On Wednesday, July 17, qualifying begins for several races including U.S. Congress, two judicial positions, a clerk, a constable, and all seven members of the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). While several school board members could be reelected without opposition, two hot contests are already in the works with more possible.
Educator Eric “Doc” Jones and business executive Chan Tucker have both announced their candidacy for OPSB District 2 which includes portions of Gentilly, Upper Nine and New Orleans East. The seat is currently held by Ethan Ashley who has chosen not to seek re-election. KaTrina Chantelle Griffin, a nurse and community volunteer, has announced her candidacy for District 4 which encompasses the West Bank of Orleans Parish. Educator Dr. Donald Batiste, the District 4 incumbent, announced on July 16th that he will not seek re-election. Because of his last minute decision, no other candidates have emerged so far to enter the race.
In the District 2 race, Jones is a New Orleans native and life-long educator. He is dedicated to ensuring equal access to quality education for all children in New Orleans. “I have committed to running for the Orleans Parish School Board because of many issues including teacher shortage and retention, low performing charter schools, a lack of resources and an alarming level of parental concerns about bussing our children all over the city instead of having opportunities to attend their neighborhood schools,” Jones explained.
He is well-known throughout the district. Jones has made a significant impact as a teacher, leader and administrator who also contributed to the Upward Bound program for 9th – 12th grade scholars at Loyola University. He is in his second term as chairman of the District E caucus for the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee (OPDEC). Jones also serves on the board of New Orleans East Matters, the Downtown Development District (DDD) and the Industrial Development Board (IDB) and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Prince Hall Masonic.
Jones was appointed to education committees by Governors Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal and has worked with traditional and non-traditional school leaders. “Most importantly I have been an advocate for parents, families, and students,” said Jones.
Born and raised in Arkansas on a farm close to the Louisiana state line, Tucker is a parent, volunteer and professional engineer at Entergy who leads transmission efforts. He manages 170 professionals, 300 contractors and a capital budget of $6 billion. Tucker serves on the board of the Orleans Parish charter school his two children attend. “I want them (his sons) and all children to have the life-changing educational opportunity that public education has given me,” Tucker explained. Tucker said he and his wife had the ability to send their two boys to any school but chose a public school that was the right fit for them. Tucker is also a Little League coach.
He is committed to ensuring all children in New Orleans have the opportunities provided by an excellent education. “It’s great that charter schools give families choices, but it also means we must work extra hard to ensure our schools give all students the education they deserve,” Tucker continued. His brother has cerebral palsy which “opened” Tucker’s eyes to how important it is for schools to work for every student.
A registered nurse who went on to earn an MBA, Griffin works in health care management and is the mother of two children who graduated from local schools. Griffin received inspiration from her mother who emphasized the transformative power of education.
Griffin has played a leadership role in several organizations including the National Association of University Women (NAUW), the New Orleans Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), the New Orleans Business & Professional Women’s Club (BPW) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). She is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.
According to a press release from her campaign, Griffin is driven by her belief in every child’s potential and aims to empower students to achieve their goals and contribute positively to their community. “I understand the challenges students face and the importance of fostering self-confidence and determination in them,” said Griffin.
Tucker and Griffin are thought to be supported by charter school advocate and philanthropist Leslie Jacobs. A former member of the OPSB and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BSBE), Jacobs was instrumental in the development of charter schools in Louisiana, especially Orleans Parish.
Several of the current OPSB board members share her views that charter schools are the preferred educational model and have received financial support from her. Though Jacobs no longer resides in New Orleans on a full-time basis, she is still fiercely protective of the city’s charter school movement and is willing to spend her time, energy and financial resources to keep the schools on their current path.
There are two other OPSB members who represent majority-minority districts. Rumors are flying that they too might receive challengers. One of those board members, Nolan Marshall, said he is determined to run for re-election because “the work is not done.”
Both the District 2 and District 6 races are part of the on-going tug of war between those forces who prefer an “all-charter” system and those who believe that low-performing schools should be brought back into fold for special attention from NOLA-PS. The first school to return to NOLA-PS management is the former Lafayette Academy, an elementary school at 2727 S. Carrollton which previously served almost 500 students. Lafayette Academy lost its charter due to poor performance. No other charter groups stepped up to take the school over.
After several heated discussions, the OPSB accepted a plan presented by NOLA-PS Superintendent Avis Williams to rebrand and operate the facility as The Leah Chase School. With support from the Chase family’s foundation, the school will have a rich arts curriculum – sort of like an Uptown NOCCA. The school building has been the beneficiary of significant federal funding which has created an attractive learning environment.
The campaign for The Leah Chase School to operate as an OPSB-managed facility was spearheaded by OPSB Vice President Leila Eames who worked for the Orleans Parish public schools for more than three decades as a teacher, program coordinator and associate superintendent as well as by School Board member Dr. Donaldo Batiste. Supporters of Eames including Councilmember Oliver Thomas, State Rep. Jason Hughes and outgoing OPSB member Ethan Ashley, recently hosted a successful fundraiser for her re-election campaign. Frequently outspoken on issues close to her heart, Eames is determined to find the best management structure for every school.
Ever since charter schools emerged onto the New Orleans scene, State Senator Joe Bouie -a former educator and chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) – has opposed the charters. He has continued to call the movement “a failed experiment” which has negatively impacted thousands of minority students. For years the OPSB turned a blind eye to Bouie’s rhetoric but that is no longer the case.
Now that Supt. Williams has developed the infrastructure to once-again operate schools in-house; there are several other low-performing schools in the NOLA-PS system that the OPSB could manage in successive years. Will bringing low performing schools back into the fold become a trend? The likelihood of that happening depends on who gets elected on November 5. Qualifying for school board and other local offices will take place at the Office of Darren Lombard, the Clerk of Criminal District Court, and ends Friday, July 19.
