In the News: December 27, 2012

Posted on by Leslie Jacobs

In this edition of In the News:

Proud to Call It Home

America’s 50 Best Cities
Bloomberg Businessweek – December 28, 2012
According to Businessweek, New Orleans is one of the top 15 cities in America. New Orleans ranked #14 out of 100 based on leisure activities, educational attributes, economic factors, crime, and air quality. We scored high marks for our good times, our resilience since Katrina, our universities and the quality of our air, but crime kept us out of the top 10.  Continue reading →

In the News: December 17, 2012

Posted on by Leslie Jacobs

Educate Now! is deeply saddened by the events in Newtown, Connecticut, and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been devastated by such senseless violence. Let us honor the memory of those who were lost by doing a better job of protecting and nurturing the children in our own community.

The Times-Picayune recently reported that nearly one third of New Orleans middle-school students are experiencing symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 29% have seen assaults committed with weapons, while almost 14% have witnessed murders. All of us in New Orleans must work together to provide the mental health and social services that our children need and deserve.

In Other News

Enrollment Data Released; 84% now attending Charter Schools

Posted on by Leslie Jacobs

The state has released enrollment data for New Orleans public schools, which includes all OPSB schools, RSD New Orleans schools and the city’s Type 2 charter schools. As of October 1, 2012:

  • 84% of New Orleans public school students attend charter schools, up from 78% last year and 71% in 2010. New Orleans has a greater percentage of students in charter schools than anywhere else in the country. Detroit and the District of Columbia come in a distant second with just over 40% in charters. The national average is 4%.
  • Enrollment increased for the 6th consecutive year to 43,540 students, up 1,510 students from last year and a 70% increase from 2006, the first full year after Katrina. Additionally, another 2,440 New Orleans students are receiving publicly funded vouchers to attend private or parochial schools. This increase in enrollment likely means the city’s population continues to grow. Continue reading →

OPSB Elections Bring New Faces to the Table

Posted on by Leslie Jacobs
In the OPSB elections on November 6, three incumbents were defeated. With so many new faces on the OPSB, its future direction and focus are uncertain. One of the first major decisions for this new School Board will be selecting the next superintendent.

Read more about the new School Board:  Orleans Parish School Board elections leave unresolved questions

Election Results

District 1 – Incumbent Ira Thomas (68%) defeats Heidi Lovett Daniels (32%)
District 2 – Incumbent Cynthia Cade (51%) defeats Dwight McKenna (38%) and Durrell Laurent (11%)
District 3 – Sarah Usdin (58%) defeats incumbent Brett Bonin (32%) and Karran Harper Royal (10%)
District 4 – Leslie Ellison (52%) defeats incumbent Lourdes Moran (48%)
District 6 – Incumbent Woody Koppel (66%) defeats Jason Coleman (34%)
District 7 – Nolan Marshall (68%) defeats incumbent Thomas Robichaux (21%) and Kwame Smith (11%)

In other election news: Term limits for school boards seeing wide approval

2012 School Performance Scores Released

Posted on by Leslie Jacobs

Major improvement in New Orleans’ Ranking
#1 in growth since 2005

  • Since 2005, the District Performance Score (DPS) for New Orleans has grown an astonishing 36.8 points, more than any other district in the state.
  • For the first time, New Orleans has a higher DPS than both East Baton Rouge and Caddo (Shreveport) Parishes.
  • New Orleans has closed the gap with the state average by 70%. In 2005, New Orleans was over 30 points behind the state. In 2012, New Orleans is only 9.1 points behind the state.

District Performance Scores for the
Four Largest Districts in Louisiana

Continue reading →