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OPEN in 2020
In 2020+ OPEN is committed to a new public education advocacy that centers the experiences of those marginalized within and by the public education system- namely Black, brown, special needs, LGBTQIA+ and low-income students, families and their advocates- and reimagines a new world rooted in respect, love and justice for them. Our programs and advocacy will focus on policies and practices that create just and free learning communities both within and outside of traditional school walls...If you are about this kind of work we’d love to shape the events and programs with you that will support children, families and communities in New Orleans in getting their best education and living their best lives."
We have something planned for each part of the year. If you’d like to join us as a steering committee member to bring this vision to life let me know at nahliah@opennola.org and let’s build together.
SPRING
In the spring we host the Policy Breakfast where our lived experiences are connected to the state legislature. At this event the community understands the state level policies that impact their school experiences and critically reflect with policymakers and community stakeholders about how the system is working, what’s on the menu and who is at the table.
FALL
Our annual fall event- Public Education Week- supports parents, students and other community stakeholders in understanding, navigating and advocating within the public education system through information, training and community building. It’s an opportunity to understand the state of the public education system and critically reflect on quality, access and equal protections.
WINTER
A revised OPEAs is making a comeback. One thing we often hear is that “good things are happening across schools” irrespective of their letter grade. And we believe this based on conversations with teachers, students and parents. This winter we want to identify and highlight best equity practices in schools at an event based on recognition and acknowledgment of who and what is working well with our children and in the spirit of sharing best practices throughout the education community.
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New Year, New Voices- Join the OPEN newsletter, blog and podcast in 2020!
OPEN distributes a weekly newsletter to over 2500 parents, educators, activists and community members who want to advance equity and justice in our public school system and our reach is growing! Join our newsletter in 2020 by submitting your events, meetings, job postings, trainings or announcements that help our community stay connected to public education, support students and families and increase transparency and accountability of our public systems.
Please submit the event information (including any deadlines), your contact information and any images to Teri@opennola.org by the Friday before the week you want to be featured. Events, meetings, announcements and trainings may be submitted up to 4 weeks in advance of the event date. Job postings will be featured for 4 weeks.
Got even more to say? Then write for the OPEN blog! The real news is in the community and we want to share the diverse perspectives, experiences and solutions from those most impacted in the public education system and those working hard to confront and dismantle oppressive policy and systems and build liberatory alternatives. We are seeking contributors to expand our thinking about racial and wealth equity, justice, accountability and transparency and radical imagining in public education and policy in New Orleans.
Writers may be:
- Students (6th- 12th grade)
- Teachers (Early childhood- 12th grade)
- Parents
- Community Advocates
- Education Activists
- Service Providers (who offer a service to increase equity, access and justice to students and families)
Submit your blog ideas to nahliah@opennola.org and let’s get your voice heard!
Rather talk it out?
Then join us on our podcast OPEN Conversations- a platform for the community to say what’s on their minds and engage in real talk about public education in New Orleans. Sit down with us and share your stories, concerns, insights, data and solutions. In 2020 we will host regular conversations where the community can shape the narrative about the education system and its real impact on Black, brown, exceptional and low-income students and communities. Submit your topic idea to nahliah@opennola.org and we’ll be in touch to set up a conversation.
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OPSB Meeting Schedule
Don't let policy changes come as a surprise! Stay up to date with decisions and events in Orleans Parish Schools at Orleans Parish School Board meetings.
- February 2020: Committee Meeting, February 11 /Board Business, February 11
- March 2020: Committee Meeting, March 17 /Board Business, February 19
Did you know? The full 2020 Meeting Schedule, guidelines for public comment, and agendas are available online!
Can't make it to the meeting? Tune in via livestream!
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New Orleans' cyberattack problems spread to school district, other taxing authorities
The Orleans Parish School Board may have to take out a loan to cover operating expenses while it waits for the city to collect and distribute property tax receipts — something that hasn't happened yet because of last month's cyberattack on City Hall, officials said. Read the full article here.
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Appeals court denies Kennedy HS operator's request to be taken out of graduation scandal lawsuit
A panel of three state court of appeals judges denied the New Beginnings Schools Foundation’s request to review a lower court judge’s decision that kept the charter group as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by several students affected by the John F. Kennedy High School graduation scandal last spring. Read the full article here.
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Initial district reviews of HS student credits detail array of issues
The NOLA Public School district’s debut of high school transcript reviews — a citywide project begun after John F. Kennedy High School’s 2019 graduation scandal — show a range of issues with high school students’ records, according to an initial round of reports at eight high schools obtained by The Lens. Read the full article here.
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As New Orleans faces teacher crisis, district proposes spending $7 million on recruitment
With a major federal grant for K-12 teacher training programs set to expire in June, an Orleans Parish School Board committee on Tuesday approved a plan to invest about $7 million of the board's money over the next three years to help local universities groom young teachers for jobs in the city's public schools. Read the full article here.
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13 Orleans charter organizations still using buses that don't meet safety standards, district says
A week after Orleans Parish school officials gave the city's charter schools an ultimatum over bus safety, Superintendent Henderson Lewis' office said Wednesday that 13 charter school operators — more than a third of the charter organizations authorized by the district — are still using buses without proper city inspection permits. Read the full article here.
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John White, Louisiana's Supt. of Education, is leaving his post, BESE president and others say
State Superintendent of Education John White is resigning his post, the president of Louisiana's top school board and others said Wednesday. Read the full story here.
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Recommendations for reducing racial bias in the juvenile justice system
A new Child Trends brief discusses the role of risk and needs assessments in the juvenile justice system, how racial bias may affect the accuracy of these assessments, and what steps stakeholders can take to address these shortcomings. Risk and needs assessments are used in the juvenile justice system to make decisions related to pretrial detention of youth, re-entry planning, and more. Read the full article here.
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It's One of the Most Fraught Words in Education. What Does It Mean?
What do we really mean when we talk about school “segregation” in 2020?
Six decades after Brown v. Board of Education ruled segregation by race in public schools unconstitutional, the word retains a punch that can shake a political campaign or turn a school board chamber into a battleground. Read the full article here.
But is everybody speaking the same language?
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Face It, School Governance Is a Mess
In order to dodge the inevitable class and race wars, state politicians have almost completely backed off consolidating any of our nation’s 13,000 school districts, many of them financially strapped and either overcrowded or losing students. Read the full article here.
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LGBTQ Teachers Await Decision on Discrimination Protections
LGBTQ teachers are waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the federal civil rights law guarantees them nationwide protection from workplace discrimination. Read the full article here.
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Who's to Blame for the Black-White Achievement Gap?
That disparity may not be the fault of individual teachers—but it’s someone’s fault. We are concentrating students who may already have the least, into school districts that have less money to support them. And instead of trying to make the system fairer, it’s actually getting worse, as a growing number of affluent communities work to form their own school districts, effectively keeping their resources for themselves. Read the full article here
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Why aren’t our teachers as diverse as their students?
Diversity is growing among students in most U.S. schools, but not among teachers, The Washington Post reports. Only one-tenth of 1 percent of Latino students attend a school system where the portion of Latino teachers equals or exceeds the percentage of Latino students, according to the Post’s analysis. For black students, that figure is 7 percent, while for white children, it’s nearly 100%, the newspaper reported. Read the full story here.
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More US schools teach in English and Spanish, but not enough to help Latino kids
Roughly 3.8 million students in U.S. schools are native Spanish-speakers who are not proficient in English. They make up the bulk of the approximately 5 million students nationwide identified as English language learners, the fastest-growing demographic in schools – and the lowest-performing, as judged by achievement tests and graduation rates. Language experts recommend how to improve those outcomes: More high-quality, long-term dual-language programs can close the achievement gap in literacy between English learners and native English speakers after five to six years, according to research. Read the full story here.
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Interactive map explores link between educational opportunity and life expectancy
A new interactive map from Child Trends allows users to explore the link between life expectancy and high school educational opportunity for teenagers in neighborhoods across the United States.
Life expectancy varies dramatically across neighborhoods in the United States: While teenagers in neighborhoods with the longest life expectancies can expect to live to age 91, teenagers in neighborhoods with the lowest life expectancy should expect to live just to age 70, on average. Read the full article here.
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K-12 Development Workshops: Call for Facilitators
The New Orleans Arts Education Alliance offers professional development workshops open to all K-12 educators and teaching artists, to ensure their students have access to high-quality arts education. Through an education grant from the GPOA Foundation, we are adding new workshops to our 2020 schedule. We are looking for local facilitators with expertise in diverse art forms to lead workshops for teachers and administrators.
Needed topics include:
- Curriculum, instruction and assessment for Visual Arts, Theater and Creative Writing
- Culturally relevant arts education
- Support for administrators and principals to create an arts-rich school culture
Please click here to submit your workshop proposals by February 10.
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FFLIC Stand In Love Campaign
Share love & support youth in Louisiana who are locked in prison away from family and friends on this annual day of love. Make a card, grab a pre-made card from the store, or print out a pre-made card! Please add a simple message like "we are thinking of you" and include your first name only, your city and your state. Call Gina at 504.708.8376 to arrange a pick up, or mail your card(s) by February 10, 2020 to the FFLIC office.
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Save the Date: NORD Presents Inaugural Special Needs Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball
On Saturday, Feb.8, 2020, the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission will host its inaugural Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball for those with special needs. Led by the NORD Multi-Programs Division, the Masquerade Ball is free and open to all ages. The Ball will take place at Joe W. Brown Recreation Center, 5601 Read Blvd., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on the Special Needs Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, please call NORD at (504) 658-3049.
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Why does the 2020 Census Matter?
If our state and communities aren’t accurately counted
we lose power, money, and resources. An accurate 2020 Census count is necessary for ensuring that Louisiana receives the federal resources we need to expand critical federal programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and funding for our schools.
Watch HERE for a video about how representation affects the Census! To learn more information about the Census contact Janea Jamison at
(504) 612-1513 or jjamison@powercoalition.org
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NOPL Black History Month Poster Design Contest
Calling all student artists! Enter New Orleans Public Library Poster Design Contest! Winning posters will be displayed at all 15 Library locations. For more information on how you can enter click here.
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Orleans Parish Appreciation Days 2020
Every Wednesday, Orleans Parish residents with one proof of residency will get free admission with up to four guests to Audubon attractions. The Appreciation Days will rotate each week from the Aquarium, Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Zoo, and Planetarium (Louisiana Nature Center). See 2020 Orleans Parish Appreciation Days here.
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