charter unexpectedly adds grade but appears short of enrollment goal

by Marta JewsonAugust 13, 2015November 7, 2019

After struggling to meet its enrollment goal, Foundation Preparatory Academy must rewrite its budget for a student body less than half the size leaders envisioned for its inaugural year.

Schools

First day of school in New Orleans? Start dates for charters span five weeks

by Marta JewsonAugust 13, 2015November 7, 2019

Campuses have 19 dates — 115 different starts when including those that stagger grades by time and date.

Schools

New charter schools face daunting task of attracting enough students to stay afloat

by Marta JewsonAugust 12, 2015November 7, 2019

New Orleans’ nearly all-charter school system is built on competition, and for new schools, that means competing with established schools for students. State funding is based on enrollment, so falling short can put a new school in financial trouble.

Schools