nola baby & family

Before Katrina there were only four charter schools in New Orleans. Today they outnumber traditional public schools two to one, exceeding 60 in total. That number continues to grow. nola baby & family explores the reasons behind the dramatic shift to charter schools. We also provide insight into why some charter schools are so successful, and look at the non-standard admissions process.

a primer on charters

Charter schools receive public funding but operate independently from many of the laws and regulations governing traditional public schools. These schools can be established by various entities including universities, businesses, teachers or parent groups. A school is granted a five-year charter by the local school board or by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) after a lengthy application process.

Each charter school is governed by an elected board, which has independent control over the day to day operations of that school. While each charter is held accountable for student achievement, they are not required to use state-approved text books and have control over the length of their school day and yearly calendar—as long as they meet the state minimum requirements. As a result, school days will vary across the city.

Public charter schools in NOLA are run under three different entities: The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) and The Recovery School District (RSD). Before Katrina, five failing schools were removed from the auspices of the Orleans Parish School Board and placed under the Recovery School District. In November 2005, another 107 low-performing schools were transferred to the RSD. The Orleans Parish School Board retained control over some of its schools like Lusher Charter School, Audubon Charter School and Ben Franklin High School, each of which had applied for charter status after the storm.