Working within a Charter School Network: We Are The Solution.

  One year ago,  I wouldn’t have been able to tell you ANYTHING positive about charter school systems because all I’d ever heard was nothing short of a pile up of negativity. Too strict. Too many white teachers. Too few qualified teachers. Harsh discipline. The list goes on. And now, I work for one. And I love it. The Background During my prior job serving children with a local Mental Health Rehabilitation… Read More

Change:The Facelift the Orleans Parish School Board Desperately Needs

  Say goodbye to the school board you used to know. When Senate Bill 432 passed and was signed into law as Act 91 it should have been evident to New Orleanians that despite a gradual return to local control they will not be witnessing the same old school board that they once knew. The school board and its members will have less power than the pre-Katrina school board. They essentially will… Read More

School board elections: Someone’s paying attention but it’s not us

  Maybe if local school board elections came with an equal amount of hoopla as national elections, then local citizens would pay attention to these elections that affect their communities directly. Maybe if my local school board election was rocked with scandal and candidates started belittling each other at every turn, then parents would know who was running. Now, that would be a step in the right direction. According to Ballotpedia, “643… Read More

You Will Not Label My Child!

  School is in full swing and most of our children are beginning to settle into their school year.  Typically during the start of the school year parents begin to see an increase of behavior notices coming home concerning their child. The good news is behavior notices can bring attention to symptoms relating to an undiagnosed learning disability or the need for other special accommodations that may have otherwise gone undetected. However,… Read More

Black Male Educator: Jerron Wishom of Abramson Sci Academy

  Jerron Wishom is a former NFL player turned teacher and football coach with over five years of experience. While professional football has afforded him many luxuries outside of Louisiana, Jerron is grateful that football led him to become an educator. Before his sports career drew to a close, Jerron played with the New Orleans Voodoo Arena Football League team and hasn’t looked back since, deciding to make the city his home… Read More

Bring the Energy of Protest into Policy

  Education plays a key role in achieving racial equity in America.  Yet, sometimes it is difficult to find hope in the education policy arena. The system itself is steeped in unconscious racial bias, and even the best intentions sometimes perpetuate existing racial inequality. It is no wonder, then, that activists often times give up on making changes in this space and instead focus their attention on using protests and the media… Read More