New Orleans Charter Schools
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and many other parts of Louisiana, a team of Implications Wheel Facilitators traveled to Lafayette, Louisiana to use strategic exploration as a way to address four critical issues for "Re-Thinking Louisiana." Assembling approximately 100 participants for each of four different half-day sessions, the process ensured that "every voice was heard." For many participants, they felt this was the first time their opinions had been valued. This exploration resulted in 20 "first-order" implications and almost 400 specific implications. Contact us for information on the other explorations conducted for this project.
Details of the Center
- Measurement of achievement based on national standardized testing
- Number of charter schools currently limited statewide: if 50% of students or more below state average, then that system is automatically eligible to open charter
- Would only apply to public schools, not private
- State normally provides 2/3 of school funding, local district 1/3. Dollars will follow the child
- Over 100 schools in Orleans parish will be converted to charter schools under jurisdiction of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Leaving top 14 public schools under the local school board
- State legislature recently passed the current LEAP exams at 4th and 8th grades
- Students may be allowed to go on to next grade if pass part of the standardized test while taking extra classes in the part they didn't pass
- Summer school gives students who failed the standardized test another chance to pass the grade
- State law governing charter schools allows hiring of non-union personnel, whereas public schools are contractually bound to hire only union personnel
- No tenure in charter schools. After three years, a public school teacher can become tenured
- For profit companies can provide services to charter schools
- Louisiana has a huge drop-out rate
- Orleans parish had 9 charter schools pre-Katrina
- Same money for public per student and for charter per student
- 1991 Forbes Magazine rated Orleans parish as the worst school district in the country
- 20 new schools opening by January 6 because of Katrina re-building
- Louisiana has very high percentage (25-30%) of students in private schools
- Charter schools will draw from local districts (generally, apart from specific focus schools). No bussing between districts
- All Federal dollars only flow to learning disadvantaged students
- Right now, parish school board determines teacher to student ratio based on money from state and money they can raise locally
- Teachers cannot be paid based on number of students
- Each charter school is an "independent business"
Assumptions
- Use existing school buildings where possible. Some buildings were flooded and are not available.
- Of the 65,000 pre-Katrina students, only 7,500 students will be in school in February
| Re-Building Louisiana.pdf |