Make it stop, mommy

So, it's quite evident that Scott Cowen knows diddley about New Orleans and its history, diddley about Tulane and its history, and he doesn't care.

As I am merely an alumnus, this doesn't affect me on a daily basis.

However, Cowen was made chair of the "Bring Back New Orleans" education commission.

This man knows diddley about education. He was involved in management, period. He shouldn't be on this committee.

Of course, he has a vested interest. The Lusher school was all set to become a charter school before K. Then K happened, and the chartering was rushed through with a caveat: Lusher was now under the influence of Cowen.

Lusher had a great model: 50% of the students were drawn from their geographic district (sufficiently gerrymandered to include Tulane's dorms), and 50% tested in from around the Parish. This meant that the racial and economic makeup of the school was similar to that of New Orleans. Also, the "best and brightest" teachers wanted to teach there, and they put a heavy influence on the arts. The parents were quite involved as well.

Now Cowen gets to influence the school, if not call all of the major shots.

Already, his $1.5M pledge to Lusher (hmmmm...maybe we could have kept Engineering with that money...nyyyyaaahhh) has exerted undue influence: the admissions criteria changed after K.

Now, the first call for enrollment goes to the children of Tulane employees, and former Lusher students. There is NOTHING on the Lusher website about drawing students from the geographic district.

I have a stake in this, too. As the parent of 3 children, I specifically looked for a house in the Lusher district. I paid about 20% more to live in this district. Now, it appears as if Cowen may take that away.

There is a silver, well, tungsten lining. I asked, via the Lusher website, if the geographic district would still be honored, as no press releases mentioned it. The reply:

Q: I bought a home in the district so my child could attend Lusher next August. Will my child still have a spot then?

A: Plans are still to honor the district in August, 2006.

Oh goody. This means, if you read the Cowenspeak between the lines, that in August 2007, not only will it be the first school year in a long time without a Tulane Engineering, but it will be the first school year in a long time where there is no geographic district for the Lusher school.

In his latest bit of propaganda, Cowen states that students should be allowed to attend any school they wish.

Bullshit.

If that's the case, then the math and science school and Lusher would have about 60% of the students in all of Orleans Parish. That ain't gonna happen.

I'm afraid what will happen is that Lusher will simply become a perq for Tulane employees, the minions of Cowen.

Those in favor of vouchers and such constantly drone on about how one should not have to attend a crappy school simply because it is the one geographically closest to them.

I say that one should not have to attend a school far away, when the one that is geographically closest is perfectly suitable.

Save Lusher, Save Tulane. Somebody cut out this cancer that is Cowen, and send him back to Jersey or Cleveland.

Comments

[Tim]

What makes Lusher great, what makes any school great, is commitment from parents. Lusher parents by definition are interested, engaged and active in the education of their children. You're a prime example. There's no automatic in. You've got to advocate for it. That's why I've always opposed vouchers. Giving a voucher to an apathetic parent will do nothing to improve education. Okay, that's a little off-subject, but my point is that what Lusher was doing was working for a wide swath of citizens--why mess with it???

I agree that Scott Cowen is not operating in the best interest of the general population. He is as always acting on what he thinks will benefit his business and his bosses at Tulane. Period. I agree that we should be very careful of him. Good luck with everything,

Peace,
Tim

[Mr. Clio]

I'm a Lusher parent. I've been amazed at Tulane's (Cowen's) PR machine talking about how Tulane "started" a charter school. They threw that around during the storm exile.

"Piggybacked" is what they've done. It's easy to be a frontrunner. Pick the best school in the district, throw a little money at it, then say you've partnered to create this great thing.

[dillyberto]

Ugly reality.

Education not properly managed in the public arena falls into the hands of free enterprise.

This is what all of the private schools in the city have gained considerable profit from.

We must consider how far-reaching this blog entry you've put together really is.

A reputable public school system puts Country Day, Newman, Jesuit, etc. in a real pinch.

Think of what will happen to St. Andrew's and Stuart Hall on Carrollton should decent the ideal public system come into reality!

Great posting.

Thought provoking...

[Jennifer]

Hi! This is somewhat off topic, but I just can not find the answer anywhere...where exactly are (were) the Lusher boundaries? Does anyone know exactly? Thanks: )

Jennifer

[Fan]

The number of apioicatplns means: don't fuck with us, or your child is out of here. I am dealing with this right now as I watch Franklin crumble from the inside bit things like teacher's salaries cut as the front office staff balloons, older teacher's laid off in favor of younger Teach For A Pittance in America sorts; small things like the school kicking the athletics boosters out of their concession booth so they lose their only source of income); wondering how exactly to address some of the issues I see or hear about without having myself escorted off the grounds by security at the direction of the CEO/Headmaster (which has happened to two parents I know) or my child booted out.I tend to piss people off when I say this, but the deconstruction of public education in New Orleans will be remembered with the Tuskegee Experiment, a reckless exercise in the abstract principles of the free market with no regard for the children. I'm thinking of filing an application to start The Ayn Rand Academy of the Invisible Hand. I will import my teachers from some English speaking third world country, and chain them in the basement at night. The students, who will double as custodians as a character building exercise and as a substitute for P.E., will be rigorously driven through a program of fear and group think based on the Maoist Cultural Revolution model to excel at the LEAP and SAT, and the outcomes will amaze the world.

[Chelvhien]

Sorry to hear that. Franklin is The Girl's single high sochol choice. And I am SO the kind of parent they don't want ..TfAs at Franklin? We need to talk. wondering how exactly to address some of the issues I see or hear about without having myself escorted off the grounds by security at the direction of the “CEO/Headmaster” (which has happened to two parents I know) or my child booted out. this is not what Choice is supposed to bring. This is not Choice. This is some folks justifying any ends and any means. And what good is privatization/chartering if parents are muzzled, either with direct threats or fear of having to exercise that non-existent Choice when their kid is kicked out of a sochol? Do either of the Pauls, or Leslie Jacobs, care about the actualities of this system ? Let me answer my own question: Fuck no.

[Amisha]

What a cutie patootie. And mama has some seniwg skills to boot. I'm still itching to try my new seniwg machine...that I purchased two years ago. I'm inspired to break it out.