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What a wonderful journey it has been. This newsletter will be my last opportunity as Superintendent of Schools to collectively address our NOLA Public Schools family: the educators, school communities, colleagues, advocates, elected officials, parents, students, friends, and all stakeholders who have come together these past seven years to b...
Happy New Year!
I’d like to welcome back our students, families, and educators after what I hope was a joyful winter break. At NOLA-PS, we have been busy on a number of initiatives to support student success that we will be announcing throughout the year. Today, I want to update you specifically on our efforts to improve school bus safety..
Dear NOLA-PS Community, I wanted to get back to you as promised by the end of this month with an update on the progress we have been making on school bus safety. As of today, we have received corrective action plans from every school in the district and of the 13...
Dear NOLA-PS Community Members,
As you know, our first priority as a district is to maintain the health, safety and well-being of our students, teachers and staff. Amid rising concerns about COVID-19 in New Orleans, I wanted to share a brief update about how we are coordinating with schools and city officials to keep our students and school communities safe and healthy at this time.
Yesterday, the District presented our proactive coronavirus emergency preparedness plan to the New Orleans City Council Smart & Sustainable Cities Committee. While there are currently no reported cases of COVID – 19 in any NOLA public schools, we are in constant communication with school leaders. We are coordinating closely with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure we have the latest information to disseminate to our school community.
Dear NOLA-PS Community Members,
I would like to share some important messages with you as we enter the first week of citywide school closures. First, I want to say that we at NOLA Public Schools hope that each and every one of you are well, and that you are listening to and responding appropriately to the directions of our Mayor and city agencies with regards to everyday healthy practices and social distancing. It is crucially important that we all do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19, protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.
Dear NOLA-PS Community Members,
During this turbulent time, I hope you are all staying healthy, being safe, and falling into a steady routine. For me and my daughter, a high school senior, our routine has helped us retain a sense of normalcy in a world that feels anything but.
Each day my daughter and more than 45,000 other students in New Orleans are participating in school from afar. While the classroom may look different, coursework is continuing thanks to the herculean efforts of our teachers and schools. I want to extend my immense gratitude to all of the educators in the parish for their unwavering commitment during this challenging time.
Dear School Community,
The importance of routine is critical for a child’s development; from the morning bell, to greeting teachers each period, to catching the bus home, maintaining a rhythm helps students stay well and grow. We know life has been anything but normal lately, but thanks to the efforts of New Orleans Public School teachers, our students have been able to maintain some semblance of their routine.
May 15, 2020
To the 2020 NOLA Public Schools Graduating Class,
May is my favorite month; it has always been reserved as a time to celebrate graduates and the next steps they are taking together. Caps, gowns, senior photos, prom, college acceptances, the promise of future job opportunities, and wonderful tributes would be some of those inspiring highlights.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19’s impact on our schools and city as a whole, we cannot celebrate together this year as we would traditionally. As the father of a graduating senior, I know you are undoubtedly feeling sad and are disappointed that you weren’t able to say a goodbye to your Senior Year and celebrate with your friends and families in the way that you had hoped.
As Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools, I understand and share your disappointment and am determined to make sure that all of our graduates get the celebration that they deserve as soon as it is safe to do so.
Dear Members of the NOLA-PS Community,
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our community has rallied together to ensure our students and educators are safe and healthy, and that learning could continue. Now, as we complete this school year and look towards the next, we know that many of you have questions and concerns about what school may look like and how students and staff will be safe.
We are taking a measured approach to this pandemic: Rapid Response, Assessment, Re-entry Planning, and Implementation. We are now in the Re-entry planning phase, which started last week with the launch of a Re-Opening Task Force. Through this group, along with our entire community, NOLA-PS is working hand in hand with school leaders, educators, parents, and health experts on developing the Roadmap to Reopening and planning for every possible scenario for how schools can reopen safely.
The start of a new calendar year is the perfect time for both reflection and aspiration. As I think about the year ahead, I’m reminded of the traditional Kenyan tribal greeting “Kasserian Ingera” which means…“And, how are the children?” Our children are already half-way through their school year. So, as adults responsible for these young minds, I am issuing the same communal call and reflection in 2019: “And, how are OUR children?” My New Year’s Resolution is to meaningfully engage the broader New Orleans community in our public school system. We have to work together to secure their success – we all have a stake in their futures. Therefore, I’m issuing a call to get more involved. I invite you to come to our board meetings, attend the governing board’s meetings at your child’s school, email us, call us, follow us on social media, and make your presence felt. We want to hear from you. You make us better!
D All across the city, teachers are preparing for the home stretch before state testing. For our dedicated, hard-working teachers this moment is both a test and a testament to their efforts. At the same exact moment, our children are working hard too, not only to meet our high expectations for them, but also to secure their own futures. All of this is the backdrop to the joy, wonder, and freedom of carnival season.
Last month, I committed to some pretty substantial items for our district and the broader community. Those words were not just to ring in the New Year, but also rather to provide a road map of where I hope to go in 2019. We now live in a world where our district, with love, can provide the balance, accountability, and benefits of a large-scale district with the freedom and progress of autonomous schools. We have better policies, better oversight, and more leverage at the table. More importantly, we will never forget to ask ourselves, “how are our children?” first.
After the Governor signs off, more funding — approximately $10 million — will head to classrooms in New Orleans to empower students and schools to succeed. I am proud that the Orleans Parish School Board was able to work closely with our elected officials in Baton Rouge to help make this a reality through the recent passage of Louisiana House Bill (HB) 393 by the House and Senate.
This month, thousands of our students will cross the threshold from high school to adulthood, walking triumphantly across various stages in front of family and friends to collect their long-awaited high school diplomas. Now that graduation season has arrived, I believe it is an important time to acknowledge the hard work, drive, and dedication that has propelled the Class of 2019 to reach this milestone: graduation day.
We are embarking on a historic new chapter when it comes to public school education in America. As of July 1, 2019, New Orleans Public Schools (NOLAPS) officially became the first of its kind in our nation to be an all charter school district and I am proud to be a part of this exciting journey. We are still an urban district serving a high-needs student population, and for me, as Superintendent, our role is unique given that we have 38 different charter management organizations operating our 78 schools.
The arrival of students to campuses across our community of schools this month marks the end of summer break and the exciting start of the 2019-2020 academic year. I hope that this is a great year for all schools in NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) and that we all make the most of new opportunities to better serve our students and families. I would like to share a few highlights from the summer that we have accomplished in collaboration with our schools and partners to prepare for this school year:
I recently highlighted two NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) success stories in the New Orleans Advocate-Times Picayune Opinions section. Kayla Francois graduated in 2018 with a TOPS scholarship and just started her second year at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, majoring in Moving Image Arts and dreaming of her first solo film project. Kayla is a first-generation college student and hopes to inspire other kids to take the same path. Malik Jackson is another 2018 graduate I want you to know about. In 11th grade, he was uncertain about his future. Then one of his teachers introduced him to a carpentry program through the New Orleans Technical Education Program. There, Malik studied carpentry, earning an industry credential. He now has a stable, well-paying job with a local commercial contractor.
Now just starting year two under our unified school system, I know we must continue to help share how we at NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) support our 44,000 students and work with our 78 schools. We play many functions, but this time of year, especially as we will soon receive letter grades our role in holding schools accountable is front and center.
Orleans Parish School Board Votes for Full Millage Roll Forward
This week, our locally elected school board members took a vital step toward improving our schools as they voted to fully roll forward school millages that will result in the addition of urgently needed funding for our city’s children. The new revenue generated will total $325 dollars on average per student per year. It is worth noting that 98-percent of the total funds that come to the Orleans Parish School Board go directly to our public schools. I would like to commend school board members on their leadership and commitment to what is best for our community. This essential decision by the school board means our schools will not be harmed by cuts to state funding while ensuring that our public schools receive critical dollars to better serve students and support teachers.
Department of Children and Family Services Call 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) to report child abuse and neglect.
Hotline Number for Parents School-based issues or concerns from parents School and District based concerns, feedback, & inquiries from school staff or community members
504-527-KIDS
24-hour Hotline Number for Community
504-522-HELP
2401 Westbend Parkway Phone: 504-304-5612 Phone: 504-304-3520
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
Hotline Number for Parents
504-527-KIDS
School-based issues or concerns from parents
24-hour Hotline Number for Community
504-522-HELP
District based community concerns, feedback, & inquiries from school staff or community members
