First impressions on this past evening's meeting at Tulane, as shared with my husband:

Me: "Well, there was a woman there who tried to pin the panel down on the conditions at Frederick Douglass, but it went unrecognized."

(paraphrasing)Dan: "Well, I'm on the other side of the argument. I think the public schools have improved a great deal since before the storm, the elementary schools. A good foundation is especially what is needed. Is Douglass an elementary school or a secondary school?"

"Uh, I think it's secondary..."

"Exactly. If it's secondary, it will only take a good foundation set into incoming students in the next few years to help change things."

(Yeah, right...I think. It only takes one godawful teacher at any stage of this education game to impress upon a child that a certain educational avenue(s) is inaccessible to them.)

Me: "The thing that bothers me about all these meetings is when they are scheduled. I mean, you could barely make 5:30 (and, actually, we didn't make 5:30), and the meetings scheduled for prospective charter school board members are in the early and mid-afternoon."

Dan: "Well, when do you think City Council meetings are scheduled?"

"Even so, these people are talking about all the involvement and participation they want from the parents of their students. If they want that involvement, why don't they schedule things so that more parents can become involved?"

"You've got to remember...these are academics we're talking about here."

"That's true."

"Or...they just don't care."

"Well, there you go!!!!"



*If they really cared, they'd update their website. The handout from tonight's Cowan Institute meeting reads:

You are cordially invited to join us for a Charter Board Informational Session

An information session to introduce charters, charter board membership and the New Orleans public charter schools in need of board members

Three opportunities to attend:

Tuesday, April 29, 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM

or

Tuesday April 29, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

or

Monday May 5, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Hosted by:

The Greater New Orleans Foundation

1055 St Charles Avenue (the K&B Building)

1st Floor Conference Room

(If you haven't yet registered for one of these workshops, please do so by email (sarah@nsno.org) or phone (504-274-3630)