Monday, August 29, 2011

OPSB is Redistricting

The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) is in the process of redistricting. Every ten years, the OPSB is required, under the 1965 Voting Rights Act (the act), to redistrict to ensure equitable representation on the board. This means the geographic boundaries of the seven districts from which board members are elected will be modified using Census 2010 demographic data. In fact, under the act, minority representation may not be reduced after redistricting. OPSB has two options to meet the redistricting requirements: it can either modify the boundaries of the current seven districts or it can do what is called reapportionment, which could involve having a mix of city-wide and district-wide seats on the board. At present, it is not clear how this round of redistricting will affect the dynamics of the OPSB.

Click here for a schedule of the OPSB redistricting meetings.  For more detailed information about redistricting, click here to see a presentation by GCR and Associates.

back to top

Cowen Institute Testifies at BESE Meeting Regarding School Facilities Master Plan Proposed Amendments

The Cowen Institute testified at the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting on August 17th regarding the Proposed Amendments to the School Facilities Master Plan. The Board asked John White, the Superintendent of the Recovery School District (RSD), which is the organization in charge of managing the plan, to describe how the organization is moving forward on the proposed amendments. The Cowen Institute expressed concern that even with the proposed amendments the plan would leave 13,000 plus students in facilities that lack functional roofs, windows, HVAC systems, and otherwise offer inadequate learning environments. Some board members expressed their hope that the $1.6 billion distributed by FEMA to rebuild New Orleans public school facilities after Hurricane Katrina would suffice to ensure all school facilities offer adequate learning environments.

back to top

John White Ends 100 days of Listening and Proposes a New Strategic Plan

After 100 days of public meetings and talking to community leaders, parents, and students, the Recovery School District (RSD) Superintendent John White has developed a strategic plan, entitled What Will It Take?, to move forward and improve the quality of education in the RSD. The plan is designed to give the RSD a portfolio approach to managing the district’s schools in their various stages of improvement and to enhance support and communication between the RSD and the schools under its wing.

To align the district’s organization with the plan, White restructured the RSD, creating five deputy superintendents and an executive team to help execute the plan and improve the efficiency of the agency. In the process, the size of the central office shrunk by 35 percent. The focuses of the five deputies are Community and Policy, Services, Operations, Portfolio, and Achievement. The plan will be released September 6th.

Click here for the official press release including details of the event for the official release.

back to top

Fired Principals Sue the RSD

Three principals are suing the Recovery School District (RSD) in the New Orleans civil district court for wrongful termination. The principals, who were fired in July, worked in direct-run elementary schools. The plaintiffs claim they were wrongfully fired, while the RSD claims they were fired due to unsatisfactory performance and were given a fair hearing for their termination. The principals are not asking for damage reimbursement, but to be given their jobs back. The suit exemplifies the tension between new and veteran school employees as the RSD attempts to revive failing schools, mostly by converting schools to charter schools.

Click here to read the Times-Picayune article.

back to top