HumidCity

First, the notice [that I received this morning]:

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Special Board Meeting Notice

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL BOARD MEETING:
The Orleans Parish School Board will convene in a Special Board Meeting to act upon the School Facilities Master Plan for Orleans Parish on Thursday, November 6, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of McDonogh #35 High School, 1331 Kerlerec Street.

Second, the “responsive” press release, in its entirety for those who may not’ve gotten one:

For Immediate Release Contact: Bill Rouselle
November 3, 2008 (504) 592 -1800

THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN FOR SCHOOLS
RESPONSIVE – ACCOUNTABLE – STUDENT FOCUSED

After more than a year of meetings with parents, teachers, students, elected officials, city, state and federal agencies and community groups; with evaluations by engineers, architects and urban planners; and with a series of Public Hearing during the two month Public Comment Period; the three school superintendents (Mr. Darryl Kilbert – Orleans Parish School Board / Mr. Paul Vallas – Recovery School District / Mr. Paul Pastorek – State Department of Education) will make the following recommendations to their respective boards in the coming weeks:

Read the rest of this entry »

It was anyway. At 7 on the dot it switched to a NOA-TV ad and “Traffic Time.” SOme of my barely-coherent liveblogging:

6:30-ish: I stumble over the meeting looking for Funny.

Art teacher from McMain—none of the ideals of the plan are around Booker T., like places to go after school, RTA, etc.; “Please listen to us. We want what’s best for our kids.”

She had on a black t-shirt with Booker T in a red “No” circle.

The podium looks sponsored by Entergy

McMain supporter: as a parent, wouldn’t send her child into the Booker T community, not the only parent who’ll look at site, neighborhood and base a decision on that. $40 mil into a building and send children to an unsafe neighborhood, expecting parents all over Orleans to send children there “and I think that’s foolish”

Beverley Clark: They say it’s about buildings, not schools but schools are more than buildings, and you choose your own house and it reflects you, right? No move to Booker t; a blue ribbon in arts, only one in LA ever, and SACS. Told that kids excelled despite facilities [brown-haired freaky looking woman looks petrified. Until she smiles] We watched other schools being built and given new schools, were open 1st after the storm, chose not to charter. Have a public library and RTA and fields nearby “and we’re 5 feet off the ground.”

Percy Marchand: had to leave, Christian hands out fliers.

Sandra Reed: RE the accelerated timeline for public comment, as a resident of Central City and representative of community groups, the comment period—it takes time to understand the plan and offer a informed comments, a document of this size with this kind of technical info, regular folks need time to look at it; there was a 90-day extension for the plan, “and that was no hurricane.” Will ask, “beg if I have to” to give an extra 30 days for folks to read and decipher the–

G Bitch
NOLA

Another master plan, this one for Orleans schools, all of them, OPSB, RSD, and the various charter schools controlled by both. There are details from the November meeting, results of surveys, and more details at sfmpop.org. Meetings will be held this week and again after Mardi Gras. Whether you have children or not, these meetings are important. Schools often ground and center a neighborhood and what schools do, or don’t do, eventually affects us all. Even if all the kids in your local school are all right and largely college-bound, you can still get jacked by some kid from a crappy, neglected, not-fought-for school.

No, there will be no desegregation discussions.
Area #1: Jan. 10, 6-8 PM

Fischer Elementary
1801 Whitney Avenue
New Orleans, La 70114

Questions? 1-877-343-4773 (8:00am 4:30pm) [this is the number for questions about any area meeting]
Schools to be discussed: Martin Behrman Elementary, Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary, William J. Fischer Elementary, Paul B. Habans Elementary, Alice M. Harte Elementary, Murray Henderson Elementary, Edna Karr High, L.B. Landry High, McDonogh 32 Elementary, Julius Rosenwald Accelerated Elementary, Schwarz Alternative High, Harriet Tubman Elementary, O. Perry Walker Senior High

Area #2: Jan. 12, 10 AM - 12 PM
McDonogh 35 Senior High School
1331 Kerlerec Street
New Orleans, La 70116

Schools to be discussed: Armstrong Elementary, G.W. Carver High, Colton Middle, Fredrick A. Douglass High, Drew Elementary, Edison Elementary, Edwards Elementary, Frantz Elementary, Haley Elementary, Hansberry Elementary, Hardin Elementary, Hughes Elementary, Jones Elementary, M.L.K. Charter School for Science & Technology, Alfred Lawless High, Lockett Elementary, McDonogh 28 City Park Academy, John McDonogh Senior High, Moton Elementary, New Orleans Center for Adult Education, Nelson Elementary, Phillips Middle, Shaw Elementary, Tureaud Elementary, Waters Elementary

Area #3: Jan. 15, 6-8 PM
Esperanza Charter School
4407 South Carrollton Avenue
New Orleans, La 70119

Schools to be discussed: Augustine Middle, Bell Junior High, Bethune Elementary, Chester Elementary, Esperanza Charter, Dibert Elementary, Dunbar Elementary, Warren Elementary, Fisk-Howard Elementary, Hoffman Elementary, Hynes Elementary, Morris FX Jeff Elementary, John F. Kennedy Senior High, Laurel Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, LaSalle Elementary, Marshall Middle, KIPP McDonogh 15, Mondy Elementary, Terrell Elementary, Booker T. Washington Senior High, Wheatley Elementary, Wicker Elementary, Williams Elementary, Wilson Elementary
Area #4: Jan. 17, 6-8 PM
Schaumburg Elementary School
9501 Grant Street
New Orleans, La 70127

Schools to be discussed: Abrams Elementary, Marion Abramson Senior High, Alexander Elementary, Bienville Elementary, Bradley Elementary, Capdau-UNO Charter, Coghill Elementary, Benjamin Franklin High, Gaudet Elementary, Gentilly Terrace Elementary, Gordon Elementary, Gregory Junior High, Jordan Elementary, Lake Area Middle, Lake Forest Montessori Magnet, Little Woods Elementary, Livingston Middle, Morial Elementary, Osborne Elementary, Parkview Magnet, Sarah T. Reed Senior High, Schaumburg Elementary, Sherwood Forest Elementary, Village De L’Est Elementary, Fannie C. Williams Elementary
Area #5: Jan. 19, 10 AM - 12 PM

Eleanor McMain High School
5721 South Claiborne Avenue
New Orleans, La 70125

Schools to be discussed: Allen Elementary, Andrew Jackson Elementary, Arthur Ashe, Audubon Charter School (4-8), Audubon Charter School (PK-3), Banks Elementary, Bauduit Elementary, Benjamin Franklin Elementary, Crocker Elementary, Green Charter, Guste Elementary, Harney Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Lafon Elementary, LaSalle Elementary, Laurel Elementary, Live Oak Middle, Lusher Elementary, Lusher High, Mahalia Jackson Elementary, McDonogh 7 Elementary, McMain High, McNair Elementary, New Orleans Free Academy, Priestley Junior High, Rabouin Career Magnet, Walter L. Cohen High, Woodson Middle, Sophie B. Wright Middle

G Bitch

The G Bitch Spot (still hacked–cracker scum!)

NOLA