Lusher Charter School is at the forefront of the effort to develop new educational standards that will be implemented in public schools across the country over the next three years, officials said.
“It’s the largest movement that has come to schools since No Child Left Behind,” said Patty Glaser, the assistant Head of School at Lusher Charter School, introducing the concept during a meeting of the school’s governing board Saturday.
Unlike the unpopular No Child Left Behind law, the Common Core Standards are not a government initiative — they are a set of educational standards being developed collaboratively by educators and experts from across the country. The process has been endorsed by the White House, however, and some federal education grants will only be open to the states that have adopted the standards, which include Louisiana and 44 others so far.
The standards are meant to be broad, leaving most specific curriculum choices with local school districts. For example, the standards might dictate that elementary school children be as adept at reading nonfiction as they are with stories, but it would not tell teachers what texts the students should read — that decision is still left individual teachers, schools and communities, Glaser said.
The standards place a “much bigger emphasis on analysis and synthesis, less emphasis on recall,” Glaser said. She added,”It’s fewer standards to follow, but they are more rigorous. It will give teachers more decisions.”
Louisiana has taken a lead role in developing the standards, and Glaser is training to become a state specialist who will help other schools begin using them, as well as serving on a Tulane committee involved in the development of new PARCC standardized tests to replace Louisiana’s LEAP tests. The new curriculum will be introduced over the next three years, and during the phase-in period, a modified LEAP that’s more aligned to the common core standards will be used.
Lusher kindergarten classes — who have more freedom to experiment, since state testing does not begin until third grade — are already using the standards. The administration and faculty held a meeting about the change just before Thanksgiving, and teachers were responsive — even though it means that the standards and the tests are all changing, just as the state begins evaluating teachers based on their students’ scores.
“Our main message to them is, ‘You’re going to be well supported with this. We’re going to be right there with you,'” Glaser said.
After the meeting, Glaser (who laughingly referred to herself as a “curriculum nerd”) said that she is personally excited about the changes that the standards will bring.
“It’s a great curriculum, with good moves for the students, more related to deeper thinking,” Glaser said. “That’s what I I believe in. It’s the basis for really good instruction.”
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At their December meeting, the board also decided to cover the legal costs of an employee who was investigated for an allegation that was later deemed unfounded. The board met with attorney James Brown of Liskow and Lewis for more than 30 minutes in closed session over the issue, before re-opening the meeting to conclude the discussion.
Board president Blaine LeCesne declined to describe the allegation, but said it was referred to an external agency for investigation that later determined there was “no impropriety,” and that no action was necessary.
“Suffice it to say, it was determined to that no further investigation was warranted,” LeCesne said.
Because the claim was found to be baseless, LeCesne said the board has decided to reimburse the employee for the $1,462 in legal costs incurred during the investigation. If the allegation resurfaces and is found to be true, however, the employee will then be required to return the money back to the school.
The board also began considering adopting a conflict-of-interest policy and a whistleblower policy, and reviewed details for the new playground to be built in January at the elementary school campus. To read our live coverage of Saturday’s meeting, click “Replay” in the box below.
