Voter Tool Shows Which Candidates Pledge to Support Platform for Excellence and Equity
Forward New Orleans for Public Schools (FNOPS) has released a scorecard showing which of the candidates for Orleans Parish School Board pledged to support the group’s platform ahead of the Nov. 3 election. FNOPS—a diverse coalition of more than 20 civic, business, and neighborhood organizations committed to increasing the number of quality public school options and ensuring equal access to quality education citywide—worked together to develop the platform, which is intended to guide School Board members in accomplishing these goals.
In connection with the platform’s release in July, FNOPS interviewed candidates and sought a pledge from each to implement the platform’s action items. Both the platform and scorecard can be viewed at fnops.org.
Click to view full scorecard
The platform establishes issues the coalition defines as most important to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for New Orleans public school students:
- Racial equity evaluation, planning and training;
- COVID-19 and emergency planning;
- System-wide strategic planning and stakeholder engagement;
- Expansion and replication of successful schools;
- Ensuring all students have equitable access to resources;
- School standards and accountability;
- Resource management; and
- Collaboration on best practices.
“We are very pleased the overwhelming majority of candidates support the platform,” said Kelisha Garrett, Executive Director of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, a FNOPS member organization. “The platform represents a consensus among advocacy organizations around policies and ideas that support all students, and the scorecard of candidates who pledge to support the platform is a useful tool for voters to consider when deciding how they will cast their ballots. This unique focus ensures that the voices of our collective organizations are included and presented to those that will have the responsibility to implement the mandates and work hand in hand as we create the educational experience our students deserve.”
The candidates who pledged to support the FNOPS 2020 School Board Elections Platform are:
District 1: John A. Brown and Patrice Sentino
District 2: Ethan Ashley, Asya M. Howlette, Eric Jones, and Chanel M. Payne
District 3: Philip C. “Phil” Brickman and Olin Parker
District 4: Leslie Ellison and Jancarlo “J.C.” Romero
District 5: Katherine Baudouin, Grisela Jackson, and Antoinette Williams
District 6: Erica Martinez and Carlos L. Zervigon
District 7: Nolan Marshall Jr. and Jamar Wilson
The following candidates either declined or did not respond to requests to interview with FNOPS:
• Aldine Lockett, District 2
• Winston “Boom” Whitten Jr., District 4
• David Alvarez, District 6
• Kayonna K. Armstrong, District 7
After the election, FNOPS will hold School Board members accountable by monitoring and encouraging their performance and periodically reporting on their progress towards completing the platform’s action items. This process is intended to keep the community engaged and active in holding elected officials accountable for the actions to which they have committed.
EXPLORE THE PLATFORM
Forward New Orleans for Public Schools includes: Agenda for Children, Alliance for Diversity and Excellence, Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, Ed Navigator, Education Reform Now LA, Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, Kingsley House, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, New Orleans & Co., New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, New Schools for New Orleans, Public School Advocates, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Urban League of Louisiana, Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training, and Young Leadership Council.
[This is a sponsored post paid for by FNOPS. NOLA Messenger does not endorse political candidates for office.]
