School district closes all public schools, switches to charter schools

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/in-new-orleans-traditional-public-schools-close-for-good/2014/05/28/ae4f5724-e5de-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html

[Azalin]

"If I am unhappy with service I'm getting in a school, I can pull my kid out and go to another school tomorrow. I don't have to wait four years for an election cycle so I can vote for one member of a seven-member board that historically has been corrupt."

 

that sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Azalin

[B-Man]

FTA:

 

Some residents were disheartened to learn of its closing. “This don’t make no sense,” said Derrick Williams, 45, who walked his great-niece to kindergarten on a recent day. “Me and my sister, the whole family, the whole neighborhood went to that school.”

 

.

[3rdnlng]

FTA:

 

Some residents were disheartened to learn of its closing. “This don’t make no sense,” said Derrick Williams, 45, who walked his great-niece to kindergarten on a recent day. “Me and my sister, the whole family, the whole neighborhood went to that school.”

 

.

 

Well, maybe a charter school will have more success in teaching grammar, eh?

[DC Tom]

Well, maybe a charter school will have more success in teaching grammar, eh?

 

Racist.

[KD in CA]

By most indicators, school quality and academic progress have improved in Katrina’s aftermath, although it’s difficult to make direct comparisons because the student population changed drastically after the hurricane, with thousands of students not returning.

 

Before the storm, the city’s high school graduation rate was 54.4 percent. In 2013, the rate for the Recovery School District was 77.6 percent. On average, 57 percent of students performed at grade level in math and reading in 2013, up from 23 percent in 2007, according to the state.

 

Doesn't sound like it's very difficult at all to make direct comparisons or to conclude that there IS no comparison. What's the downside, no teachers' union to call the shots?

 

 

Meanwhile in NYC, Mayor deBlahblahblah is actively working to crush the existing (and highly performing) charter schools. Gotta keep those teacher union contributions flowing!!

[B-Large]

For New Orleans, a switch to a new model post Katrina is the best possible scenario. It appears thay are also on the cusp of breakng down barriers to make sure those schools cannot be segregated on the sly.... for a poor black student mired in the cess of poor performing schools in his neighborhood prior to Katrina, the prospect for better and elevated quality has been delivered- that is real opportunity, and simple what many parents are asking for.

 

I am not sure why places with lowest performning schools would not at least try this... I can't imagine teachers I had growing up would prefer Union stalemate in old system versus the improvememnt of education for each child. But they probably have no choice.