Update on New Orleans Schools

Though Hurricane Katrina lashed New Orleans over six years ago, much is taking place in the city with respect to schools that invites our attention. As many of you know, Schools Count Corp has brought aid to the public schools for six years. During that time we have witnessed many great accomplishments, much of it do to the students, teachers, educational leaders and the parents.

The State of Louisiana Test Scores (I don't want to get hung up on these but that is about the only measure out there) reflected through LEAP show most neighborhood schools making significant yearly progress. That is the good news.

Sadly, there are some poor practices, on the macro educational level, particularly at RSD, that continue to haunt day-to-day schooling.

RSD officials continue to threaten traditional neighborhood public schools with taking them over and making them charters, no matter that they are functioning quite well. The number of neighborhood schools continues to dwindle and, in turn, the remaining ones are overcrowded in total and with regard to the number of students in each classroom.

The shrinking number of neighborhood schools, who are bursting at the seams, often have to turn away students due to the fact that there is no room. What happens is this: A family with a first grader, fourth grader and fifth grader may well have to send each of the three children to three separate schools (as opposed to just one facility) in different parts of the city. Talk about nonsense!!

Too often, these neighborhood schools also lack the resources needed to give kids a chance to succeed. Typically, resources are available to the school but the families, individually, are without the resources and supplies needed to be successful.

These are but a few of the continuing problems that continue to fall upon the shoulders of teachers, children and their parents. In spite of all of these obstacles, the fight to succeed goes on.

As you may know, Paul Vallas is no longer heading the RSD. He is now an advisor to the Chilean and Haitian governments on education...really!!

Thanks for all of your support of our NOLA initiatives!
Dick