Ray in New Orleans

Percy Marchand wants to merge the Orleans school board and the RSD, which may help those unfortunate enough to be in those schools. Una, OTOH, wants to help charters even more.

The gap's too wide, Una.

And I'd vote for John Parker, if he'd take off his mask.

Oh, while I'd do Julie Quinn, her website automagically gets her disqualified.

Guys, don't have blaring music on a campaign website. And there's usually no need for Flash, either.

And all that mess about her pretending it's the 70s and wife swapping is just confirming she has those Republican family values.

I guess it's Crawfish Monica for me, too.

Unlike a lot of the other bloggers who send their kids to selective-admission charter schools while advocating against having selective-admission charter schools, I don't have a problem with charters per se. Yeah, there's disparities in the system, but those disparities have always been there. I went to Fischer, Harte, Rosenwald, Karr, and Franklin, I know what the disparities looked like 30 years ago, and 30 years of the OPSB didn't do shit for anybody while I was off in exile.

We need to fix education by any means necessary. Charters are one weapon in that arsenal. Yeah, there are shitty charters out there, there are shitty ways of doing privatization in just about *any* sphere, but there are charters that are doing great things. My kids go to one. My mother-in-law teaches at another.

BTW, I got an email from Percy Marchand already, so he's paying attention to the blogs, which gives him bonus points.

I don't do Republican chicks. Not even a grudge fuck. They don't deserve my special skillz.

Evan Wolf was the on-and-off president of Tulane college democrats for many years. I hate to be a gossip but friends of mine within that organization, admittedly resentful of his continued leadership beyond his graduation date, repeated some shady stories about him in regards to his "liberal" treatment of the Tulane college dems' bank account.

Well, I guess if it was a "conservative" treatment of the bank account he would've spent it on hookers.

"Unlike a lot of the other bloggers who send their kids to selective-admission charter schools while advocating against having selective-admission charter schools"...I hope you ain't talkin' bout me, homes. If you are, your vicodin connection just dried up. And near beer, too. ;^)

My problem is a) the ridiculous widening gap between the "have" charter schools and the "have not" district schools; and b) people pushing charters as a panacea for everything. Don't forget about how the "teachnola" website routed certified teachers to the charter system, and non-certified to the district system. That's just fucked.

As you mentioned, charters are one weapon to fix education here. What pisses me off is things like Babs Bush donating money that is specially earmarked to ONLY be used for charter schools.

What really pisses me off is fuckmook Scott Cowen brokering a deal with Lusher whereby all Tulane faculty get to send their kids there. Instead of trying to fix the school system, he's rigging it for his employees, and fucking it for everyone else.

And you said you don't do GOP chicks, yet you said you were hot for Kennedy. You're as consistent as Mary Landrieu.

In reference to my stance on education:

First - the multiple systems and levels is very confusing to the general public. There are currently two publicly funded school systems operating in New Orleans: RSD and OPSB. Inside of each of those systems are two different types of schools: system-run schools and charter schools.

I am NOT AGAINST charter schools. My problem is with wasting resources by duplicating efforts (and in this case two wrongs don't make a right).

Was the OPSB a mess - absolutely, and it has been that way for decades.

The reason? The only time education and accountability were in the same sentence was when it came to LEAP tests. The OPSB nor BESE Board (which is the state board that is supposed to monitor the OPSB) have been held accountable. Perfect Example: We fired all of the OPSB teachers who dedicated lifetime's of service and some of the same board members who were around during much of the corruption still sit on the Board.

Solution: Instead of creating a new system and taking over schools that are failing, bring resources and work with the existing system to turn failing schools around.

How it works now (promise I'm almost finished): A school is cited as a failing school towards the end of the year. RSD takes that school over and has six months to come up with a plan to turn the school around (note that the next school year would have started and the plan still will not finalized). After five years of success or failure, the RSD recommends if a school should remain under their control, be turned back over to the OPSB, or closed.

THE RESULTS: Last year students are cold lunches, didn't have books, and did not have spots available for them.

We have far too many education issues to divide the resources that are supposed to be resolving them.

It's time to take the politics and economics out of education and start holding people accountable.

I hope you ain't talkin' bout me, homes.

You know I'm not talking about you, Perfesser. But there are other folks out there who privately send their kids to the most exclusive charter schools while publicly clamoring for doing away with charter schools and putting everything back under the OPSB. That's the teacher's union talking, if you ask me.

From what I understand from talking to the MIL, the "routing" of certified teachers had to do more with maximizing grant money than any grand conspiracy. She's a dyslexia specialist and you should hear her stories comparing the response she got trying to sell her specialty to the RSD schools vs. getting herself into a very cool non-selective "we take every kid in the neighborhood" charter school, where a group of talented and driven teachers and principals are creating a thing of beauty over by the Fairgrounds. You take that thing and put it back under the thumb of whoever takes Ellaneese's place on the OPSB and watch it whither and die.

Charters are a weapon. And for somebody who wants local control and high parent input, they can be great.

Kennedy was a Republican? Kennedy the sexy geek girl on MTV? My heart is broken.

And I'm still hot for Mary Landrieu. Almost even bought a termite-ridden house next to Mitch just in case I could catch a glimpse of her visiting every once in a while on holidays.

Now about that vicodin...

Percy, I'm liking what I'm hearing.

As for Una, I gave her 3 calls (from Prague, even) in July/August 2005 asking about stuffs, and got her machine. She never called back. I don't forget things like that. She can just dream of getting my vote and pray I don't smack her elitist butt down on my blog.

I still don't like the idea that a kid can't go to the school 3 blocks away because they've filled their quota. Keep the charter idea, but don't make a kid go to a school that isn't geographically closest unless he really wants to. That's just wrong.

You didn't know Kennedy was a Republican? Damn, that little head does all the thinkin'. She even has a tattoo of an elephant on her crotch.

I'm hot for Mary, as well, but her voting record is just random. Not that I'd bring it up...

Welcome, Percy.

I'm glad to hear you're not against charters. When I read this line in your campaign site:

* Bring one unified system with localized control and accountability across the board

I was worried that might be the case.

So what's the plan for fixing this mess? How do we allows the successful charters the flexibility to continue to do their thing, that makes the less-successful charters and the other low-performing schools more accountable, but that doesn't return us back to the politicization and incompetence and corruption of the OPSB?

I know that at Lusher and Franklin, chartering is working well. Those might be special cases, but from what I hear, chartering is also working well at Langston Hughes, which is not selective-admission and does take every kid from the neighborhood. I also know a very bright kid who just moved here from Austin who is "stuck" at Priestley and who says his high school geometry class is full of kids who don't know their multiplication tables and don't really want to learn them. So where do we go from here? I would like to see *competent* local control, when we're ready for it, and I tend to think of charters charters as local control taken to an extreme...an extreme which can be a very powerful force for good. I have a much more powerful voice in my child's education at a competently-run charter than I would at the same school run by the OPSB; this is my take based on my experience at non-charter Franklin in the 70s vs. charter Lusher in the present day.

I'm lucky, in that my kids go to an ethnically diverse school full of kids who want to learn, taught by enthusiastic teachers who want to teach. We should be able to say that about every school in New Orleans, and the true measure of our success will be when we start reversing the trend of the 70s and people start taking their kids OUT of private schools because they can get a comparable or better education for free at a public or public charter school.

Oh, and by the way, Percy, this is only a part-time political blog, so try to ignore the rest of the depravity and nonsense going on around us. Especially from that Ashley guy.

Will keep it short this time:
I know we get scared and in a riot when we talk about public servants and salaries, but I salary is an issue when it comes to the OPSB. We elect members to positions that pay less than $7000 (no that is not a typo and no zero's are missing)to manage hundreds of millions of dollars and lead our school system.

Of course we want individuals who care and are qualified, but when that house note or a son or daughter wants a Sweet 16, money becomes a reality. (Enough intro talk - moving to the solutions):
1. FIX THE BOARD
A. Increase school board compensation and duties(not to go into effect until the next election). This will allow more qualified individuals to hold this office (I expect flack on this one...but I can take it - If you have questions or concerns, ask me for clarification before you make judgment.) Maybe if we pay these officials better wages, they won't have to rely on kick backs and bribes. I think it's a small investment compared to the respective savings and benefits.

B. Change the position to a full-time position. The current part-time setup of the OPSB produces the results we have seen thus far. Our school board members need to be fully dedicated and focused on rebuilding our school system. I think we all know that our system needs A LOT of work.

C. Add two local appointed positions (one from the Mayor and one from the governor). This elected/appointed mix will decrease the mismanagement we have seen for too long.

2. SWITCH TO YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS
-This issue has been visited before, but never fully implemented. This solves two problems: 1.Our schools (and kids) are failing, and 2.Every summer we search for programs/jobs to keep kids "occupied" and out of trouble.

This will also put teachers on a more traditional work year and help to justify significant pay raises. (yes I know I said it again - pay increase + accountability= better than expected results)

Eliminating the summer gap will reduce drop out rates, crime rates, and we won't have to have huge pushes to get students to register and show up on the "first" day of school.

3. ALLOW MORE LOCAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- This time I am talking about giving more freedom to system-operated schools (more in line with the freedoms given to charter schools). Within this freedom, however, must be clearly defined expectations (beyond passing the LEAP test).

4. IMPROVE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
- Before this election, I could never work at a crowded, dirty desk (too busy now to straighten up now). I am sure many of you feel the same way. Yet we send our kids to dilapidated building and expect positive results. My mother is a retired 42 year teacher from the OPSB. Her last year, her floors didn't have any tiles on it (the AC leaked and the floor came up) and the building had termite damage, desperately needed painting, and was, overall, pretty depressing.

5. ALIGN SPENDING WITH PRIORITIES
We spend nearly twice on locking a kid up (~ 20 -40,000/year)than we do educating one (~9000/year). Obviously we've be getting what we pay for. If education is a priority, spending (on a unified plan with transparent operations) needs to reflect that. We never have the three resources together...now is the time to bring them together (1. Unified plan, 2. Resources to implement the plan, 3. Accountability).

I'll spare you the rest as this entry is entirely too long. Sorry Ray.

LOL looking at the promise I made in the beginning of this entry (Keep it short), I think I made my first false promise...well hopefully that will be the last one.

I hope you include employee accountability in the mix. IF you are going to pay teacher significantly more and expect significantly more then you must not simply pay the same teachers more or the problems will continue. Teachers and other staff should be requalified and rehired under new conditions before any significant change in the compensation.

The teachers union has fought any significant change in the status quo, while professing to be for the kids.

Much like the City Council the position has been treated as a Public Service rather than a job.

Percy, you had me until the year round schools. It isn't the time in school, it's what they do when they're there.

Optional stuff, maybe. But it's BS to force kids to go to school in the summer. Especially considering how pathetic the HVAC systems are in public schools.

I think by having a more consistent pre-K program, we'd get the kids earlier, and this would have the desired effect.

I am definitely in support of early childhood education programs. I agree with you about quality of time over quantity of time - and that's why we have to make sure that time spent is quality time.

The reality is the three month summer break leads to very little productivity and we know what they say about idle minds.

Year round schools keep kids involved and focused. It eliminates that month to two re-adjustment period. It prepares our kids for the real world where there are no three month off periods. I think too many of the students in the public school system are behind right now. This adjustment would allow those students a better chance to catch up.

We can't agree on everything, but at least we're talking about important issues -somewhere between the differing sides is the correct answer.

I don't know who 'e' is, nor who his gossipy friends are, but I was the president of the Tulane Democrats last year, and I was on the eboard while Evan was president, and I know there weren't any shady money deals.
Back in reality, he's bailed us out of some tight spots more than once, and he's a good friend to the club.

It's cute that people throw out BS accusations though. Really, it is.

Between band camps, football camps, soccer camps, camps, visiting relatives, and going to the beach, I didn't have time to sling on the corner.

I don't want 4th graders to be "productive and focused". I want them to enjoy being 10 years old.

Agreed Ashley,

There are different models of year-round schools that can address the issues you raise. This isn't something I am ready to press print on by a long shot. I do think that some model of it could solve many of the issues our city and state face.

Let's keep the dialogue going - maybe not overloading Ray's blog with this particular issue. The only thing I ever ask is that we all come together with the purpose of getting the best possible solution, not to prove our side or disprove others (I don't think this would be a problem with us).

Percy
504-220-1495
info@vote4marchand.org

... where a group of talented and driven teachers and principals are creating a thing of beauty over by the Fairgrounds. You take that thing and put it back under the thumb of whoever takes Ellenese's place on the OPSB and watch it whither and die.

Sorry for being late to the party, but this is exactly what I'm afraid of. So, Percy, if you're still here, I'd love it if you could talk more about "Add two local appointed positions (one from the Mayor and one from the governor). This elected/appointed mix will decrease the mismanagement we have seen for too long." Would the existing RSD/OPSB board and these two additional appointees comprise the entire governing body? What about facets and folks from the existing charter system that are going well?

Remember, every publicly funded school (whether charter or not) falls under either the RSD system or the OPSB system.

I think both the RSD and OPSB are top heavy (too much control at higher levels). The board/administration should be a centralized location managing the background organizational infrastructure (cafeterias, substitute teachers, uniform processes, insurance, accountability, etc.)

I am not advocating doing away with charter schools, but the reality is that they cannot be successful throughout the entire system. We need to take what makes them successful and recreate it at the system operated schools.

As my old PE coach would say: "Food for thought":

Right now there is a high level of activity and interest in many of the individual boards required at each charter school. What will happen 5 years down the line when the newness wears off?

The whole charter schools movement and RSD is supposed to be about equal access to quality education. What about all the schools who can't get quality boards and therefore get poor results?

Charter schools (with the exception of twp - I believe) are operated by private companies. What are we going to do if one or more of these companies goes out of business?

Just some food for thought...

...and most of the companies that operate charter schools are not local companies. Hmmmm....

Still, what about the kid who lives 3 blocks from a school? Should that child not be allowed to go to that school, or should he be sent to one across town? Reverse bussing?

None of the companies are local. There are two schools (MLK and Mc. Donogh 42) that are operated by local boards.
What are you specifically asking about in regards to the busing?

None of the companies are local. There are two schools (MLK and Mc. Donogh 42) that are operated by local boards.
What are you specifically asking about in regards to the busing?

I'm just saying that it is wrong when a kid can't go to the nearest school because of this charter business.

It's like the days of 60s busing, but not for a good reason.

I got bussed to Rosenwald in 5th and 6th grade instead of being able to walk to Alice Harte like I always used to, and I agree that not being able to go to your neighborhood school ain't fun. It especially sucks when your neighborhood school is a great school and the one you're getting bussed to sucks.

Plenty of my friends ended up in St. Andrews or Aurora Gardens rather than get bussed over to Rosenwald, but we was what you call poor.

On the other hand, giving parents the ability to choose a better school than the one in the neighborhood if they so choose is a powerful thing.

I met Evan Wolf the other night. I mentioned the Erin Anderson name on the ballot. He never fessed up to doing it.

Then today I saw in the paper that he was the one behind it.

It is like "Animal House" hi-jinks.

Get thee over to Michael Homan's where he expresses deep concern over the way school governance may go after the next election.

All right Ray, you really know how to hurt a guy! You could have called me a liberal-pinko-Zionist; You could have called me a deviated prevert; You could even have called me a Republican and I wouldn't have cared. But call me an atrocious speller, and I do rise in righteous indignation.

You can critique my ideas all you want, but blog with some seriousness in your crotchety heart. For the record, I was educated at Newman (National Merit Finalist), Harvard College (being from Boston you must know where that is – across the river, like Algiers), and Tulane Law School where I was one of the Editors of the Law Review. So let me say that my command of orthography has been generally admired.

Now, I will cop to being an atrocious typist, and I did detect a few typos in my LWV posting, but certainly nothing to merit your sobriquet of 'atrocious speller'. I do challenge you to try and fill out (on a deadline) one of these computer forms while wrestling with an unruly computer.

Seriously though, I deeply desire to represent House District 95, and I would appreciate your linking through to my website www.electparker.com just as you have for my colleagues. If you truly care about New Orleans, grapple seriously with the ideas of those who have spent their time, effort and money to stand before the public.

I've lived my entire life here, even through the storm. I noticed that you went to Alice Harte When I was growing up in Aurora, the land the school is built on used to be George Lackinac's cow pasture and I used to ride his horses there. Since then, I've practiced law, produced movies, caught criminals (well, one), climbed mountains and cleared debris after the storm and I've lived in loved, and worked on my neighborhood for forty years. Whatever your views on my spelling are, I think my ideas about the city deserve your serious consideration. Do email me on the website – I'd love to hear from you.

Hey, at least I didn't accuse you of being a Black Lectroid from the Planet 10 like Ashley did.

I appreciate the sense of humor about my admittedly dismissive post, and I've added a link to your campaign site.

Cow pasture, huh? Wow, and I thought I was old because I remember back before Harte had air conditioning.

I gather from your web site you've been to Philmont. I went in '79, hiked the full South-to-North trek including side-hikes to the Tooth and up Baldie. Sometimes I wish I remembered where my belt was, and sometimes I'm glad I don't have that reminder of how much weight I've gained, but I've still got the boots with the brands on them.

Hi Ray - You caught me off guard again when you mentioned Philmont - I didn't think I had mentioned it, but I went back to the website again and understood what you were picking up on. I did go to Philmont in '55 and in '56 for the JLT trek (and yes I did scramble up the Tooth - I might still have the little scrap of surveyor's flag that I tore off at the top) And I do have my belt somewhere, and it almost fits. After this campaign it might really fit - I've been working intersections uptown morning and evening, passing out cups and fliers to folks, When the light changes, you scramble from one side of the intersection to the other, so I can now claim that I have put the run back into running for office.
The climbs mentioned in the website were Wheeler Peak above Taos in New Mexico and Elbert in Colorado. I climbed both of these with Venture Scouts from my sons' Venture Crew 48 at St Andrews on Carrolton. Nothing technical on either one, but great climbs anyway. I really am a hard-core mountain freak, but the gumbo up there is lousy, so I hang on with my obsession for this place.
It won't take you long to figure out that I'm the oldest guy in this race, but I think I still have a bit of juice left in me. In 2003, at the age of 63 I ran the full Mardi Gras Marathon. My time wasn't too special, but I can say, that out of the entire city of New Orleans, I was the fastest guy in my age category. However in the interest of full disclosure, I do have to tell you that I was also the slowest in my age category. That's life on the frontier. Keep the pot boiling - Jack Parker