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New Orleans – (March 2, 2020) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) has been coordinating with the Mayor’s office, as well as local and state agencies, as we monitor the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Maintaining the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff at all schools is our top priority at this time.
NOLA-PS senior leadership will be meeting with school leaders on Tuesday, March 3 to discuss how to plan for and manage any impacts the COVID-19 may have on Orleans Parish public schools and to ensure families are receiving the most accurate information regarding health-safety and education.
NOLA-PS would like to provide Orleans Parish public school families with information on how the district is preparing for any potential issues due to the spread of the virus nationally. The following is information Orleans Parish public schools, parents, and students should keep in mind.
Protecting yourself from Coronavirus COVID-19 (source: Louisiana Department of Health)
About Coronavirus:
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with recent outbreaks of MERS and SARS.
How does Coronavirus COVID-19 spread?
Health experts are still learning the details about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through:
• Through respiratory droplets produced when coughing and sneezing
• Close personal contact
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes
The Louisiana Office of Public Health encourages schools to increase education on ways to protect staff and students from illnesses such as the cold, flu and also the coronavirus:
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Clean surfaces frequently, such as countertops, light switches, cellphones and other frequently touched areas.
• Contain – if you are sick, stay home until you are feeling better.
For more information on the virus, visit http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus.
For information on what to do if you are sick, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/sick-with-2019-nCoV-fact-sheet.pdf.
If you have questions about Coronavirus, please contact the Coronavirus general information line at 1-855-523-2652 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 19, 2020) - NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) and national nonprofit DonorsChoose have partnered to help NOLA-PS teachers receive additional funding to support new classroom projects and needs. Since the partnership began, schools throughout the district have received an additional $2.4 million to fully fund more than 3,600 classroom projects throughout 82 New Orleans public schools.
“Educators across our community of schools work tirelessly to bring innovative classroom projects to our 44,000 students,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “When organizations like DonorsChoose team up with school districts across the country to make those goals a reality, it’s a win-win partnership for all stakeholders, benefiting our city’s children.”
Through the NOLA-PS DonorChoose landing page, teachers are able to seamlessly tap into a nationwide network of donors to request and find support for their classroom projects. Teachers also receive notification when companies are looking to fund new education projects or when there are funding matches that align with their needs.
A few of the fully-funded projects supported through DonorsChoose include:
• Science fair materials for Abramson Science Academy students
• A social justice research library for G.W. Carver High School
• Percussion instruments for KIPP East Community Primary School students
• Project materials for the Benjamin Franklin Science Olympiad Club to use for regional and national competitions
• A trip to New York City for Encore Academy’s Model United Nations team to compete in the National Model United Nations Conference
“We're excited to have NOLA Public Schools as a new member of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program,” said Founder and CEO of DonorsChoose Charles Best. “NOLA-PS teachers and administrators continue to work hard to make sure students succeed, so far they’ve raised $2.4 million towards classroom materials from donors across the country. We can't wait to see how the DonorsChoose community can support these educators even more through our partnership.”
To visit the NOLA-PS DonorsChoose funding page, please visit: www.donorschoose.org/NOLAPS
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About NOLA Public Schools:
NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
About DonorsChoose:
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, more than 4 million people and partners have contributed $900 million to support 1.5 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.
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NEW ORLEANS – (Jan. 29, 2020) – At the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) board business meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16, the board unanimously elected OPSB District 2 Representative Ethan Ashley to serve as president, and District 6 Representative Woody Koppel as vice president. The OPSB conducts the election at its first meeting in January of each year.
Together, Ashley and Koppel will lead the OPSB’s 2020 board business meetings, which are set to take place on the following dates at 5:30 p.m. :
• Feb. 11
• March 19
• April 23
• May 14
• June 11
• July 30
• Aug. 20
• Sept. 17
• Oct. 22
• Nov. 19
• Dec. 17
Ethan Ashley, originally from Compton, CA, obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in political science and Juris Doctorate from Howard University in Washington, D.C. To continue improving his skills to positively impact the students of New Orleans, Ashley received his certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University last fall. Currently, Ashley is the Co-Founder and Partner of School Board Partners, a nonprofit that connects emerging, inspired elected community leaders serving on local school boards with the training, support and mentorship needed to successfully create high quality school systems.
In regards to service, Ashley serves as the Program Chair of the NORD Commission and board member for Bard Early College New Orleans, a rigorous, credit-bearing, tuition-free college course program in the liberal arts and sciences available to junior and senior level students. Ashley is also a board member of the Boy Scouts of America Southeast Louisiana Council, the National Juvenile Justice Network and the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. As a cancer survivor, Ashley proudly serves as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Chairman; he is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. and funds and runs his own scholarship program for college bound public school students living in District 2.
Woody Koppel, a native New Orleanian, attended Henry Allen, Jean Gordon, De La Salle and the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts. Koppel has been a member of the OPSB since 2012. A successful businessperson, Koppel was an award-winning teacher at James Lewis Elementary. He has travelled as far as the Anna Freud Centre in England to learn strategies for teaching at-risk youth. Koppel is married and has two daughters and a son.
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About NOLA Public Schools
NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com.
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NEW ORLEANS – (Jan. 29, 2020) – It is with great sadness that NOLA Public Schools mourns the passing of the longest-tenured superintendent of Orleans Parish Schools, Dr. Gene Alvin Geisert.
“My deepest condolences to Dr. Geisert’s loved ones and friends. We are forever grateful for his commitment to serve students, schools and families across our city throughout his time as superintendent,” says NOLA-PS Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. Although he is gone, so much of his work still continues positively impact students in New Orleans. A great school system is built upon the tireless, steadfast work of leaders like Dr. Geisert and without him, the district would not be where it is today. He has been a role model for New Orleans educators, as well as myself, and will be greatly missed.”
Dr. Gene Alvin Geisert, the longest-tenured superintendent of Orleans Parish Schools, has passed away at the age of 92. Born July 22, 1927, in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Geisert served in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War and graduated from the University of Toledo. He soon received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and became an educator. He taught biology, served as an elementary and junior high school principal and finally served as superintendent of public schools in Alpena, Michigan. Following his work as superintendent, he moved to Wilmington, Delaware where he helped improve and desegregate its public schools. Afterwards, he moved to New Orleans where he desegregated the schools and strengthened Orleans Parish’s teacher pipeline by recruiting teachers from across the country.
Throughout Dr. Geisert’s tenure, he helped lead the effort to offer more magnet schools throughout Orleans Parish. In 1973, he played a major role in developing the renowned New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a regional high school which specializes in pre-professional arts training. After his work as superintendent, he then served as chair of the Doctoral Division in the Department of Education for St. John’s University in Queens, New York for 30 years. In 2011, he returned to New Orleans where he remained for the rest of his life and served as a volunteer at the National World War II Museum.
About NOLA Public Schools
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NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com.
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NEW ORLEANS – (Jan. 28, 2020) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. and the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) joined over 50 community members and representatives from local businesses and non-profits in an effort to highlight the need for a community response to truancy and chronic absenteeism issues within the City of New Orleans.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, NOLA-PS hosted a breakfast with city leaders and members of the business community to discuss tactics on how to address these issues. During the breakfast, participants signed letters of commitment to join in the initiative as well as shape its future.
Those in attendance include Orleans Parish School Board President Ethan Ashley and school board members Leslie Ellison and John A. Brown, Sr.; Mary Garton, Assistant Superintendent, NOLA Public Schools; New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson; Emily Wolff, Director of the Office of Youth and Families for the City of New Orleans; Dr. Jennifer Avegno, Director of the Health Department for the City of New Orleans; Larry Barabino, CEO of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission; Greg Tillery, Founder and Owner of We Dat Chicken & Shrimp; Brandon Mercadel, also known Fatt da Barber and owner of House of Shades Barber Shop; Troy Duhon, Founder and Owner of Premier Automotive which donates a new car to one Orleans Parish public school student with perfect attendance every year; and Nahliah Webber, Executive Director of Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN).
Brandon Mercadel, also known Fatt da Barber, and Donyette Love, LCSW-BACS, were presented with Attendance Advocate Awards for their tremendous efforts to support students in their daily attendance. For several years, Mr. Mercadel has offered free back to school haircuts to hundreds of youth across the city. Ms. Love champions the cause of daily school attendance in her role as a social worker at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, finding creative ways to weave the importance of school attendance into the school’s culture.
“NOLA-PS and our community partners are working together to address chronic absenteeism across our city. Ensuring every child attends school every day must be a priority, and as the saying goes, it takes a village. We are that village,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “Together, we can help address absenteeism and help set our children up for life-long success.”
Each year, about 25 percent of students in Orleans Parish public schools are chronically absent, hindering student achievement and thereby impacting educational and economic outcomes for our students. Although school attendance challenges can be attributed to many factors, those challenges are not always understood by the wider public.
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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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