Almost half of Kennedy’s graduating class of seniors weren’t eligible to be promoted during this year’s commencement exercises held in May, according to reports from the Lens last week.  Consultants were hired, resignations tendered, stories written, and social media platforms exploded with finger-pointing and blame being targeted at “the charter” system of public schools in New Orleans. Whether you support charters or direct run district schools, the common thread that must exist… Read More

This article was first posted on citizenstewart.com It’s right for equity advocates to focus attention on the students deemed needier. At the same time, they shouldn’t allow their advocacy to mean other students aren’t likely to need support too. When the Black Lives Matter hashtag started it was a bold turn of phrase in the face of too many fatal incidents that would lead one to question whether or not black people… Read More

In the year 1865, the Louisiana legislature began implementing laws that paved the way for racial segregation. These laws were known as black codes and had historically regulated the autonomy of slaves. The black codes were more prominent in northern Louisiana cities. However, in southern Louisiana cities, such as New Orleans, African-Americans experienced much more autonomy. In New Orleans, public schools had successfully been integrated until the year 1877 (Woodward, 2001). The… Read More

If you enter almost any large inner-city school in America, you will likely see a police presence. Not because there was a disturbance, but because that is simply where they have been assigned. This is of course in reference to School Resource Officers. School resource officers or SROs have recently come under a lot of fire. Conversations around police brutality have given way to conversations about interactions between police and students at… Read More

“We need to meet people where they are.” This is a popular refrain but it’s hard to know if its’s always good advice. Does meeting a marginalized group where they—and their needs— lead to lower expectations or the belief that they are less capable than everybody else? Or are accommodations an opportunity to ensure greater and more equitable access to resources for community members? A recent study conducted by the Education Research… Read More

On June 1st, New Orleans lost a culinary Icon. If you’re from New Orleans, I’m sure you’ve celebrated a birthday, graduation or had a night out at Dooky Chase. Because visiting the restaurant, you never know who you might run into. Leah Chase has served everyone from civil rights workers, local politicians, actors and even presidents. The Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. liked barbecued ribs, and James Baldwin preferred gumbo. The singer… Read More