To: Henderson Lewis, Superintendent, Kira Orange Jones, BESE Board Member, John Brown, Sr., OPSB Board Member, Ethan Ashley, OPSB Board Member, Sarah Newell Usdin, OPSB Board Member, Leslie Ellison, OPSB Board Member, Ben Klieban, OPSB Board...
Save traditional public school in New Orleans
We are advocates for public education in the U.S., our state and our city. After 11 years of failed and divisive education reform that has only served outside interests and lined the pockets of education reformers while starving our schools, teachers, and children, we demand that the Orleans Parish School Board, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Louisiana Department of Education halt all charter school approvals and plans to expand charter schools in our state and especially in New Orleans. This vision to charter the remaining five traditional public schools aligns with the plans and vision of Betty DeVos, an enemy of public education and public schools and advocate for privatizing education.
We believe in and advocate for free, high quality, and democratic public education. We oppose all plans that align with and implement the interests of Betty DeVos and the education reformers who support her vision to privatize public education. We believe that public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. We believe that children, families, teachers and communities deserve public schools that represent their interests and that are open and accessible to the public. We believe that public education belongs to the public and not the private interests of Charter Management Organizations, CEOs, CFOs or any other quasi-free market organization. We do not believe that public education is best run by corporations, non-profit organizations, or intermediary organizations like New Schools for New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Teach For America, Leading Educators, Teach NOLA, etc.
We believe in and advocate for free, high quality, and democratic public education. We oppose all plans that align with and implement the interests of Betty DeVos and the education reformers who support her vision to privatize public education. We believe that public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. We believe that children, families, teachers and communities deserve public schools that represent their interests and that are open and accessible to the public. We believe that public education belongs to the public and not the private interests of Charter Management Organizations, CEOs, CFOs or any other quasi-free market organization. We do not believe that public education is best run by corporations, non-profit organizations, or intermediary organizations like New Schools for New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Teach For America, Leading Educators, Teach NOLA, etc.
Why is this important?
There are five remaining traditional public schools in New Orleans. All five of the remaining traditional public schools are high-achieving schools, with veteran teachers and principals. Several are open admissions schools and serve a diverse student body.
The Orleans Parish School Board plans to convert these schools to charter schools for no reason other than to finalize the vision of education reformers. Chartering the five remaining traditional public schools will further erode and destroy one of the first truly democratic institutions in our nation: the public school.
Charter management organizations will gain control over millions of dollars with little to no direct accountability and oversight by the public. Children and parents stand to lose access to their schools as new charter management organizations have full authority to impose admissions and selection criteria. Teachers and administrators are disposable as well. OPSB has not given a rationale for converting these successful schools to charters other than it is within their purview to do so. In unveiling this plan a week before winter break, they have limited public access and skirted public meetings laws.
Please join us in raising your voice to save the remaining five public schools in New Orleans.
It is hypocritical for education reformers to celebrate choice by eliminating choice for families and making charter schools the ONLY choice for public education in New Orleans. This move by Orleans Parish School Board and education reformers in New Orleans, to charter all the schools, aligns with the vision and stated commitments of Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betty DeVos, an enemy of public education. Please help us fight for public education in New Orleans and across the state of Louisiana.
NO MORE CHARTERS! SAVE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS! SAY NO TO BETTY DEVOS-STYLE EDUCATION! SAY NO TO PRIVATIZING PUBLIC EDUCATION!
The Orleans Parish School Board plans to convert these schools to charter schools for no reason other than to finalize the vision of education reformers. Chartering the five remaining traditional public schools will further erode and destroy one of the first truly democratic institutions in our nation: the public school.
Charter management organizations will gain control over millions of dollars with little to no direct accountability and oversight by the public. Children and parents stand to lose access to their schools as new charter management organizations have full authority to impose admissions and selection criteria. Teachers and administrators are disposable as well. OPSB has not given a rationale for converting these successful schools to charters other than it is within their purview to do so. In unveiling this plan a week before winter break, they have limited public access and skirted public meetings laws.
Please join us in raising your voice to save the remaining five public schools in New Orleans.
It is hypocritical for education reformers to celebrate choice by eliminating choice for families and making charter schools the ONLY choice for public education in New Orleans. This move by Orleans Parish School Board and education reformers in New Orleans, to charter all the schools, aligns with the vision and stated commitments of Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betty DeVos, an enemy of public education. Please help us fight for public education in New Orleans and across the state of Louisiana.
NO MORE CHARTERS! SAVE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS! SAY NO TO BETTY DEVOS-STYLE EDUCATION! SAY NO TO PRIVATIZING PUBLIC EDUCATION!