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#100 | September 9, 2020
OPEN's weekly newsletter sends you events, updates and developments from the #nolaed landscape. Got an event, program, or job description that supports equity and accountability? Send a request with your information and graphics to teri@opennola.org.

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TOP STORY

OPEN Conversations Podcast

Hear from youth, educators, advocates, and activists on the OPEN Conversations Podcast!  We're discussing equity, policy, and educational freedom starting with conversations from the Juneteenth event #BlackEducationMatters! Click the link below to tune in!
OPEN Conversations Podcast

Recruitment for OPEN Board of Directors

OPEN is seeking community members to steer the organization forward in advocating for justice and equity in education for Black children. We are seeking passionate community members who espouse the values of community agency and leadership in the education of their children and securing liberating educational spaces and opportunities for Black children within and outside of public schools. Read more here and if this describes you send a bio and letter of interest to nahliah@opennola.org

OPEN Board of Directors
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Take Action
Due to COVID-19 there is a shortage of Election Workers for the November and December 2020 Elections. To learn more about how you can protect the vote and the integrity of elections, click here.

NOLA Public Schools Virtual Meetings

NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Lewis' contract renewed an extra year, some charters are approved, others won't get started. Check out the meeting documents here.
NOLA Public Schools will hold the following  meetings in the month of September
  • Committee Meeting, September 15
  • Board Meeting, September 17 
The public may participate via Zoom video conference. 
Click the link below for information on live stream and/or teleconference. 
Upcoming Committee and Board Meetings
In the Landscape

Local

Schools forge ahead with reopening, but watching data closely after Labor Day crowds

District leaders and educators say they are watching the data closely and will make adjustments as needed, but the district’s phased reopening that starts with returning pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students to classrooms between Sept. 14 and Sept. 25 is still on track. Older students may start to return to class in mid-October if health data supports the move. Read the full story here.
 

Louisiana Awarded $42 Million Federal Grant from US Department of Education to Improve Literacy Outcomes

The Louisiana Department of Education has been awarded a $42 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Comprehensive Literacy State Development Program Grant (CLSD) will enhance literacy efforts for high-need students across the state. Read the full release here

Louisiana Reopens 2019-2020 P-EBT Applications For Families Who Did Not Apply in May and June

 Louisiana is giving families another opportunity to receive financial benefits from free and reduced-price school meals missed when schools closed in 2019-2020 due to the pandemic. Eligible families who did not apply for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program in May and June can take advantage of the second application window that opens for three weeks, beginning at 8 a.m. September 8. Read the full release here

'Community learning hubs' pop up to help kids with distance learning, but challenges persist

The initiative is one of many ways the city and some local charter school organizations are getting creative to help students who are most at risk of falling behind during virtual learning, including those in poverty and kids who are learning English for the first time as they attend class. Read the full story here.

How New Orleans school districts are preparing to take in students displaced by Hurricane Laura

It remains unclear exactly how many students will need to enroll in schools outside of Laura's destruction zone, and just how much support may be needed. School officials only learn that a student is displaced when the students shows up at a different school and enrolls. Read the full story here

National

'Children Are Going Hungry': Why Schools Are Struggling To Feed Students

In many districts, the majority of children who qualify for subsidized school meals aren't getting them — often because they can't get to them. And some districts said their meal-service budgets are being stretched so much by the pandemic that they could soon face cuts and layoffs. Read the full story here. 
 
Events & Job Opportunities

2020 Drive Thru School Supplies Giveaway

Mark your calendars for NORD Commission's Drive Thru School Supply Giveaway, Saturday, September 12. FREE and open to all while supplies last. Click here to see locations around the city. 
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