Making Room for Students

Louisiana school districts are preparing for students displace by Hurricane Harvey.  State education superintendent, John White, is encouraging all schools to welcome students with open arms. “We know that, with previous hurricanes and natural disasters, that our school district has had to jump into action to get students registered and to provide a sense of normalcy for them. We’re prepared to do that.” Read more here

NOLA Schools Helping with Harvey

Many New Orleans schools are pitching in to help families negatively affected by Hurricane Harvey. From food drives to school supply drives, NOLA teachers and students are making a difference. “The canned goods will be sent to Second Harvest, and the funds will go to Catholic Charities.” Read more here

NAACP’s Attempt at Nuance Leaves Much to be Desired

By Jacqueline Cooper, President, Black Alliance for Educational Options The NAACP released its much-hyped, and dare I say, now much maligned, report on “Education Quality” last month to mixed reviews. What’s not so “mixed” is that the organization is once again taking aim at charter schools across the country. The report claims to be “speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves” and calling for “stronger charter school accountability measures.” I thought this… Read More

How’s a Black Kid to Feel?

  For myself, growing up in New Orleans, I didn’t know what overt racism was.  For the record, I have had white teachers.  Homegrown, but white nonetheless, and they served as my only frame of reference of white people.  It wasn’t until I traveled 45 minutes North to Hammond, LA for college at Southeastern University that I experienced first hand what racism truly looked like.  I remember it like it was yesterday…. Read More

Under Control

The Orleans Parish School Board will welcome nine schools back from the Recovery School District.  FirstLine charter school network is also sending schools back to the control of the Orleans Parish School Board. “If they’re [charter management organizations] going to be accountable, they need to have control over the key levers that will lead to good outcomes for students.” Read more here

Freedom From White Supremacy Comes With A Reexamination of Our Education System

  We were educated in the disease of white supremacy. It is time we realize this education is not good enough for our children. In order to expose the lies, embrace the truth and to give our children a more progressive education, there has to be a deliberate and collective effort for change.                                            -L.J. Douglas If you think it is cool to drop your feelings about Charlottesville and then jump onto the… Read More

Eclipsing the School Day

Several Catholic Schools in the New Orleans area are closing on the day of the eclipse, while others are requiring permission slips and special glasses for students to view the eclipse.  School officials are concerned about damage to the students’ eyes if they look directly at the sun during the event. “Catholic school eclipse guidelines instruct students to never look at the sun or take a picture of the sun during the… Read More

An Open Letter to the Educators of Charlottesville

By David McGuire To my fellow educators in Charlottesville, VA, my heart is with you. We do not know why your city was chosen for this tragedy, but let’s not harp on the negative.  Let’s instead say your city was chosen to be a beacon of hope. The same way that Watts, Ferguson, and Detroit was chosen before you. The events in those cities, tragic as they were, opened our eyes. Now, it… Read More

Open Letter to James Alex Fields Jr.

Dear James, I resisted my own idea of writing to you, but you are the key to the questions that are circulating in my mind: How could this have happened? How did we find ourselves in such an ugly place in 2017?   How did you find yourself at this place, as the perpetrator of this horrific event this weekend in Charlottesville? As a person of color, I know the answer to… Read More

ACT Scores Remain Level

The ACT scores for New Orleans are in, and the average score of 18.9 among the schools remains primarily the same as 2016.  This score allows for students to gain college entrance. “Louisiana’s public high schools are judged in part on ACT scores. Students also get into colleges and receive TOPS scholarships based partly on those scores.”  Read more here