Considering Higher Education Funding with Joey Lehrman

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter

According to a recent report from the American Association of Colleges and Universities, Louisiana is 1 of 7 states to reduce public spending on higher education. Joining Louisiana on this list is West Virginia, Wyoming, North Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Since Congress initiated the sequester in 2011, most states were forced to make budget cuts across the board, including dedicated funding for higher education. That trend, according to a recent post on NOLA.com | The Times Picayune, that trend is starting to reverse with most states increasing higher education funding in an attempt to offset recent cuts. New Hampshire, an outlier in the study, is leading the nation with a 28 percent increase in higher ed funding in 2013. The national average for 2013 was an increase in 2.9 percent.

Learning Opportunity: More on the Congressional sequester

'Two years removed from the largest decline in state higher education funding in nearly a half century, state lawmakers have used increases in state revenues to begin reinvesting in public higher education,' stated AASCU's October 'State Outlook' newsletter.

2013 will continue a six-year trend of cuts to Louisiana's higher education system, with nearly $700 million cut from those allocations. And the most obvious impact of these cuts are the tuition increases at nearly every institution throughout the state, furthering the divide between those that can access a post-secondary education and those that cannot. However, lawmakers and administrators are hopeful that this trend in Louisiana is about to turn.

The state Board of Regents, the umbrella group overseeing the state's four public systems of higher learning, has requested an $87 million boost next year and State Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, who heads the House Committee on Education, is optimistic the tide has turned, and Louisiana higher education will be able to return to pre-recession funding levels soon.

However, not everyone is convinced that the study is worth noting. When contacted for comment, Gov. Bobby Jindal's spokesman critiqued the study for being too narrow, noting that the state has spent more than "33 other states per capita on higher education."

"When looking at total means of finance, spending for higher education has gone down by 4.6 percent, but at the same time, student outcomes are on the rise," Plotkin said via email. He cited increase in graduation rates at the state's two and four year institutions and noted LSU in particular marked an record high grad rate of 66.7 percent in 2012.

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

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Is David Vitter Running for Governor of Louisiana?

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter

As the 2015 gubernatorial election in Louisiana draws near, there is widespread speculation that U.S. Senator David Vitter is considering entering the race. And according to Vitter spokesman Luke Bolard, pundits won't have to speculate much longer. This from a recent post on nola.com:

The two-term senator and his wife Wendy will send out an email Wednesday informing supporters of his possible run. Current Gov. Bobby Jindal's second and final term ends in 2015.

Although Bobby Jindal is still undecided about his prospective run for the White House in 2016 (at least publicly), many candidates are already positioning themselves to seek his current job when he reaches his term limit in 2015. State Rep. John Bel Edwards, Lt. Gov Jay Dardenne, and State Treasurer John Kennedy are just a few of the currently elected officials that are considering a push to be Louisiana's next Governor. Only Edwards and Dardenne have officially entered the race.

Senator David Vitter

And for those of you following local New Orleans politics, in a somewhat surprising move, the popular Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer recently announced that she will not seek reelection in District C, clearing the way for Nadine Ramsey, a former judge, who is the only other announced candidate for the seat. The three-day qualifying period will be held December 11-13th, so stay tuned for a final list of candidates.

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experience in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and perspective and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

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City Announces Wisner Grant Awards (Finally)

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter 

The City of New Orleans and Mayor Mitch Landrieu have announced the 2013 Wisner Donation grant recipients, which will allocate $450,000 in funds to 41 non-profits throughout the greater metropolitain area.

Click here to view the full list of recipients.

The fund solicits proposals from area non-profits on a bi-annual basis. According to nola.com's coverage of the grants announcement, the city received 124 applications this year. The purpose of the fund, according to the City's website, is as follows:

The Edward Wisner Donation was created from the estate of Edward Wisner to the City of New Orleans as a 100 year charitable trust in 1914. According to the original donation, the Wisner Donation must support local needs in the areas of beautification, education, recreation or human services.

The fund has been the source of ongoing criticism in recent years due to its inconsistency in grant awards and Mayor Landriue's desire for greater discretion on how the grants are allocated.

Again according to the City's website, "Each year there are two review periods: the Spring Proposal Review (February 15 – 28) and the Fall Proposal Review (August 15 – 31). Applications are due by COB on the business day prior to the beginning of each review period."

Several area non-profits have noted that their proposals have gone unreviewed for months, with emails and calls to the city left unanswered. One non-profit discussed how a proposal submitted in February of 2013 wasn't reviewed and announced until December of this year. According to the grant guidelines, the review timeline is supposed to be as follows:

Spring
Proposal Review: February 15 – 28
Grant Awards: March 15 – 31

Unfortunately, the delayed review and announcements can make it difficult for non-profits to strategically plan and make budgetary decisions. And although the grant funds can be meaningful for the local recipients, the lack of transparency and accountability continues to limit the effectiveness of our valuable area non-profits and the city's resources.

Furthermore, if the city is going to solicit applications, our elected officials need to be mindful of the time and effort required for submitting a grant proposal. Delaying decisions by 9 months is a disservice to local non-profits and their constituents.

What do you think? Have you or your organization applied for a Wisner grant in the past? What communication, if any, have you received from the city throughout the process? Share your comments below.

Joey-Lehrman

Joey Lehrman is a retired teacher with over 40 years of experiece in the New Orleans public school system. Since retiring, he has transitioned to sharing his experience and persepctive and all things New Orleans through a variety of blogs, news-sites, and social networks.

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Louisiana Charter School Extensions Announced

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter 

The Louisiana Department of Education announced the renewal of charter contracts with fourteen schools scattered throughout New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Perhaps the most significant detail from Saturday's announcement is that no charter school had its contract revoked.

As part of their agreement to retain greater autonomy from school board oversight, which allows operators to control staffing decisions and curriculum design, new charter schools are subject to regular reviews by their authorizing body. For most, that's the Recovery School District, the state run body that was created to direct the redesign of the state's lowest perofrming schools. The remaining schools are authorized directly by the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

According to an article by Danielle Dreilinger of nola.com :

The state charter evaluation is based largely on academic performance. New charters are evaluated in their fourh year and either shut down or granted a one-year extension.  The schools are then re-examined the following year - or, for older charters, in the final year of their active contract - and either shut down or renewed. Renewals may run for three, five, or 10 years, depending on the school's letter grade.

A New Trend?

In the context of discussing progress in educational reform, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the announcement is that no charter operator had its contract revoked, a first in the past several years for the state. And although the charter movement remains controversial, due to issues of equitable access, the loss of the neighborhood school (and its associated costs), and school performance, it is growing increasingly difficult to argue against the data-driven metrics that reflect genuine academic progress.

What do you think about the school choice movement in Lousiana? In addition to the role of charter schools, the school choice movement is also impacted by the growth of the school voucher program as well. Are we moving towards a system of greater access and educational quality, or are we continuing to stagnate in a system that favors some while leaving too many behind? Post your comments below!

The Re-Authorized Charter List

In advance of BESE's vote next week on 14 other one-year extensions, here is the current list of charter's to be re-authorized:

New Orleans Charters 

One-year probationary extension (recommended)

• Edgar P. Harney*

• John Dibert Community School*

• One-year extension (recommended)

• Esperanza Charter School*

• Gentilly Terrace*

• International High School**

• KIPP New Orleans Leadership

• KIPP Renaissance High School

• Lagniappe Academies*

• Morris Jeff Community School

• ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy*

• ReNEW SciTech Academy*

Three-year renewal

• James Singleton*

• Lafayette Academy

• Lake Area New Tech Early College High School

• Milestone SABIS**

• William Fischer*

Five-year renewal

• ARISE Academy

• McDonogh #28 City Park Academy*

• McDonogh #32*

• Medard H. Nelson

• Success Preparatory Academy*
  
• Samuel J. Green

10-year renewal

• Landry-Walker High School

Baton Rouge Charters

Three-year renewal

• Madison Prep**

Five-year renewal

• Kenilworth Science and Technology*

* Failing in 2012
** BESE charter; all other schools are in the Recovery School District

NET School Profile Reveals Ongoing Crime in Education Issues

By Joey Lehrman | Email the Author | Follow on Twitter

The NET Charter High School, located in Central City of New Orleans, works with a very unique student population. Recruiting some of the city's most disadvantaged youth, NET staff have developed an innovational school structure that attempts to work with students around their busy schedules to earn a high school diploma before the age of 21 (the age at which the state will stop funding their public education).

But in addition to the pride the school has earned over the 26 students that have successfully graduated since the school opened 2 years ago, the staff and students continue to quarrell with the deep violence that continues to grip the streets of New Orleans and which has claimed the lives of 5 of its students. And according to a recent NOLA.com profile of the school:

The school's staff know it comes with the territory, as hard as that is to face. 'We go out and recruit kids who are highly at risk for this happening,' Ostberg says. 'And sometimes it does.'

Click here to read the Times-Picayune's profile of the NET Charter High School.

What this 40-year-veteran of the public education system finds unique and motivating about the NET model is that they work with students around their schedules. In a city where 1 in 4 still don't have a high school education, I witnessed far too many students that weren't successful under the traditional school model. But rather than adapt, most administrators and teachers continue to try and force a traditional student to fit the traditional mold.

Educators both locally and nationally could learn real lessons from these educators that are fighting to work with those that have been forgotten by the system. The current system clearly just doesn't work for everyone. So we must force ourselves to consider every variable that we control, and adapt each one to meet the exact needs of the students at a point that works for the student, not for the system.

What do you think?

Joey-Lehrman

Controversial Immigration "Game" at UT Sparks Debate

Controversial Immigration "Game" at UT Sparks Debate

By Joey Lehrman

A conservative student group at the University of Austin-Texas has developed a fake game designed to inspire a conversation about immgration in the United States. Members of the Young Conservatives of Texas will be roaming campus wearing t-shirts that read "illeagal immigrant." Other students will be encouraged to "catch" the student and turn them in for a $25 gift certificate.

Click here for coverage of the issue from nytimes.com

What do you think of the game? Lorenzo Garcia, the group's leader, has publically stated that the purpose is to inspire a conversation about immigration. But, to this blogger, it seems like there are many less offensive ways to educate the public about immigration and to bring diverse viewpoints together to talk about it. A blog is just one of those examples.

Thanks for reading!

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Update
According to a post this morning from the The Daily Texan, the "Catch an Immigrant" game has been cancelled due to widespread criticism and controversy... perhaps the Internet really can connect people and inspire real change!

Joey-Lehrman

More Violent Crime in New Orleans with Joey Lehrman

More Violent Crime in New Orleans with Joey Lehrman

A 24-year-old man was found stabbed to death inside a burning house in the Fairgrounds neighborhood. So although our politicians and business leaders continue to profess that New Orleans is stronger than ever, we still have a very deep and dark issue that continues to go addressed.

You can read the Times-Picayune coverage of the story here.

Joey Lehrman

I'd like to hear from my readers on this question: What can individuals do to help stem the violent crime problem in New Orleans? It's potentially an easier question to answer for politicians (rebuild the education system, expand recreational opportunities for our youth, increase economic opportunities for adults). But what can a parent or an individual community member do in their daily life to help resolve this devastating issue?

Thanks for reading!
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