Building New Narratives: New Orleans
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Amanda L. Aiken
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Audubon Charter School
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Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T)
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BE NOLA
- The BE NOLA Collective is an annual, application-based professional learning community of black-governed, black-led schools that receives capacity-building support from BE NOLA based on the five essential conditions for effective schools. BE NOLA Collective schools receive coaching and wrap-around support from black institutions and service providers throughout the year towards the goal of strengthening academic and operational quality and fostering the conditions for more strategic coordination and resource sharing.
- BE NOLA Black Education Summit champions black education and sustainable practices in our ever-evolving landscape by inviting master teachers, administrators, parents, scholars, activists and artists to gather together and dream a future for ourselves, children and community enriched by our unique contributions as black educators.
- Healing-Centered Talks, convened in partnership with black-led organizations around New Orleans, are community conversations with black educators, students, families and community members. These talks provide an opportunity to gather and share stories about our education experiences, deepen knowledge about the education environment and surface what we collectively desire as we look ahead. The goal with these conversations is to disrupt oversimplified education narratives and build awareness of opportunities for black education stakeholders to shape schooling practices in New Orleans.
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Edna Karr High School
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Whitney Henderson
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Dr. Rashida Govan
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100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, Inc.
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Henderson Lewis, Ph.D.
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Dr. Calvin Mackie
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Jamar McKneely
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Rooted School
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Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency Program
- According to the Cowen Institute’s 2018 annual report, “The State of Public Education in New Orleans,” for the past several years, Louisiana has experienced a decline in the total number of people earning teaching credentials.
- Reported by Tulane University, the rate of teachers leaving the teaching profession or leaving the city was as high as 25% annually.
- Another alarming fact: schools with high proportions of students of color are often concentrated in schools with less qualified teachers.
- Evidence of systemic bias in teacher expectation exists. Non-black teachers were found to have lower expectations of black students than black teachers.
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Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary Charter School
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Pre-Law Program
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Christy Swauncy
Amanda L. Aiken
Amanda L. Aiken is the principal consultant of A. Leigh Solutions, LLC, an educational consulting group that provides support to districts, CMOs, philanthropy, non-profits and government entities who serve or impact children and families. A. Leigh Solutions, LLC, specializes in district and organizational strategy, community engagement, talent development and trauma-informed practices. Aiken is also a doctoral student at Harvard University in the doctorate of educational leadership program, cohort 11.
Most recently, Aiken served as the senior chief and schools officer for NOLA Public Schools. This was a critical role for a district that recently regained oversight and regulation from state control. She also served as chief external affairs officer for NOLA Public Schools.
Prior to her work on the district level, Aiken worked for the New Orleans College Prep Charter Management Organization in numerous roles including senior director of schools, resident principal, and most notably she served as the turnaround principal for Lawrence D. Crocker College Prep.
She started her career as a fourth grade teacher in Gwinnett County, Georgia. In addition to her work on the Pre-K to 12th grade level, Aiken is an adjunct professor with Relay Graduate School of Education and served as an internship coach with the Summer Principals’ Academy of Teachers College, Columbia University.
An active member of the New Orleans community, Aiken is a member of The Crescent City Chapter of The Links, Inc., The Alpha Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and is a board member for the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute. She has received numerous awards for her work in education and was featured as one of Spelman College’s inaugural “40 Under 40 Alumnae” in The Spelman Messenger.
Aiken has a bachelor’s degree in child development from Spelman College (Phi Beta Kappa Summa Cum Laude), and a master’s degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.
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Audubon Charter School
The Audubon Charter School in New Orleans, LA, is not the city’s newest school; however, their Gentilly Terrace Campus is one of the newest. The PK-8 school planned to open at the beginning of the 2018 school year, and it did just that. In 2018, the school received nearly 1,200 applications via the state’s OneApp system. Because of the school’s size and capacity, they could only accept 171 students to the Montessori school.
Says the school’s principal, David LaViscount, “The numbers of applicants not only say a great deal about Audubon’s reputation within the community and support from community members; it also speaks to what the community wants and what the city of New Orleans needs to do next to increase opportunity for students—to have available seats for students.” Unlike the city’s top schools that are located in highly affluent neighborhoods, the Audubon Charter Gentilly campus provides access to quality education in a region of the city where there are no other A-rated elementary schools. >> Read More
Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T)
Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T) is a community-based organization that was founded to generate a pipeline of male teachers of color. Founded by Kristyna N. Jones and Larry J. Irving, the organization annually selects undergraduate fellows from across the Louisiana region to participate in a series of programs that prepare them for a career in education. BE2T intentionally sparks conversations with young men who may not particularly see themselves in the classroom teaching or think that they would excel at a career in education. In just five years, the fellowship program has grown from seven to over 40 participants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The organization also offers their Saturday Cipher Series, a series of workshops geared at professional and personal development around topics that are relevant to the black male experience. Subjects covered include: “What’s Your Mask? Identity and Stereotyping”; “Who’s The Man: Black Men and Masculinity”; and “Code Switching: Navigating Social Spaces with Increased Awareness.”
The fellows are also responsible for tutoring sessions that serve more than 200 high school students and 650 elementary students in city of New Orleans. Most recently, the organization was a recipient of both the PitchNola Community Solutions and 4.0 Schools Education Prize. The work of BE2T has helped close the achievement gap for at-risk students by inspiring and incentivizing more men of color to teach and mentor students.
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BE NOLA
BE NOLA is a black-led nonprofit supporting black educators and schools to ensure an education that creates better outcomes and opportunities for black children in New Orleans as a critical factor in building a thriving black community that is politically, economically and socially strong. The nonprofit provides the following programs:
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Edna Karr High School
Introducing Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, and its passionate high school band director, teacher Christopher Herrero! Under the umbrella of the InspireNOLA charter schools, Edna Karr has boasted an “A rating” from the Louisiana Department of Education for several consecutive years, despite the change in the state’s overall performance formula that went into effect in 2015. The school graduates 95% of its students and 68% of their graduates enroll in college—10 points higher than the state average.
While the school’s academic performance is stellar, its football team is perhaps one of the most talked about high school teams in the state—even in the nation.
>> Read More
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Whitney Henderson
Whitney Henderson is the Navigator-In-Chief at Ed Navigator. Ed Navigator is a nonprofit organization that helps busy families and students achieve their educational dreams. The organization’s mission is to empower every family in the United States with access to affordable, high-quality, on-demand support along the path to a great education, from before preschool to college and beyond. Families throughout New Orleans have access to Ed Navigator. Henderson is intentional about authentic community engagement and says that, “It’s time for parents to be treated as full partners in their children’s education, not taken for granted or pushed aside.”
With more than 10 years of education experience, Henderson began her career in education as a teacher and later became a school principal and instructional expert. In 2011, she was awarded the Fishman Prize, a $25,000 award given annually to just four teachers nationwide.
Henderson has a bachelor of arts degree in English and modern foreign languages from Jackson State University and a master of arts in organizational leadership from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. She also has an M.Ed. in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Dr. Rashida Govan
Dr. Rashida Govan is an educator with more than 15 years of administrative, research and teaching experience in K-12 and higher education. She currently serves as the executive director of the New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA). NOYA is the youth development intermediary for the Greater New Orleans area. The organization works to cultivate a system of high-quality, well-resourced youth development organizations that center youth leadership and racial equity in their work with young people. NOYA achieves its mission through three key areas of service: program quality and professional development, policy and advocacy, and organizational effectiveness.
Govan is also the founder and executive director of Project Butterfly New Orleans, an evidence-based, African-centered girl’s rites of passage program that has served over 200 high school girls since its inception in 2009. Each week mentors from the local community meet with students to engage them in activities related to the organization’s culturally-rooted and evidenced-based curriculum. The high school students are provided with experiences that increase their self-esteem, teach them effective decision-making skills, instill in them positive cultural values, connect them with positive role models and prepare them to become responsible community leaders. In addition to these roles, Govan also has spoken nationally on hip hop culture, issues concerning girls and women, and a wide range of social and healing justice issues.
Govan earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Morgan State University, an M.Ed. from the University of Maryland College Park and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration from the University of New Orleans.
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100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, Inc.
The mission of the 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, Inc., is to provide support and improve the quality of life for African Americans, and youth in particular, in the New Orleans Community. The organization has remained committed to affecting change in New Orleans and impacting the lives of students across the region. In conjunction with their annual programs, 100 Black Men partnered with community leaders to create the “Five Guiding Principles of Excellence, Access and Success for All Children in the city of New Orleans.” These principles include: sovereignty of local control, equity in funding, system accountability, data transparency and integrity, and safe and secure learning environments.
Additionally, the organization’s mentorship program addresses the social, emotional and cultural needs of children ages 8-18. The organization also provides tutoring and college application assistance to students in the New Orleans area. Each year, 100 Black Men provides annual scholarships awards to students who will be full-time students from the region. Most recently, The 100 hosted one of the biggest resource fairs in New Orleans promoting education, literacy, economic empowerment and health and wellness. The 2019 event theme celebrated the rich history of New Orleans culture and Mardi Gras traditions during the weekend we honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy.
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Henderson Lewis, Ph.D.
Dr. Henderson Lewis is the Orleans Parish School Board Superintendent. In this role, he has also led the OPSB towards a new era of unification, where for the first time in over a decade the schools system returned to local control under the oversight of the elected Orleans Parish School Board. Dr. Lewis served as superintendent for East Feliciana Parish Public schools before serving as superintendent in New Orleans. Under his tenure, the East Feliciana Public Schools were recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as second in the state for elementary student academic growth. Dr. Lewis has more than 20 years of experience in education as a mentor, teacher, assistant principal, principal, instructional coach and curriculum expert.
One of the youngest superintendents in the 174-year history of New Orleans public schools, Dr. Lewis has achieved many accolades, including being named a “Chiefs for Change” inductee in 2018 as well as a “Distinguished Board Member” from the Louisiana School Boards Association for several years.
Dr. Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education from Southern University at New Orleans, an M.Ed. in educational leadership and administration from the University of New Orleans and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration from Mississippi State University.
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Dr. Calvin Mackie
A 15-year old kid excels in all subjects in school except science. He hates everything about it—from the periodic table to the seemingly 50-year old experiments. What’s ironic is both of his parents have a background in science. His mother is a pharmacist, and father is a mechanical engineer—a mechanical engineer who holds a patent currently licensed by Boeing, nonetheless. So science is in his blood—literally and figuratively. So what does a successful mechanical engineer do when his son has no interest in science? You guessed it; he helps him learn to love it. Dad began doing science experiments with his son in their garage. He bought chemistry and biology kits for his son to learn by doing. Eventually they transformed the garage into their very own science laboratory. As a result, the son’s science grades began to improve. Before long, curious about the work going on the garage, other kids from the neighborhood started coming over—and they too participated in fun science projects.
As the story goes, dad began to think, “I’m fortunate enough to be able to provide hands-on learning for my son; but what about other kids who aren’t as fortunate? What about those who don’t come from a family of scientists who have access to these types of resources? How can I take what I’m doing in this garage and bring it to every kid, especially those from disadvantaged communities or those who have never been exposed to science, engineering, technology or mathematics in a fun and interesting way?”
The father in this story is Morehouse alum, Dr. Calvin Mackie. He turned a garage learning experience for his son into STEM NOLA, a fast-growing education nonprofit serving students in New Orleans. STEM NOLA designs and delivers STEM-related activities, programs and events to children across the city. The programs expose children to the possibilities that STEM offers—from 21st century career opportunities in STEM to how it is used in everyday life and how STEM can be used to improve communities. STEM NOLA provides varied programs including after-school enrichment programs and camps for students; family learning programs for families; and even professional development and STEM demonstrations for teachers and school administrators.
Just as a college education is oftentimes the prerequisite for entry into the best and fastest-growing careers, having skills in STEM allows students the ability to infuse real life projects in real world application—essential to 21st century career success. While HBCUs award an average of 32% of STEM degrees earned by black students, STEM careers overwhelmingly lack diversity. STEM NOLA and other similar programs across the country are up to the challenge, introducing African American youth to STEM curriculum early in their K-12 education experience.
Students enrolled in STEM NOLA learn about 3D printing, coding, technology, robotics, animation, 3D modeling, app development, gaming and more. STEM NOLA programming is free to all students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
And, be on the lookout for the great things STEM NOLA is doing in the Crescent City. The organization recently announced a partnership with Grambling University and Sodexo Magic to create STEM Grambling. Earlier this year, STEM NOLA was awarded a one-year $140k grant from WK Kellogg Foundation to enhance the organization’s vision to bring STEM education to the children of New Orleans via curated curriculum and train providers and teachers to teach STEM.
Dr. Mackie, STEM NOLA founder, is an inventor, former tenured engineering professor, entrepreneur and author. He credits his career success to his choice to attend Morehouse College saying, “I’ve been born three times—through my mother, through my career and through Morehouse. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I hadn’t gone to Morehouse—a college committed to success.”
Mackie continues, “I had a professor who sat me down and spoke it into me that I could earn a Ph.D. He even called me a doctor before I even knew I could BE a doctor. I was in an environment that saw my deficiencies and saw a pathway for me to move forward. HBCUs put black students in a place where they can learn and be equipped to survive in the world—and that’s what Morehouse did for me.”
Mackie earned a bachelor of mathematics from Morehouse and went on to earn both a master’s and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. Mackie also served as an instructor of mathematics at Morehouse College while pursuing his doctoral degree. While tenured at Tulane University, Mackie researched heat transfer, energy efficiency and renewable energy. His memoir, A View from the Roof: Lessons for Life and Business, has been adapted as course material by high school teachers and college professors.
He is a lifelong resident of New Orleans, where he and his wife Tracy are the proud parents of two sons. Mackie continues to advocate for empowering young people and through speaking engagements, continues to motivate corporations across the globe.
This article originally appeared in the 2020 Winter Edition of HBCU Times magazine.
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Jamar McKneely
Jamar McKneely is CEO of InspireNOLA, a network of seven public charter schools in New Orleans that serves more than 5,000 students from Pre-K to 12th grade (90% of which are African American and 86% come from low-income families). Grounded in three pillars of inspiration, dedication and aspiration, InspireNOLA is one of the highest performing charter network organizations in New Orleans.
A foundational element of their success is Jamar McKneely’s leadership and vision. Jamar is serious about setting high expectations for his staff and students. He wants students to not only excel academically but to be true leaders in their communities. To that end he provides opportunities for students to engage on key issues. InspireNOLA also ensures students are exposed to collegiate opportunities. In fact, this fall they are holding a college fair for students featuring more than 60 colleges and universities. McKneely is also intentional about ensuring the teachers and leadership reflects his student body both racially and regionally. He suggests that nearly 60 to 70% of teachers are long-time residents of New Orleans. In 2013, McKneely founded the Alliance for Diversity and Excellence to advocate for charter schools and train and support people of color to become senior leaders in New Orleans schools.
McKneely has made a significant impact on the educational landscape of New Orleans and is still driven by his educational philosophy derived from Marian Wright Edelman’s significant quote: “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.”
McNeely has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Louisiana State University.
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Rooted School
Founded in 2017, the Rooted School has become one of the highest performing charter high schools in the city of New Orleans. The school seeks to educate a new generation of students while simultaneously moving them to financial and economic freedom and closing the region’s wealth gap. Rooted’s mission is to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to compete for the fastest-growing and the highest-paying jobs in their communities either with or without a college degree. In fact, 84% of students in the founding freshman class completed industry trade certifications in web design.
The Rooted School has a successful track record thus far. Seventy-nine percent of African American students at the Rooted School perform better than students from all schools in the state of Louisiana, and 88% of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds at the school perform at a higher rate academically than students in the state of Louisiana.
The school was founded by CEO Jonathan Johnson, who saw a need to serve his community on a larger scale after one of his students lost his life to gun violence. He is passionate about transforming the lives of students in New Orleans and has stated that “our promise is that when every student graduates, they will have a college acceptance in one hand and a good job offer in the other.”
Click here to view an interview with Rooted CEO Jonathan Johnson and Roland Martin.
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Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency Program
More Qualified Teachers Needed: Xavier Responds to The Call
A few facts to think about:
Unfortunately, this information above isn’t uncommon, and it’s no secret that in K-12 education, states across the nation are facing teacher shortages, low numbers of state-licensed educators, high teacher retention rates, etc. The overarching challenge is school systems are now having to figure out solutions and quick. How do we address the teacher shortage? How do we recruit more teachers? >> Read More
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Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary Charter School
Black Principals Matter
It is important to illuminate the salience of high-quality leaders of color in schools across the country. Nationwide, only 10% of principals are black, yet principals and leaders of color are essential to schools and further contribute to diversifying the teacher workforce.
SCHOOLS WITH MORE BLACK PRINCIPALS HAVE HIGHER PERCENTAGES OF BLACK TEACHERS, INCREASED STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND INCREASED ENROLLMENT OF BLACK STUDENTS IN GIFTED PROGRAMS
Research shows that schools with more black principals have higher percentages of black teachers, increased student performance and increased enrollment of black students in gifted programs. Far too often, schools, districts and CMOs with strong leaders of color are not uplifted and celebrated. Yet, black innovation, intellect and excellence are interwoven into the very fabric of this country. >> Read More
Pre-Law Program
The Pre-Law Program at Dillard University has garnered widespread recognition and can be a model for advising strategies for the K-12 sector as schools across the country face high student-to-counselor ratios. Pre-law students begin as freshmen who are enrolled in a freshman year experience group with the pre-law adviser. As part of the class, they are required to have individual meetings with advisers. The continued advising and mentoring then exists throughout the four years of the student’s experience.
As the students begin their senior year, they participate in a law school admissions workshop with law school admissions advisers from around the country. The pre-law adviser then assists them during their senior year in selecting law schools, and in some cases, reaching out to law schools to advocate on behalf of students. The school suggests that “careful, consistent advising built on personalized attention” sets their program apart.
“Dillard students have described my approach to pre-law advising as ‘life coaching.’ While I am certainly not a life coach, my style is more intrusive than the average pre-law adviser. I help students work through any area that stands between them and law school. Sometimes the issue is academic, but other times it is social, financial or emotional. I have found that responding to the whole student is the most effective way to advise. Investing in advising relationships with students can reap significant benefits later.”—Adria Kimbrough, pre-law adviser, Dillard University
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Christy Swauncy
The life of a school vice principal can be pretty hectic. But for Christy Swauncy, it comes with the territory. A former classroom science teacher, Swauncy has been recently promoted to vice principal of the KIPP Central City Academy in New Orleans, LA. In her role as vice principal, her days consist of meeting with parents, working with the principal to manage the administration and educational needs of the students in the school, coaching classroom teachers and building relationships with families and community partners. A Dillard University alumna, Swauncy taught elementary and middle school science for 16 years before setting her eyes on school administration.
In an article published by Education Post, author Dr. Meredith Anderson mentions that schools with more black principals have higher percentages of black teachers, increased student performance and increased enrollment of black students in gifted programs. Studies show that having a black teacher increases the likelihood of black children attending college. Other studies report that black administrators exhibit unique core strengths from reduced unconscious biases that occur in K-12 education; and the positive impact that goes along with frequent exposure of people of color in authoritative positions. “What I appreciate is that New Orleans recognizes that teachers of color need to be in the classroom and in administrative roles—mirroring the population of the school,” says Swauncy.
For Swauncy, her teaching career certainly prepared her to excel as a school administrator. Specifically, she understands what methods of teaching and learning have worked for her when she taught in the classroom. She uses those experiences and lessons learned to support and coach the teacher workforce in her school.
Swauncy believes that the key to students’ academic success is growth. This belief perfectly aligns with KIPP’s values. In her school, the teachers set goals for each student at the beginning of the school year and work with the students to continue to meet their daily, weekly and monthly goals—achieving mastery in their educational experience. They set both academic and cultural goals. Students are incentivized if they meet their goal and are then rewarded at the end of each week.
Prior to her role as a school administrator, Swauncy was a seventh grade teacher, teaching science. She was the recipient of the 2017 New Orleans Excellence in Teaching award.
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