Orleans Parish School Board sues the state for right to evaluate charter school applications
Published: Friday, November 26, 2010, 8:50 AM Updated: Friday, November 26, 2010, 8:50 AM
The Orleans Parish School Board has filed suit against state education officials, seeking to be removed from its "academically in crisis" status and allowed to evaluate nine charter school applications that have been filed directly with the state.
Orleans Parish School Board officials have been mounting an intensive public relations effort to convince BESE and the public that the district is ready to take back at least some schools.A hearing on the board's cease-and-desist request is scheduled for Nov. 30 in front of Orleans Civil District Court Judge Piper Griffin.
In a sign of how important the district considers the issue, former U.S. Attorney Harry Rosenberg, now a partner at Phelps Dunbar, is its lead attorney.
If the lawsuit is successful, the nine charter school applications currently in process would not need to be restarted. Last week, the board decided that it would use the same recommendations the state is using to make decisions about the applications.
"Being that the district has the highest bond rating in the city and is ranked academically third in state and third in the rate of improvement, those applications should come before the Orleans Parish School Board," board President Woody Koppel said.
In addition to the Louisiana Department of Education and the state Board of Elementary and