The New Orleans Alliance for Diversity and Excellence: Why Diverse Leadership Matters for New Orleans’ Schools

The transformation of New Orleans public schools is often told like this: Before Katrina, the school system was failing due in part to leadership and low quality teachers. After the storm, teachers were let go and public schools were rebuilt with an influx of new talent and a new commitment to accountability. But this is not the whole story. While numerous changes ushered in after Katrina were positive, such as… Read More
An Interview with Douglas Butler Jr

New Orleans native, Douglas Butler Jr., has spent the last 8+ years working tirelessly to give back to all students and families with whom he comes into contact. Serving as both a math instructor and dance coach at L.B. Landry- O.P. Walker College and Career Preparatory High School, Butler believes strongly in the strength and power of community and has been focused on ways to empower himself to continue to transform lives… Read More
What We Learned about School Discipline in 2016

School discipline represents more than just a strategy to deal with misbehaving children. It is also a measure of the compassion we have for the most troubled children. As we review the highlights of Louisiana’s school discipline news in the past year we can reflect upon what we have learned. In January 2016, we kicked off the year with a column by Jarvis DeBerry that proposed a shift in the way… Read More