Reframed thoughts on New Orleans referenced to NCEBC conference in April
(From Eric Cooper):
I cried a third time regarding New Orleans. The latest was when I was listening to Senator Barak Obama on CNN today indicating that if elected president, he would make sure that the levees would be built sufficiently to protect New Orleans from any storm by 2011. New Orleans' citizens rose to their feet on that proclamation! A great line the Senator might have included is, "...if Holland can erect levees that protect Amsterdam from storms, why are not we as capable of doing the same in America?"
The backdrop of my enthusiasm for the Obama speech, those by former candidate John Edwards and any political leader who supports New Orleans, is framed on an invitation we had received to visit New Orleans, by a major charity group for potential funding of NUA activity to help with the revival of schools. After spending time in all of the city's wards, and meeting many heroes who labor on behalf of their communities with tears in their eyes, our recommendation to the charity was to not give us the money (which many national groups have done and then when they leave the money goes with them), but to send financial support to the leaders on the ground, not to an outside group.
During the two plus days we spent in New Orleans (April 2007), supervised by a high profile group called Friends of New Orleans, we also had opportunity to visit several charter schools, as well as traditional schools. What we found in all the buildings (charter and public) were dedicated people determined to support the schoolchildren and youth they served. What we also found was spotty success in the charters. Some seemed to be succeeding and some were engaged in fragmented, and disjointed implementation of school curricula -- though again, always well intentioned.
We saw as many, devastated property, vacant building and bare lots, and vacant stares of people uncertain of what they can do to reclaim life in New Orleans, We engaged with energetic and charismatic leaders who through sheer will and singularity of focus were enabling others to succeed to begin the rebuilding of their lives and neighborhoods. We discussed with educators and community leaders the deleterious effects of the storm on the young. For example, it is estimated that 40% of the city's young were homeless, without parents who choose to stay in relocated cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, living with friends, eking out survival strategies through gangs, and living resiliently in gutted homes. We met principals and charter school advocates who would break down in tears describing the challenges their students and staff face. Most of the school buildings we observed remain in gutted states, awaiting decisions on whether the schools would be torn down or rebuilt. We also observed fragmented and silo-type interventions where heroes dwell in their attempts to find the resources and work through way through the Catch-22 type administrative maze which some learn to navigate and others seem to be driven down by frustration and despair because of what some cited as central office or headquarter dysfunctions and the lack of infrastructure to support responses. All of which we hope is changing because of the leadership provided by the dynamic Superintendent Paul Vallas.
We also heard of charters run by national groups that dictated interventions, and when failing, they took the money and headed out of the city. I write all of this because you are correct, the experience of New Orleans is framed by the charter movement, and the question of where the National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) stands in the charter movement may require an NCEBC position prior to our arrival for our conference in April. Yes, prior to the storm most of New Orleans's schools were dysfunctional, but those that succeeded were no better or no worse than many charters. Providing choice for students and their parents is a good thing, but when that choice is driven by ideology versus best practice and pedagogy, the purposes must be studied and questioned.
Just a few thoughts in response to a glowing past "Times" article about the "wonderful" charter movement in New Orleans, and this is stated with high praise for a group with high national reputation, and yet, when you think about how they treat those leaders that question their purposes, as they have treated one of America's leading African-American researchers, people should proceed with high caution, while hopeful that all schools succeed for students -- whether run by charters, supported by outside groups, or re-instated by those on the ground.
Eric J. Cooper
President, NUA
Michael Froning,
Dean, University of Alabama-Birmingham
I cried a third time regarding New Orleans. The latest was when I was listening to Senator Barak Obama on CNN today indicating that if elected president, he would make sure that the levees would be built sufficiently to protect New Orleans from any storm by 2011. New Orleans' citizens rose to their feet on that proclamation! A great line the Senator might have included is, "...if Holland can erect levees that protect Amsterdam from storms, why are not we as capable of doing the same in America?"
The backdrop of my enthusiasm for the Obama speech, those by former candidate John Edwards and any political leader who supports New Orleans, is framed on an invitation we had received to visit New Orleans, by a major charity group for potential funding of NUA activity to help with the revival of schools. After spending time in all of the city's wards, and meeting many heroes who labor on behalf of their communities with tears in their eyes, our recommendation to the charity was to not give us the money (which many national groups have done and then when they leave the money goes with them), but to send financial support to the leaders on the ground, not to an outside group.
During the two plus days we spent in New Orleans (April 2007), supervised by a high profile group called Friends of New Orleans, we also had opportunity to visit several charter schools, as well as traditional schools. What we found in all the buildings (charter and public) were dedicated people determined to support the schoolchildren and youth they served. What we also found was spotty success in the charters. Some seemed to be succeeding and some were engaged in fragmented, and disjointed implementation of school curricula -- though again, always well intentioned.
We saw as many, devastated property, vacant building and bare lots, and vacant stares of people uncertain of what they can do to reclaim life in New Orleans, We engaged with energetic and charismatic leaders who through sheer will and singularity of focus were enabling others to succeed to begin the rebuilding of their lives and neighborhoods. We discussed with educators and community leaders the deleterious effects of the storm on the young. For example, it is estimated that 40% of the city's young were homeless, without parents who choose to stay in relocated cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, living with friends, eking out survival strategies through gangs, and living resiliently in gutted homes. We met principals and charter school advocates who would break down in tears describing the challenges their students and staff face. Most of the school buildings we observed remain in gutted states, awaiting decisions on whether the schools would be torn down or rebuilt. We also observed fragmented and silo-type interventions where heroes dwell in their attempts to find the resources and work through way through the Catch-22 type administrative maze which some learn to navigate and others seem to be driven down by frustration and despair because of what some cited as central office or headquarter dysfunctions and the lack of infrastructure to support responses. All of which we hope is changing because of the leadership provided by the dynamic Superintendent Paul Vallas.
We also heard of charters run by national groups that dictated interventions, and when failing, they took the money and headed out of the city. I write all of this because you are correct, the experience of New Orleans is framed by the charter movement, and the question of where the National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) stands in the charter movement may require an NCEBC position prior to our arrival for our conference in April. Yes, prior to the storm most of New Orleans's schools were dysfunctional, but those that succeeded were no better or no worse than many charters. Providing choice for students and their parents is a good thing, but when that choice is driven by ideology versus best practice and pedagogy, the purposes must be studied and questioned.
Just a few thoughts in response to a glowing past "Times" article about the "wonderful" charter movement in New Orleans, and this is stated with high praise for a group with high national reputation, and yet, when you think about how they treat those leaders that question their purposes, as they have treated one of America's leading African-American researchers, people should proceed with high caution, while hopeful that all schools succeed for students -- whether run by charters, supported by outside groups, or re-instated by those on the ground.
Eric J. Cooper
President, NUA
Michael Froning,
Dean, University of Alabama-Birmingham
posted by Branzburg at 6:58 PM
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