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New Leaders for New Schools
New Orleans
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Program Details
Tyra Newell, Executive Director
Key Contact: Lauren Rachal
Email: lrachal@nlns.org
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Contact Information
New Leaders for New Schools New Orleans
200 Broadway, Suite 108
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-274-3678
General Information: neworleansinfo@nlns.org
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Public Education
Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on August 29, 2005, and the subsequent flooding of New Orleans, presented the New Orleans public school system with both tragedy and opportunity. While no one would have desired such damage and disruption to the lives of students, parents, teachers, and staff, the storm offered the people of New Orleans a rare opportunity to remake one of the nation’s lowest performing public school systems. Prior to Katrina, the community’s investment in its public schools was low. Parental and community involvement was minimal, test scores were among the nation’s worst, and facilities had long been neglected.
Before Hurricane Katrina, the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) operated 127 schools that enrolled over 65,000 students. A vastly different system has emerged since the storm:
In November 2005, the legislature expanded the state’s Recovery School District (RSD) to take control of over 100 OPSB schools performing below the state average.
- The RSD reopened schools initially only as charters, schools run by non-profits that received public money and provide free education.
- Also in November 2005, the first OPSB-run school reopened. A number of OPSB charter schools opened soon after.
- In the spring of 2006, the RSD opened its first district-run schools.
- In all cases, opening schools in the 2005-06 school year after Katrina was a difficult and chaotic ordeal.
- As a result, the public education landscape in New Orleans has several new, and in some cases, unique features:
- 85 public schools in New Orleans are run by multiple different operators, including the OPSB, the RSD, and various charter school operators.
- 57% of public school students now attend charter schools, more than any other urban school district in the country.
- In most cases, parents now have the choice to send their children to any public school in New Orleans where they can gain admission, regardless of where they live.
Though the system of schools has experienced radical change, the context in which it operates remains similar to before Katrina, and new challenges have emerged:
- Public school students in New Orleans are overwhelmingly poor. 83% of students are eligible to receive free or reduced lunches compared to 63% statewide.
- New Orleans' overall population is approximately 63% minority, while public school students are nearly 95% minority- primarily African-American.
- Across the systems, but especially in the RSD-run and RSD charter schools, the majority of students are well below grade level.
- Public schools have a high percentage of special education students, many of whom have not been evaluated.
- Many students have unaddressed mental health needs due to their experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina.
Successes: The 2007-2008 school year began more smoothly than the previous year. The following are successes achieved since the end of the 2006-2007 school year:
- Strong new leadership has emerged at the state and local levels.
- School buildings have been brought up to basic standards and have significantly more supplies.
- A sufficient number of teachers were hired for the 2007-08 school year.
- The community is much more involved in schools than before Katrina.
- Overall, there is a sense among students, teachers, school leaders, and community members that there have been significant improvements in most schools since last school year.
The number of 4th graders who passed the LEAP test, the state promotional exam, increased by 12 percentage points; the number of 8th graders passing increased by 4 percentage points from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2007-2008 school year.
While many challenges remain, promising results can be seen. Early indicators of success should be observed. These include parent and teacher perceptions of improvement, increased student engagement and attendance, and some incremental improvements in test scores. So far we are able to observe that teachers, parents, and students feel that the public schools in New Orleans are improving. That is a definite step in the right direction.
Source: “The State of Public Education in New Orleans 2008,” a report prepared by The Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University
District Website: www.nolapublicschools.net
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Impact & Results
Sixteen New Leaders in New Orleans hold leadership positions as principals, principals in planning, assistant principals, or resident principals at 12 different schools across New Orleans, impacting over 4,000 students in grades PK-12 for the 2008-2009 school year. Of these 12 schools, 4 are traditional district schools, and 8 are charter schools. One of our New Leaders is currently planning a charter school, to be opened in the 2009-2010 school year.*
* Test scores are not yet available because all schools are either new or in their first year of operation under the New Leaders leadership.
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Recruitment & Admissions
Requirements:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited university
- A minimum of 3 years of full-time experience teaching in a K-12 classroom
- Hold or be eligible to hold a valid Louisiana Type B or Level 2 teaching certificate or have a comparable level out-of-state teaching certificate*
*Potential candidates for the New Leaders program in New Orleans who do not meet the teaching certificate requirements may still apply if they possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university and have three years of K-12 teaching experience. However, if accepted, these candidates will not become certified and will only be eligible to become principals in charter schools (where certification is not required).
Out-of-state candidates must have the equivalent of a Louisiana Level 2 or Type B teaching certificate to be eligible for administrator certification. The Level 2 Louisiana certificate requires a minimum of 3 years of experience teaching in your certified area and completion of a new teacher assessment program (equivalent to LaTAAP in Louisiana). To determine if your out-of-state teaching certificate is equivalent to a Level 2, please call the Louisiana Department of Education at 1-877-453-2721.
Information Sessions
We encourage you to sign up for an information session to learn more about our program. CLICK HERE to view a schedule of sessions in New Orleans. If you have further questions about the program, please contact Lauren Rachal at 504-274-3672 or lrachal@nlns.org.
Why New Orleans?
Since Hurricane Katrina, much has changed and much has stayed the same in New Orleans. Although many challenges remain on the road to rebuilding the city, residents still have the same intense pride and sense of identity they had before the storm. Recent estimates put the city’s population somewhere around 300,000, about 65% of its pre-storm level.
Since the storm, an unprecedented public education reform initiative has emerged. Nearly everyone in the New Orleans education community agrees that positive changes are taking place. Young professionals in education, and many from other industries, have moved to New Orleans to be a part of this exciting time of change and rebuilding. These new arrivals, along with New Orleans natives, are reinventing the city as a laboratory for urban reform and renewal. The drive and passion of these individuals is essential to making the city a better place for all of its residents, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Those invested in transforming public education in New Orleans believe we have the opportunity to create a model for public education that shows high academic achievement is possible for all students across the city. The breach of the levees brought much tragedy and devastation but it also created much hope and opportunity for public education.
The distinctive culture of New Orleans remains as strong as ever. Called by many the most unique city in the United States, the music and food are world-renowned. No matter what kind of music you like, you can find it playing live somewhere in the city- from jazz to funk to classical, African, Caribbean, hip-hop, blues, rock, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, R & B, Latin, and much more. For food, you can feast on anything from po-boys to haute cuisine- there are delicious treats for every palate at the city’s over 900 restaurants.
New Orleans, of course, is also known for its many festivals and celebrations. The most famous is Mardi Gras, which falls the day before Ash Wednesday. The city spends several weeks celebrating Carnival with parades, costumes, crawfish boils and other gatherings leading up to the big day. Also renowned is the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or Jazz Fest, which occurs each spring. Jazz Fest features internationally renowned musicians as well as local artists across twelve stages, showcasing all types of music. New Orleans is also home to two professional sports teams, the Saints and the Hornets, as well as a minor-league baseball team, and a variety of college and high school sports. No matter what time of year, something is always happening!
Each neighborhood has its own feel and spirit. The good news is, no matter what part of the city you live in, it is no more than a 20 minute drive to any other part of the city. For more information about specific neighborhoods and facts and figures from pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans, please visit the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center at http://www.gnocdc.org/.
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Supporters
Arnold Family Foundation
The Broad Foundation
Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives
John and Ann Doerr
Doris & Donald Fisher Fund
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Greater New Orleans Foundation
Leslie Jacobs
Walter Isaacson
JPMorgan Foundation
New Schools for New Orleans
Edward G. Schlieder Educational Foundation
State of Louisiana
The Walton Family Foundation
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Special Events
Left Behind - The Story of New Orleans Public Schools
Film Screening & Panel
Saturday, November 22
4:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Georgia State University, Student University Center, Speaker's Auditorium
Directions to the event (pdf)
New Leaders for New Schools is hosting a special screening of a powerful, highly acclaimed documentary that illuminates the story of New Orleans public schools through the experiences of three high school seniors during their 2004 and 2005 school years. For this unique and engaging event, representatives from New Leaders for New Schools’ New Orleans program site will be available to answer questions and discuss school leadership opportunities in New Orleans. The event is free to the public, but RSVP is recommended as space will be limited.
Interested in attending this event?
Please RSVP to Lauren Rachal at lrachal@nlns.org or 504-274-3672.
For more information on the documentary, visit: http://neworleansleftbehind.com.
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BACK | Locations Index
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Regional Information
Upcoming Events
Left Behind - The Story of New Orleans Public Schools
Film Screening & Panel
Saturday, November 22
4:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Georgia State University, Student University Center, Speaker's Auditorium
View event details below
Meet a New Leader
New Leader Profiles (pdf)
A snapshot of local New Leaders with summary bios and "in their own words" program impressions.
Additional Resources
NOLA Parents Guide
In-depth information about every public school in Orleans Parish.
The State of New Orleans Public Education
Report by the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University.
Schools Overview -
Report Supplement (pps)
Source: Cowen Institute
Articles
Growing Pains and Great Expectations, By Caitlin Corrigan
The New York Times,
October 20, 2008
Opening a School Draws on All of Founders' Skills,
Education Week,
September 8, 2008
A Teachable Moment,
The New York Times Magazine,
August 14, 2008
Changes at New Orleans Schools Bring Gains in Test Scores,
The New York Times,
May 7, 2008
The Greatest Education Lab,
Time Magazine,
September 17, 2007
The Schools that Katrina Built,
The Boston Globe,
October 14, 2007
A proven superintendent and a hotshot group of educators are inspiring others to bring their skills to New Orleans,
The Times-Picayune, May 26, 2007
Schoolhouse Rockers,
Gambit Weekly,
May 22, 2007
New Orleans: Looking for a Few Good Principals,
USA Today,
April 10, 2007
New Orleans Native Returns to Repair Schools,
The Boston Globe,
March 25, 2007
Reading, Writing, Resurrection,
The Atlantic Monthly,
January 1, 2007
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