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National Coalition for Quality Education in New Orleans
Both Center Executive Director Dr. Lisa Delpit and Associate Director Dr. Joan Wynne have made several trips to New Orleans as members of the National Coalition for Quality Education in New Orleans, an ad hoc group of national and local scholars and educators. Center Publications Director Alex Salinas has also participated and published reports about meetings. After her first trip, Delpit, a Louisiana native, opened a letter to her students at Florida International University, “First, it’s worse than you think.” She added, “There is an almost biblical quality about the devastation.” From the day Katrina made landfall, the Center has been deeply concerned about the tragedy in the Gulf Coast and joined millions of others in the country in condemning the institutionalized racism and poverty exposed in the wake of the storm.
Even before Katrina, New Orleans had one of the most dismal and segregated public school systems in the country. In the state of Louisiana, New Orleans schools are the best at educating white students and the worst at educating poor black students. Nevertheless, the Coalition believes that if rebuilt with thoughtful attention, the New Orleans school system can become a model for improving urban education in the nation.
The Coalition’s most important charge is to create a forum for the community to orchestrate its own reconstruction and to learn enough so it can intelligently speak on behalf of the community. One member coined an unofficial tag for the group: “The People’s Consultants.” An important step in the reform effort is a series of Education Summits in New Orleans starting in June. The Summits will bring together teachers, students and activists to learn about issues and chart out a plan of action that truly represents the people. As part of the dialogue, the Coalition has framed critiques of educational reform proposals from state and local agencies that ignore input from the community.
In addition, the Center has supported the adoption of a public school curriculum that aids in the healing process by empowering students through the culture and history of New Orleans. An early model of a reconstruction-based curriculum is the Finding Our Folks Tour, led by the Young People’s Project, which takes high school and college students to cities where survivors have been living. Supported by community elders and grassroots organizations, the students facilitate storytelling about the Katrina experience through workshops in four areas: documentation, education, healing and organizing. In some cities, the day culminates in a celebration of the culture of the Gulf Coast.
The Urban Education Expo was held Nov. 12-13, 2004, two days of dialogue and demonstrations showcasing the best practices of teachers, administrators and schools that have produced results in leading disenfranchised children toward academic excellence. More than 400 teachers, students and administrators from around the country participated. Among the presenters was a lineup of six stellar keynote speakers, including MacArthur “Genius” Fellows, award-winning authors and one Civil Rights legend:
- Dr. Lisa Delpit, Executive Director & Eminent Scholar, CUEI; MacArthur “Genius” Fellow
- Dr. Bob Moses, Eminent Scholar, CUEI; MacArthur “Genius” Fellow; Founder of the Algebra Project
- Dr. Asa Hilliard III, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education, Georgia State University
- Dr. Pedro Noguera, Director, Center for Research on Urban Schools, New York University
- Dr. Theresa Perry, Vice President for Community Relations, Wheelock College
- Dr. Charles Payne, Sally Dalton Professor and Director of African-American Studies Program, Duke University
Our keynotes are leading national authorities, a kind of unofficial brain trust for the field. The Expo represented a rare opportunity to see them together. One of the highlights was a panel discussion moderated by State Senator Larcenia Bullard in which they addressed hot-button issues like high-stakes testing. (The discussion is available for check out at the Center.)
Complementing our high-profile keynotes were 41 presenters chosen for their track record in the classroom. They are not merely theoreticians, but true practitioners who have achieved concrete results in urban schools. (Click the link below for a list of presenters.) So The Expo brought together the research-based innovations of some of the nation's top scholars and the pure practice of superb classroom teachers.
The Center has made no plans for a 2005 Expo but is considering a second event in the future.
List of Expo presenters
See Expo pictures
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