Without enough members present to take a vote, the board of directors of Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans made a brief announcement Monday night that the school intends to move forward with adding a second grade and deferred further action to next month’s meeting.
Louisiana open-meetings law requires “a number of members in excess of one half of the public body’s total membership” in order for a board to hold a meeting, which would be five of LFNO’s eight board members. Only four members — board president Jean Montes, Kenneth Charity, Catherine MacPhaille and Paige Saleun — showed up for Monday’s special meeting called to ratify the decision to add a second grade, so the meeting was not convened.
Instead, Montes announced that the school has received state approval to add a second grade next year, and that a lottery was held for it last week. No vote by the board is necessary at this point, Montes said — the meeting planned for Monday night had simply been intended to make the move official in public.
The second item on the board’s agenda will need a binding vote, adding school director Jean-Jacques Grandiere as a nonvoting member of the board. Montes said the idea there is simply to include his experience in the school’s operations and his expertise to the board’s discussions. That issue, Montes said, will be added to next month’s regular meeting agenda.
No members of the public were present at the meeting.
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I know that the policy and practice of the state was not to issue an expansion of a charter school unless the school had been up and running successfully for two years. It is apparent that the new state superintendent, John White, knows better than those professionals who preceded him. Although the aforementioned policy and practice was not in law, it was the policy and practice used by the state department of education, and is generally regarded by state officials as kin to state law. How can anyone judge a school six months into its infancy? Any test scores? Seems suspicious to me, but perhaps John White was not privy to the background information that he needed to recommend LFNO’s expansion to BESE. He might regret the quick decision he made when the whole story comes out; could prove embarrassing to him.
Thank you for your comments,
BESE was very well aware of the complaints coming in about this school. The stock answer to the complaints were that they were petty. Erin Bendaly seems to be this school’s best friend, but she is not in the office of parental options anymore. You are completely correct and very impressive with your comments and insight. Jump on board, The only people over seeing this school are those complaining to BESE to do their job.
I may have responded before, but can’t seem find it.
Joyous,
You are Correct and impressive. Your comments leave me speechlees in a good way. BESE DID know about the problems that could occur with this expansion.They were told numerous times. The reply from Erin Bendaly ( who is now not in the office of parental options) was that the constant complaints were petty. Over site is non existant and this LFNO board knows this and takes advantage of the situation. Hope you become one of the many begging for oversite.
AMEN!!!
Kally–you are correct with BESE!
I have form letter after form letter from BESE that clearly says all of my concerns are petty.
How weird–I guess they have used it for everyone. I, too heard back from Erin Bendaly but also Raphael Gang. It is very upsetting how this charter has been handled from the beginning–the racial makeup is horrible and unacceptable for any public school(in fact most private schools in NOLA are more diverse than LFNO), where is the haitian at-risk population that they write about in their charter, for that matter the at-risk population in general, again opening a school with no building and kicking out two thriving existing schools, etc. I find it interesting and do believe it speaks volumes that the head of the board and principal have left mid school year! Also, what message does it send that on a voting matter as important of adding a second grade–the board can’t show up to vote! SERIOUSLY! I have been an educator and sit on several boards for years-to me this does not pass the smell test.
On another note my wife went to school with Kally of graduating class 74–I wonder if you two were once friends?
Louie – regarding your comment about the racial makeup of the school: seriously? This school is in its first year of operation; not even completed its first year. How can you be so critical and negative? I am a parent at the school and I am very happy with the school and from this year’s open houses that I’ve attended, I’ve seen a lot more of a diverse population that is interested in the school for next year. I think it’s hard and not fair to judge the school’s population when they haven’t completed their first year.
Instead of being a negative nelly and since you seem so concerned about the school’s diversity, have you volunteered to help do outreach? Did you volunteer to help pass out open house fliers when they had their 3 open houses? Did you volunteer to help parents who have trouble reading to fill out applications for their children?
What have you done to HELP besides all the obvious complaining you’ve been doing since you said you’ve received, “form letter after form letter from BESE?”
I am so sick and tired of all this complaining about Lycee Francais and all the negative comments and haters. There has to be an underlying issue going on here.
I would love for all the negative commenters to get up in front of the 130 innocent faces of the children of Lycee Francais and tell them, to their faces, that they would like to see their school closed.
Will that make you feel good about yourselves?
Right on, Mary. Couldn’t agree with you more.
I don’t see where anyone is trying to close the school. I think the main main goal is to ensure that the board is behaving is an ethical and legal way, which, based on prior replies to the other articles, seems to not be the case.
Actually Mary–part of my job is meeting with preschools and head start programs administrations and educating them on all the varies options for their graduating students. Yes–I have brought them information about your school –but also about others. Yes, I have helped with the application process. Yes, I have attended many open houses and education fairs. I am lucky because my job is my passion. You have great points about helping but you are barking up the wrong tree with me. Education is my passion. I am excited that you feel LFNO is becoming more diverse–you are correct that in time this will happen–but other start up schools have a plan in place and market on TV, magazines, news papers months before opening up. LFNO did not do any of this beforehand and only those in the know knew to apply. I have read nowhere about demanding LFNO to close it’s doors–just to follow the rules–like you said this is for the innocent children but also the parents who are entrusting LFNO to play by the rules, to be honest, etc. I believe one should never complain unless they are willing to volunteer/work to improve the situation. LFNO is lucky to have you as a parent. Best of luck.
The Enrollment Practices of New Orleans Charter Schools:
Intended and Unintended Consequences
Dr. Raynard Sanders
Karran Harper-Royal
Over the years opponents of charter schools and voucher programs have cited numerous
concerns and the adverse consequences of such programs in offering a quality education for all
children. One of the most feared concerns is that charter schools and voucher programs can be
used to limit student access to particular schools based on race, class or ethnic group. Almost 60
years ago the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Brown vs Board of Education that Separate but
Equal was unconstitutional and ordered the integration of all public schools. Given the
autonomy and lack of oversight of charter schools in New Orleans it appears that it is quite easy
to ignore the ruling in the Brown Case. Have we gone back in time?
In December 2011 the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)
approved the charter for a new French Immersion School intended to serve the greater New
Orleans area. French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which a child who does not
speak French as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French. In most
French-immersion schools, children will learn to speak French and learn subjects such as history,
geography and science in French. French Immersion Schools generally cater to a relative small
population of families, there were two such schools in New Orleans. In most cities there is only
one French Immersion School due to the limited interest of the population. The Lycee Francais
de la Nouvelle Orleans (Lycee Francais) has now been open for almost an entire school year. In
its infancy it has managed to give a black eye to the already tenuous charter school movement
governed by the BESE Board and sponsored by the state of Louisiana.
Lycee Francais entered the charter school “scene” under the radar using word of mouth,
Facebook and other social networking methods to recruit children for their inaugural school year.
It is not surprising, given the under the radar application process, that the racial make-up of this
very special Uptown French charter school is only 16.98 % minority and 7.55% African
American. It is even more alarming to note that this school has absolutely no children who
qualify for free or reduced lunch. Additionally, this was unusual given the marketing practices
of other charter schools that utilize billboards, bus stop boards, radio and TV to solicit students.
Based on Lycee Francais’ original charter application, BESE promised the school $600,000
($200,000 for a 3 year period) in federal “start-up” funding which is intended for open
enrollment schools that do not have selective admissions. However, Lycee Francais’ original
charter specifically included a tuition only pre-kindergarten that would “feed” the non-tuition
paying kindergartens. The charter also required French proficiency for any child to enter first
grade. Lycee Francais was allowed to open, recruit and promote pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten age children (and later children entering first grade) based on these two original
requirements that almost guaranteed that the Lycee Francais would remain predominately white
and wealthy.
Lets fast forward to October of 2011, when lip service was given to the idea of a new lottery for
kindergarten that would eliminate the issue of tuition paying students automatically receiving a
space in the “public” kindergarten. The tuition paying pre-k students were told additional
kindergarten classes would be opened to accommodate all of them if necessary. The “open
lottery” never happened. Lycee Francais merely moved their application period to January 2012
and then back to December 2011 (a short school month) with very little notice. This was a
clever move that again promised an applicant pool small enough to avoid a lottery thus
guaranteeing the predominately white and affluent tuition-paying students a place in the
program.
In keeping with natural matriculation, current kindergarteners would feed into the newly opened
first grade and new applications for first grade were accepted with the French proficiency
requirement still firmly in place in the school’s charter. Posed with the threat of losing (or not
receiving) the federal start-up funding, Lycee Francais requested that BESE allow them to
remove the French proficiency requirement from their charter. But, by removing this
requirement the school in essence is not by definition a French Immersion School. It is
noteworthy that this request was made to BESE and subsequently approved only a couple of
weeks after Lycee Francais’ shell game of an application period closed. A move, yet again,
impeccably timed to keep Lycee Francais’ current racial and socio economic make up safe.
After initiating a coup with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to displace Milestone Sabis
Academy (a charter school with 98.99% minority children, 94.68% black children, and 97.2%
“At-Risk children”), Lycee Francais is now occupying one of the few viable school buildings in
Uptown New Orleans with BESE’s blessing. Habitable school buildings in New Orleans are in
high demand. The Milestone Sabis Academy will have to struggle to find a new place for their
student body.
So, now we have a new charter school receiving federal start-up funding, because they have
revised their charter to indicate they are “open enrollment.” However, in practice it will only be
possible for Lycee Francais to be an “open enrollment” school if it revises its current French
immersion curriculum to include an English-speaking component. Furthermore, revising the
current curriculum and then re-opening its application period so the school can legitimately be
“open enrollment” is the only way the school will be able to cure its pressing diversity issues.
Next year this exclusive new school will take up residence in a prime school building in Uptown
New Orleans. The charter of Lycee Francais states that outreach to the Haitian community will
serve as a vehicle to attract an “at-risk” population, but where are the “at-risk” Haitian children?
The charter further commits to pay for a French Teacher for McMillan’s First Steps, an effort that
would have presumably assisted with racial diversity. But, where are the black children? Where
are the poor children?
Latest Census results indicate that New Orleans’ population is approximately 60% black. 42%
of New Orleans’ children live in poverty. If the goal of the charter school movement is to serve
the communities in which the schools are located, why are there so few black children at Lycee
Francais? Why are there no poor children at Lycee Francais? Where is the outrage?
It is clearly obvious the Lycee Francais has manipulated its enrollment practices with BESE
approval to basically insure a white student population, which is not representative of New
Orleans. In 2012 we have a public school using public funds that operates an enrollment system
that eliminates equal access for all children. This school has more or less secretly solicited
students, established a tuition paid feeder pre-K program that guarantees enrollment into
kindergarten each year. This can only happen in an unaccountable school system with no
oversight by BESE and the Recovery School District.
In this charter school craze it is apparent that we have overlooked some critical issues around the
relationship of charter schools and government. First we must realize when a charter school
opens it has a contractual agreement with the government just like any other public service that
government contracts out to private vendors. The contracting of a public service is done for two
reasons; cost savings and efficiency. In establishing such contracts the government establishes
the ground rules for the execution of the contract and monitors the work of the contractors once
the contract is executed. With that, charter schools are contractors just like any other contractor
hired by government to perform a government service. Ironically in the establishment of charter
schools we have not established the necessary ground rules or monitored the execution of the
contract. Lycee Francais charter school is the perfect example. This is evident by the following:
• Why would BESE approve a French Immersion School when two schools already
existed in New Orleans? Just a little research would have told them that two schools
was more than adequate to serve the population. Additionally, there are many other
educational needs dying to be served in New Orleans.
• Why would BESE allow this school to have a tuition paid pre- kindergarten program
with “guaranteed” admission into an open enrollment school. To have such a practice
is clearly allowing schools using public funds to openly practice class discrimination.
• Given the large number of charter schools in New Orleans and the unquestionable
autonomy awarded to them, it is extremely important that we have a robust
monitoring system. With just a little monitoring state officials would have noticed
the smoke and mirror illusion of the advertising strategy and enrollment practices at
Lycee Francias. This really makes you wonder what kind of enrollment practices are
going on at the other charter schools in New Orleans.
The purpose of reforming the public school district post Hurricane Katrina was to improve the
learning environment for the thousands of students suffering in “failing schools”. In its recent
assessment, the Louisiana State Department of Education ranked the Recovery School District
(charter and non charter schools) academically 69th out of 70 school districts in Louisiana.
Despite the billions of dollars, despite all of the media spin, and despite claims from state
education officials, the education reforms in New Orleans have failed.
As state and local proponents of the privatization of public education proudly claim success, the
realities are that in addition to the reforms failing our children academically we have gone back
in time to system that produced some scary consequences. The privatization of public education
in New Orleans has created an environment where a charter school, managed by a private board
and using public funds, can circumvent federal, state and local policy and admit students based
on race and class. This situation raises a pressing question that in many ways explains the
unfounded success being touted by state education officials.
Are the enrollment practices of charter schools that admit students based on race and class an
intended or unintended consequence of the education reforms?
Dr. Raynard Sanders is an education consultant and host of The New Orleans Imperative, a
weekly radio show that focuses on public education for more info please visit
http://www.theneworleansimperative.org.
Karran Harper-Royal is long time education activist and founding members of Parents Across
America for more info please visit http://www.edutalknola.com.
.
Louie – While I appreciate the article that was cut and pasted for all to read in this forum, what information this article is lacking is that this school is a Type II charter. And the comments I am including are of my understanding being that I have a child currently enrolled in this school and have read all the positive and negative articles about our practices and what is being perceived by the public. I have also had several conversations with board members for this school, not only the founding members but also the current ones.
Type II charters allows all students from Louisiana to attend this school. I say this because I myself is a resident of Jefferson Parish. I am not rich. I am not in “the it crowd”. I pay my bills and my husband and I work to have a comfortable life for our children and ourselves. By this article are you begrudging me the opportunity to pursue an education for my child that we cannot obtain from JPPSS? Why should little Sally with only has 1 parent that lives on assistance have any better right to an education as my child because both of her parents work and don’t need assistance? In that nature, I don’t feel like my child has any better right than any other to have a education that Lycee is offering to us. I feel that all students should benefit from this type of education and I welcome it. It just seems to me that when you start pushing papers and looking at dollar figures, people forget that the kids are the ones benefiting from this type of program.
In 2006, my grandmother-in-law passed away, and she was the last French speaking member of our family with whom we had daily contact. As the final months approached before she left us, she reverted back to her original language of French and we were not able to understand what she needed and wanted. This was very hard on a family considering how much speaking French meant to her, her late husband, brother and sisters, and other family members of her generation. But because of the times, the French language was not promoted by the school systems and at worst was not allowed. We basically lost a form of communication that had been in our family for generations.
Now we have an opportunity to bring this language back into our home and our extended families. Our daughter brings home school work, songs, drawings and assignments, our whole family becomes involved. We use the curriculum and learning tools that her teacher sends home to help our family learn about colors, animals, types of food, and general words that we never would have looked into otherwise.
I also grew up in the Vermillion & Acadia Parish area where my friends’ parents and grandparents would speak French in front of us but we weren’t taught the language correctly to use in a world that is ever evolving and where knowing a foreign language can be beneficial, not only in a global market, but also in a society that should still embrace the language of our heritage and culture.
I truly believe that what we are bringing to our family is not only an opportunity to learn something that will bring us closer, but it will also help my children to become more rounded students. This will then lead them to become more productive and successful & voting citizens.
So while you are griping about what seems to be behind the door deals and shady operations of this school, why not praise what it is offering. I’m sure you are going to pounce on the comments that I am from JPPSS and why not attend their programs. Well I have and was also part of the parents that fought to save the program due to funding issues. But after I found out about this school from the TP newspaper, applied and was accepted, I struggled about leaving a school system that my other child still attends and I’m very active in. We chose Lycee because of the passion the board members had for growing this school and providing an education that was important to us, while all the JPPSS could offer us was 1 more year with funding still being in question for 2012-2013. The ISL decision was only a recent development so please don’t bring this into the argument.
The article mentions the advertisement for this school to be lacking. What advertisement do the other schools that offer immersion use? I don’t see signs on the street saying there’s enrollment openings. Where are these billboard signs that are being asked for? I know Lycee had several open houses during and up to registration (that was delayed until January because BESE required it of our school) where 150-300 people would attend at a time. What type of turnout does Hynes and/or Audubon have? Wouldn’t this negate the comment that Orleans area lacks the demand for immersion schools? With that being said you throw the other Type II charter in the mix for Orleans & then Type I in Jefferson, obviously the need is there.
I’m going to end my comments here because I’m having problems going back and forth to make sure I’m hitting all the points made above. I see your comment about being passionate about education and I appreciate that. Anyone that can be in the trenches everyday gets my respect. But I also hope that you can respect my decision to see this as an education choice not an elitist choice. And I believe that anyone that chooses immersion as a way to further their child’s education is doing it for them to learn something that isn’t being offered by our public school systems, at least not in the way that Lycee does it as full immersion. You are stating articles and comments that are reflective of the makeup of the school. Do you feel that what is being offered as the curriculum is not beneficial to any student that attend? What exactly are you against? I wish the state would recognize what immersion brings to the table when educating our students. Quality education is unbiased. If you expect children to succeed, give them the tools to succeed and provide a system for them to succeed in – then low and behold they will succeed! It shouldn’t matter where kids lay their heads every night or if they can get a free or reduced lunch during the day.