Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Executive Committee
    • Resource Council
    • Citizens Reform Movement
    • Coalition Partners
    • Resources
    • Awards & Recognitions
  • Reforms
    • Assessor Reform >
      • Assessors Reform Movement
      • Orleans Parish Assessors Office
    • Community >
      • Forward New Orleans
      • Advocacy Training
    • Criminal Justice >
      • Committee
      • Criminal Justice Reform Movement
      • Criminal Justice Committee Activities
    • Education >
      • Committee
      • Legislative Activity
      • BESE >
        • BESE Members
      • Louisiana Dept. Of Education
    • Ethics & Good Government >
      • Ethics Reform History >
        • OIG Town Forum
        • Activities and Reports
    • Levees >
      • Levee Board Reform
      • Corp of Engineers Levee Tour
  • News & Archives
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015: Katrina 10, Education, General & Levees >
      • Katrina 10
    • 2014: Levees & Education
    • 2013: General & Levees
    • 2012: Ethics, General & Levees
    • 2011 - 2005 >
      • Assessors- Archives
      • Community- Archives
      • Crime - Archives
      • Ethics- Archives
      • General - Archives
      • Levees - Archives
  • How to participate
    • Donations
  • Legislative Activity
  • Contact Us

Editorial: Levee authorities should remain wholly focused on Job #1, flood protection

4/3/2025

 
Times-Picayune 
  • STAFF EDITORIAL​ April 3, 2025
We’re now less than two months away from the start of another hurricane season — one that AccuWeather has predicted will be “turbulent” — and the authority that oversees flood protection on the east bank of the Mississippi River in several New Orleans area parishes is in disarray.
That’s the direct result of meddling by Gov. Jeff Landry and his unofficial aide, Shane Guidry, and it causes us great concern.
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East was formed back in 2006, when a citizen-led reform movement spurred the creation of one regional authority for the east bank flood basin and one for the west, replacing multiple boards broken up along parish lines that have nothing to do with how water flows.
This happened after the catastrophic flooding following Hurricane Katrina, and the subsequent discovery that the federally built and maintained flood protection infrastructure that guarded New Orleans was faulty. So, it seemed, was the local board’s oversight, which was often focused on other things such as managing real estate holdings and policing nearby neighborhoods.
These new boards, recommended by and stacked with people with relevant expertise rather than political connections, were created via constitutional amendment by an overwhelming 81% statewide vote.
But now, the east bank authority is in the sights of a governor who is looking to bring appointed boards all over the state more under his control.
The first sign that something was up came at the end of last year’s legislative session, when Landry — with no explanation — refused to ask lawmakers to confirm the board appointment of Norma Jean Mattei, a professor of civil engineering at the University of New Orleans, a former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and one of the most qualified candidates the board has ever had, according to Jay Lapeyre, the longtime chair of the nominating committees for both regional boards.
Since then, Guidry, who has said he wants to streamline the agency’s operations, save taxpayer money and better utilize the board’s police force, has worked with his handpicked chair to push the board not to hire a director for the agency, but to instead allow its police chief to assume many of the director’s duties.
He has called for an end to the nominating committees, and actually accused members of being “scammers who are just out for themselves,” without explaining what he means.
In response to all this, four members have now resigned from the nine-member board, leaving it with the bare minimum membership to conduct some business and short of the minimum needed to approve infrastructure projects.
We don’t know what the administration’s end game here is, but we know what it should be: a singular focus by knowledgeable professionals on making sure the area is as protected from flooding as it possibly can be.
That’s what this newspaper supported in 2006, and what a massive majority of voters back then said they clearly wanted. That’s what they still deserve.

New Orleans levee board members quit as Jeff Landry's adviser pursues controversial changes

4/2/2025

 

Reprinted from the Times Picayune
By ALEX LUBBEN | Staff writer
Mar 18, 2025

Three members of a board overseeing New Orleans area flood protection have resigned in protest over controversial changes being pursued by an adviser to Gov. Jeff Landry, who critics say risks weakening reforms put in place following Hurricane Katrina. The resignations, effective Monday, leave the board at risk of being paralyzed as storm season approaches. In order to act, the board needs a five-member quorum. With the three members’ resignations, the board is left with only six members. At the same time, their departures may allow Landry's administration to replace them with board members less likely to oppose changes being sought, which include giving the governor more power over board appointments. The agency, officially known as the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, oversees a complex system of levees and pumps rebuilt in the wake of Katrina on the New Orleans area's east bank.

The letter was signed jointly by board members Roy Arrigo, Thomas Fierke, and William Settoon. It is addressed not to Roy Carubba, the president of the board, but to Shane Guidry, Landry’s informal adviser in New Orleans, who is not on the levee authority’s board but has been overseeing reforms at the agency. It alleges the agency's new leadership had diminished “morale, readiness and focus on flood protection.” Roy Carubba, president of Carubba Engineering, was appointed to the board of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and named its president in early October by Gov. Jeff Landry. (Flood Protection Authority) Guidry thanked the departing board members for their service. He also stressed that, under his guidance, the agency was “moving in a better direction to make sure that all flood control assets are maintained properly, which they haven’t been, and working properly, which they haven’t been,” though neither Guidry nor Carubba has provided any evidence that the city’s flood control infrastructure is faulty. Carubba and Guidry also strongly rebutted the departing board members’ allegations that morale at the agency had diminished. Guidry said he’d met with 75 levee authority employees in January, and “they expressed their satisfaction and gratitude” for the changes being carried out by Carubba and the agency’s chief of police, Joshua Rondeno. Carubba stressed that “morale is as high as it’s ever been.” Shane Guidry of Harvey Gulf Marine in his downtown New Orleans office on Thursday, August 1, 2024. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune) Chris Granger Arrigo, one of the resigning board members, said he felt that the board had been distracted by political infighting and was no longer focused on flood protection. “Why am I resigning? I’m concerned that we’re painting a picture to the public that you’ve got these nine independent people providing oversight on their flood protection, and it just isn’t so,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Roy Arrigo was selected by Gov. John Bel Edwards to sit on the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East board in 2021. (Photo courtesy of Roy Arrigo) Photo courtesy of Roy Arrigo In the resignation letter, the departing board members also emphasized their belief that the agency should “adhere to the statutory requirements for the regional director, and the current post-Katrina driven nominating protocol,” a direct rebuttal to changes at the levee authority that Guidry and Carubba have been advocating for. After Landry appointed Carubba to lead the levee authority’s board, Carubba sought to assign duties that have previously been carried out by the regional director to Rondeno, the police chief. The regional director is required by law to have either engineering or professional experience that Rondeno does not have. The role of the agency’s police force has become a point of tension since Carubba took over. The board president has emphasized at board meetings that the governor had given him a mandate that included expanding the role of the agency’s cops. Other board members have maintained that the sole focus of the levee authority should be flood protection. Thomas Fierke. Lakefront Management Authority photo Guidry has also said that he plans to support legislation that would scrap the levee authority’s nominating committee, the body tasked with putting forward potential board members for the approval of the governor and legislature. Sen. Patrick Connick (R-Marrero) previously said he plans to introduce a bill that would change the nominating process during the upcoming legislative session. That committee was a central pillar of post-Katrina reforms to the New Orleans–area levee boards, designed to give oversight on the nominating process to engineers and good-government groups rather than politicians. Guidry has characterized the committee as unelected and unaccountable.
​
William Settoon Connick said on Tuesday that he was focused on gathering information about the board, its history and its operations. “There’s a lot going on and we’ve got to sort it out,” he said. “The ultimate goal is levee protection.” But those who supported the post-Katrina reforms strongly oppose scrapping the nominating committee, which they say is designed to insulate the levee authority from politics. Rebecca Mowbray, the president and CEO of the New Orleans-based Bureau of Governmental Research, expressed concern that the levee board was understaffed with hurricane season approaching. “Moreover, the unsubstantiated accusations about the region’s flood control infrastructure need to stop,” she added. “If there’s a problem, the public (and SLFPAE taxpayers) needs to know what it is.” Ruthie Frierson, who founded Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, a group that advocated for levee board reform after Katrina, expressed concern about members of the board resigning because “they feel they cannot fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to focus on flood protection.” “The citizens of Southeast Louisiana should be concerned about the lack of independent oversight and responsibility for flood protection,” she said.

Jeff Landry’s adviser wants to upend key post-Katrina reform at New Orleans flood agencies

4/1/2025

 
Reprinted from The Times Picayune
  • By ALEX LUBBEN | Staff writer
  • Mar 6, 2025
A top adviser to Gov. Jeff Landry is leading a push to upend a key post-Katrina reform at the New Orleans area's levee authorities, drawing sharp criticism from government watchdogs who say he risks seriously harming the region's vital flood protections.
After the New Orleans area's levees crumbled during the storm 20 years ago, a constitutional amendment that voters approved overwhelmingly reformed the region’s flood control agencies. Among other changes, it created an independent committee to nominate members to the regional levee boards. Those agencies are responsible for maintaining and operating the levees and pumps that protect the city from storm surge flooding.
Now, Shane Guidry, who is not elected or appointed to any official office and serves as an adviser to the governor in an informal capacity, is recommending to lawmakers that they do away with the nominating committees. He did not specify how the nominating process would be restructured, but Landry has already reformed other state boards to give the governor more power over them.
Following the Katrina reforms, two agencies have been charged with overseeing flood protections in the New Orleans area, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and -West.
“We have sat for a year watching how our boards operate. We're watching for checks and balances on how money is being spent. We're finding that's not happening,” Guidry said. “A lot of this is happening because people get nominated to the board through a process we don't agree with.”
He referred to members of the current nominating committees as “scammers who are just out for themselves, and we’re going to put a stop to it.”
He stressed repeatedly that he and the governor are seeking to ferret out “waste, fraud and abuse,” echoing language used by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But Guidry provided no evidence of any waste or wrongdoing.
Sen. Patrick Connick (R-Marrero) said that he had not seen draft legislation yet, but confirmed that the governor’s office had approached him about introducing a bill that would reform the nominating process for positions on levee boards statewide.
Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for the governor, said she could not offer any additional details on the plans.
'Avoid experimenting with lives'The nominating committee is intended to be an independent panel that ensures that the levee authorities’ boards includes people with expertise in hydrology and engineering required to oversee the maintenance of the region’s flood control infrastructure.
In an article about the post-Katrina flood protection reforms for the New England Journal of Public Policy, Ruthie Frierson, a former real estate agent who started Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, wrote that the nominating committee was seen as crucial for boosting the public’s confidence in the levee boards.
“I think we should avoid experimenting with lives, property, and our region's future by reducing the independent local oversight that brought focus, integrity, and competence to flood protection,” she told The Times-Picayune last week, noting that 94% of New Orleanians voted in favor of the constitutional amendment that created the regional levee authority in 2006.
Good-government groups also expressed opposition to scrapping the nominating committees.
The head of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), Steven Procopio, said he believes the nominating committee should stay in place.
“Eliminating the levee board nominating committee would be a serious mistake,” he said. “If we allow direct political appointments, we’re putting Louisiana’s flood protection system and the people who rely on it at risk."
Barry Erwin, who runs the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), echoed Procopio’s concerns. So did Becky Mowbray, the president and CEO of the nonprofit Bureau of Governmental Research.
“We would be concerned about any change that could increase the chances of politics entering the management of our flood protection assets,” Mowbray said.
Under the current system, PAR and CABL get to appoint one person each to the nominating committee.
Jay Lapeyre, who served as the chair of the nominating committee for 17 years, sees it as crucial to maintaining the public’s confidence in the levee board.

'This has worked beautifully'After Katrina, building confidence in the city’s flood control systems was crucial for bringing investment back to New Orleans that allowed the city to recover. A lack of confidence in the flood agency was “a truly existential threat” to New Orleans after Katrina’s levee failures, he said.
“The truth is that this has worked beautifully,” he said of the nominating committee.
Guidry's push comes as he pursues other changes at the east bank levee authority. He and his handpicked board chairman pushed the board not to hire a director for the agency, and instead allow its police chief to assume many of those duties.
That has drawn harsh pushback from other board members who, bucking Guidry and his board president, temporarily gave the director job to the agency's chief engineer and created a search committee to permanently fill the position. They warned that Guidry's reforms could cause the agency to lose its flood protection focus.
Changing the appointment process could in theory allow Landry and Guidry to pursue changes with less board opposition.
Guidry, meanwhile, has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that Lapeyre and other current members of the nominating committee have put forward board members who have wasted taxpayer funds.
“It’ll come out,” Guidry said. “Be patient.”
Lapeyre rejected the accusations, saying levee board members since Katrina have helped make New Orleans the “best protected coastal city on the Gulf or East Coasts.”

Citizens for 1 Joins the NOLA Coalition

7/19/2022

 
New Orleans, like many cities nationwide, is experiencing a dangerous increase in violent crime. Today, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans announces it is joining the NOLA Coalition, a broad and diverse group of over 275 organizations, individuals, and businesses. The NOLA Coalition has a  two-pronged agenda that recommends actionable steps to support NOPD and seeks a $15M investment in organizations that invest in programs for at-risk youth.

As founding members of the New Orleans Crime Coalition and Court Watch NOLA, we understand that reducing crime requires comprehensive alignment of the criminal justice system, elected officials, social and educational services, and economic opportunity. Crime is a symptom of a community in crisis, but it is not the cause. 

We encourage citizens to learn more about the NOLA Coalition by visiting the website and by making charitable donations to the fund which is facilitated by the United Way of Southeastern Louisiana. These dollars will be invested in programs that align with the Youth Master Plan and have the ability to attack crime at its root causes to drive generational change.

The rapid development of the NOLA Coalition reminds us of the founding of Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans. In times of crisis, ordinary citizens may be called to achieve a response greater than one that can be accomplished by the government alone. No cause is greater than the safety of the lives and property of our citizens. 


Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans

Citizens for 1 Mourns the Passing of Former State Representative Steve Carter

2/2/2021

 
Picture
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans mourns the loss of former State Representative Steve Carter last week. We worked with Representative Carter on so many important education reform bills in Baton Rouge. Here is a excerpt from The Advocate; 

"Steve Carter, a three-term state representative who frequently spoke of his love for Baton Rouge, and ran for mayor-president last year with the hope of leading the city, died Tuesday night of complications from the coronavirus. He was 77.
“It is with very heavy hearts we report that Steve has lost his battle with COVID-19 tonight, surrounded by his family,” said family spokesperson Charlotte Melder in a statement."

"He was a champion of school improvement and a delight to work with," says former education chair Carol McCall. Another former chair of our education committee, Margo Phelps, "It saddens me to learn of Steve Carter's passing. Steve never missed an opportunity to speak with the ladies in red and thank us for our work."

We thank Mr. Carter for his years of service in the Louisiana State Legislature and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Gloria, to his children and grandchildren. 

BGR Report on New Orleans' Inspector General Search

2/1/2021

 
Picture
Late last year, BGR released a report about the search for a new Inspector General in New Orleans. Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans was involved in the creation of office of Inspector General in 2006. We helped ensure a stable, secure source of funding for the Inspector General and made sure the office maintained its independence from the entities it is tasked to oversee. 

A strong office of Inspector General provides oversight to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse of tax payer dollars. The Inspector General also promotes efficiency and effectiveness in city programs and operations. 

Now we turn our focus to the search for a new candidate to lead the New Orleans' office of Inspector General. The enclosed BGR report contains useful information for citizens following along in this crucial process. 

Read the BGR Report Here
Revitalizing New Orleans' Office of Inspector General Depends on Quality of New Leader, Improved Oversight
​

We will keep you informed as we follow the candidate selection process and will alert you if any citizen involvement is warranted. 

Gambit's Significant Impact on Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans After Katrina

12/8/2020

 
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans is grateful to Gambit for the vital role and significant impact their numerous articles made in our efforts to reform and consolidate the southeast Louisiana levee boards and Orleans assessors’ offices in 2006. Gambit enhanced our visibility and credibility immeasurably.

 “Enraged and Engaged” by Gambit’s Clancy DuBos in early 2006, spread the story of our reform efforts to citizens from across the city. DuBos states,” One of the bright spots since Hurricane Katrina is the awaking of civic responsibility by ordinary citizens. People are enraged and engaged and the politicians had better take note. The best example to date is a coalition founded by women demanding the region’s levee boards be consolidated.” In the first special session of the state legislature in November of 2005, a House Committee killed the reform measure that had been supported by the New Orleans Business Council. Citizens for 1 took up the gauntlet through a petition drive, causing Governor Blanco to call another special session focused on levee board reform and consolidation. DuBos stated, “The petition drive appears to be more popular than blue roofs.”

“Da Winnas and Da Loozas ‘ by Clancy DuBos rated Citizen Activists as the number one Winna.-“ Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans proved that a handful of committed people can still make a difference in a democracy . The group, which formed around a kitchen table in Uptown New Orleans and quickly grew into a metro-wide, diverse, and irresistible force for change, lobbied to get levee board and assessor amendments on the September 30th and November 7th ballots, respectively, and passed. “

Top 10 Political Stories of 2006 by Clancy DuBos of Gambit –The Number 1 Story  Consolidations- “ For all that went wrong in 2006, reforming the levee boards and merging the assessors into one office will have a lasting positive effect on government and politics.”

​Again, congratulations on the 40th anniversary of Gambit Weekly. I have been a reader all 40 years. You have guided readers through research and observation that has helped in making New Orleans a better city, and our citizens as more involved and engaged.
​
Under the leadership of our Chair Blair Du Quesnay and the Executive Committee, Citizens for 1 GNO continues its mission in pre-K- 12 public education, areas of criminal justice, and ethics / good government reform at the state and local levels.

Ruthie Frierson. Founder
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
Read the full article

FORWARD NEW ORLEANS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELEASES SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE SCORECARD

10/7/2020

 
Picture
Picture

Voter Tool Shows Which Candidates Pledge to Support Platform for Excellence and Equity

Today, Forward New Orleans for Public Schools (FNOPS) released a scorecard showing which of the candidates for Orleans Parish School Board pledged to support the group’s platform ahead of the Nov. 3 election. FNOPS, a diverse coalition of more than 20 civic, business and neighborhood organizations committed to increasing the number of quality public school options and ensuring equal access to quality education citywide, worked together to develop the platform, which is intended to guide School Board members in accomplishing these goals. In connection with the platform’s release in July, FNOPS interviewed candidates and sought a pledge from each to implement the platform’s action items. Both the platform and scorecard can be viewed at fnops.org.

Learn more
The platform establishes issues the coalition defines as most important to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for New Orleans public school students: (1) racial equity evaluation, planning and training; (2) COVID-19 and emergency planning; (3) system-wide strategic planning and stakeholder engagement; (4) expansion and replication of successful schools; (5) ensuring all students have equitable access to resources; (6) school standards and accountability; (7) resource management; and (8) collaboration on best practices. 

“We are very pleased the overwhelming majority of candidates support the platform,” said Kelisha Garrett, Executive Director of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, a FNOPS member organization. “The platform represents a consensus among advocacy organizations around policies and ideas that support all students, and the scorecard of candidates who pledge to support the platform is a useful tool for voters to consider when deciding how they will cast their ballots. This unique focus ensures that the voices of our collective organizations are included and presented to those that will have the responsibility to implement the mandates and work hand in hand as we create the educational experience our students deserve.”

The candidates who pledged to support the FNOPS 2020 School Board Elections Platform are:
•    John A. Brown, District 1
•    Patrice Sentino, District 1
•    Ethan Ashley, District 2
•    Asya M. Howlette, District 2
•    Eric Jones, District 2
•    Chanel M. Payne, District 2 
•    Philip C. "Phil" Brickman, District 3
•    Olin Parker, District 3
•    Leslie Ellison, District 4
•    Jancarlo "J.C." Romero, District 4
•    Katherine Baudouin, District 5
•    Grisela Jackson, District 5
•    Antoinette Williams, District 5
•    Erica Martinez, District 6
•    Carlos L. Zervigon, District 6
•    Nolan Marshall Jr., District 7
•    Jamar Wilson, District 7

The following candidates either declined or did not respond to requests to interview with FNOPS:
•    Aldine Lockett, District 2 
•    Winston "Boom" Whitten Jr., District 4
•    David Alvarez, District 6
•    Kayonna K. Armstrong, District 7

After the election, FNOPS will hold School Board members accountable by monitoring and encouraging their performance and periodically reporting on their progress towards completing the platform’s action items. This process is intended to keep the community engaged and active in holding elected officials accountable for the actions to which they have committed.

EXPLORE THE PLATFORM

Forward New Orleans for Public Schools includes: Agenda for Children, Alliance for Diversity and Excellence, Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, Ed Navigator, Education Reform Now LA, Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, Kingsley House, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, New Orleans & Co., New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, New Schools for New Orleans, Public School Advocates, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Urban League of Louisiana, Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training, and Young Leadership Council.

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CANDIDATES: OPSB ELECTIONS 2020

9/11/2020

 
Picture

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 This November, New Orleanians will head to the polls to make decisions that impact the lives of our children and neighbors. With our nation in crisis, these national, state, and local choices are urgent. One local choice is the OPSB election.

The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) holds schools to high standards of academic and operational accountability, while also ensuring equity for families. OPSB does important work, such as approving the Charter School Accountability Framework, managing finances and other resources, approving the NOLA-PS budget, and hiring the Superintendent. The board also holds the Superintendent accountable for developing and executing a plan to ensure a high-quality school system for all students.

Learn more >

2 favorites to lead Louisiana public schools emerge, and the vote is coming up soon

5/11/2020

 
​BY WILL SENTELL | STAFF WRITER | The Advocate
Picture
Assistant State Superintendent of Education Jessica Baghian, center, talks to three year old Lillian W education leaders and local policymakers to the early childhood education center at Close to Hom Lafayette La
After a four-month hunt in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, Louisiana’s top school board is poised to name a new state superintendent of education.

Six finalists are in the mix, but two educators who represent different wings of the public schools debate remain favorites for the job, which is set to be filled on May 20.

They are Assistant State Superintendent of Education Jessica Baghian, who is seen as the favorite of school overhaul advocates, and Jefferson Parish schools superintendent Cade Brumley, who is believed to the choice of fellow superintendents, school board members and teacher unions.

The question is whether Baghian or Brumley can win the minimum eight votes needed for the job from the 11-member state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, or whether a compromise candidate emerges.Those who will make the call are saying little in public.

"The BESE members are keeping it very close to the vest," said Brigitte Nieland, government affairs director for the advocacy group Stand for Children.None of the candidates have locked up the job.
​
"We do not have eight votes for any of the top candidates," said Sandy Holloway, president of BESE.

BESE member Kira Orange Jones, who leads the work group that has led the search, said it is unclear whether the race remains wide open or a consensus is developing.

"The truth is I don't know," Jones said. "It is hard to say. I think board members are certainly deliberating."

One of the other contenders, former St. James Parish schools superintendent Lonnie Luce, is mentioned as a dark horse candidate.

Luce, 51, also led the state's first online charter school, which means he has experience in both the traditional and new public school camps.

The other finalists are Heather Poole, 46, executive vice-chancellor of Central Louisiana Technical Community College in Alexandria; Joe Siedlecki, 44, associate commissioner for school system support, innovation and charters, Texas Education Agency and Paul Vallas, 66, former superintendent of the Recovery School District.

Holloway and others hope to agree on a superintendent on May 20, so he or she can be confirmed by the state Senate before adjournment on June 1.

At stake is one of the most powerful jobs in state government, and the leader of roughly 720,000 public school students.

The superintendent carries out BESE policies.

But the post also carries a huge influence in shaping student testing, teacher training and evaluations, whether charter schools flourish or flounder, school ratings, the role of vouchers and the direction of public schools after two decades of sweeping changes.
​
All eight of BESE's elected members were backed by business groups, which would seem to favor Baghian, 35, since business has generally backed the push to overhaul public schools since 2000.
Read full story >
<<Previous

    Archives

    2019
    2018​
    ​2017

    ​2016
    2015
    2014
    2013
    2012
    2011 - 2015

Home

About

Reforms

​​News

​​Donate

contact


​Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans      |      Copyright © 2021
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Executive Committee
    • Resource Council
    • Citizens Reform Movement
    • Coalition Partners
    • Resources
    • Awards & Recognitions
  • Reforms
    • Assessor Reform >
      • Assessors Reform Movement
      • Orleans Parish Assessors Office
    • Community >
      • Forward New Orleans
      • Advocacy Training
    • Criminal Justice >
      • Committee
      • Criminal Justice Reform Movement
      • Criminal Justice Committee Activities
    • Education >
      • Committee
      • Legislative Activity
      • BESE >
        • BESE Members
      • Louisiana Dept. Of Education
    • Ethics & Good Government >
      • Ethics Reform History >
        • OIG Town Forum
        • Activities and Reports
    • Levees >
      • Levee Board Reform
      • Corp of Engineers Levee Tour
  • News & Archives
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015: Katrina 10, Education, General & Levees >
      • Katrina 10
    • 2014: Levees & Education
    • 2013: General & Levees
    • 2012: Ethics, General & Levees
    • 2011 - 2005 >
      • Assessors- Archives
      • Community- Archives
      • Crime - Archives
      • Ethics- Archives
      • General - Archives
      • Levees - Archives
  • How to participate
    • Donations
  • Legislative Activity
  • Contact Us