New Orleans Schools OK State Takeover

[chlamor]

New Orleans Schools OK State Takeover


Tuesday May 24, 2005 4:31 AM

By ADAM NOSSITER

Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - After years in financial crisis, a sharply divided New Orleans school board voted Monday night to accept a state takeover of the district's budget, giving an outside firm control over spending, contracts and nonacademic personnel.

The takeover authorizes a private company chosen by the state to manage the school system's money. It arose after years of failed audits, a payroll crisis in which teachers nearly went unpaid and a multimillion dollar deficit. At one point, $70 million in federal money was unaccounted for.

<snip>

The outside firm will have control over payments, contracts and other financial matters, as well as hiring and firing nonacademic personnel.

<snip>

The three white board members and the one Hispanic member voted for the takeover. The three black members voted against it. The plan met fierce resistance from board President Torin Sanders. On Monday, he called the reforms an exercise in ``disenfranchising'' his constituents.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5027337,00.html

[Al-CIAda]

1. Racism? No...

`What I really see is, there is an unwritten law in America that black people should never unify themselves,'' said speaker Walter Unrani. ``Those who are in power in this city are scared to death of any black leader in this city who shows any courage!''

This statement is inflammatory and flat wrong. In fact do this yourself. Check out the population makeup of the city. Check out who the mayor is. Check out EVERY mayor in the last 40 years. Check out who the last two chief of police were. Check out who the last 3 -5 school superintendants were. Hell check out anything and everthing and see if the statement can possibly make any sense whatsoever.


In principal I am against such measures, but there is a lot of corruption and incompetence -not that this will fix it.

BTW Guardian UK has a story on N.O. schools?! wow.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. This makes me nervous...

The most liberal area of LA is taken over and controlled financially by a Conservative outside force. As someone in education, I can see where this is headed. Goodbye teachers by weakening the union, goodbye support staff... hello textbooks that tout conservative values and creationism...goodbye programs that include diversity and hellp exclusionary organizations...maybe I"m just paranoid... but I don't like this at all.

[Al-CIAda]

3. Me either, for those reasons. You are right to be concerned.

But I refer you to the 1st post above. I suppose one could argue it is their right to continually screw up, and you would be correct.

[JackDragna]

4. I'm a teacher-in-training in Louisiana..

..and I actually think this measure is a good idea. The NO school district is notorious for having no accountability for anything, for resisting any sort of change and just not working very well. I don't like to see this, either, but it may help in this case. Believe what I say about the problems there..the horror stories are endless. The missing money is the tip of the iceberg.

[Kerrytravelers]

5. I'm out in the Los Angeles area.

The district my mother works in has a couple of schools that have been taken over, but not the entire district yet. I do hope that this move works better for the NO schools than it is for her district. It has not happened yet where I am.

Thanks for posting!