(l to r: Einstein Charter School CEO Shawn Toranto, BESE 2nd District member Kira Orange Jones, Principal Lela Stewart, BESE Member At- Large Judith Miranti, Principal Glendalyn Lewis, BESE Executive Director Heather Cope, and BESE Research and Policy Analyst Alison Borchgrevink)

WHAT:          Sci High is honored to host Dr. Gloria Jackson Bacon, a New Orleans native and Xavier University graduate who moved to Chicago in 1958 for medical school and started a clinic to care for the underserved, low-income patients on Chicago's South Side. Dr. Bacon is visiting as part of a national program “History Makers”, a yearly opportunity to have accomplished local African Americans speak to students about their childhood, education, struggles, and accomplishments, as well as encourage students to commit to following their dreams and finding success.   

WHEN: Friday, September 27, 9-11:30 9-9:30 Class visits 9:30-10:30 Presentation in auditorium 10:30-11:30 Lunch with students and class visits  

WHERE: Sci High, 5625 Loyola Ave., New Orleans  

WHY:  Dr. Jackson spent her career bringing much-needed health care to an underserved community, however her interests extend past medicine and social activism to professional singing and being a poetry aficionado. Dr. Bacon plans on messaging to students that you must follow your passion, whether in medicine or the creative arts.  For more information on Dr. Bacon:  http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/dr-gloria-jackson-bacon-39   Last year as part of “History Makers” Sci High hosted John Moore, better known as New Orleans famed musician Deacon John, and students were captivated by both the music he played and the stories he told. History Makers has the nation's largest African-American video and oral history collection, which Sci High has access to as a host school. 

For more information on History Makers:   www.thehistorymakers.com
For more information on Sci High, go to: www.noscihigh.org    

CONTACT:
Press Office (202) 401-1576 or [email protected] or H. Harper (504) 897-6110

LAKE FOREST CHARTER ELEMENTARY SELECTED BY
U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN AS ONE OF
286 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS FOR 2013
 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan just announced this morning that Lake Forest Elementary Charter School, one of the highest academic performing charter schools in Louisiana, is one of only 286 public schools chosen in the country as the 2013 cohort of National Blue Ribbon Schools.

The selection is based on the school’s overall academic excellence and/or their progress in improving student academic achievement, according to Secretary Duncan, who made this year’s announcement live this morning via the Department's USTREAM channel, viewed by recognized principals, teachers, and students assembled across the country.

The program recognizes schools in one of two performance categories. The first category is “Exemplary High Performing,” in which schools are recognized among their state’s highest performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests. The second category is “Exemplary Improving,” in which schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds demonstrate the most progress in improving student achievement levels as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests.

Lake Forest won in the Exemplary High Performing category.

Lake Forest school leaders, including Chief Executive Officer Mardele Simmons Early, will be honored with 235 other public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 18-19 in Washington, D.C. In its 31-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on nearly 7,500 of America’s schools.

As the VP for Project Management at Sisung Group, one might think that Liza Sherman has enough on her plate.  Her projects include administration of a $173 million construction program at fourteen community and technical colleges throughout Louisiana, and a Medicaid funding consulting engagement. Yet even with those extensive responsibilities, Liza prioritizes volunteerism through board service at ReNEW Schools and as Chair of the Development Committee.

Symposium marks 50th anniversary of JFK assassination  
For media inquiries, contact: J.Barnes (504) 897-6110 OR Kris Millegan – (800) 556-2012 or [email protected]

Judyth Vary Baker the author of ME AND LEE: How I came to know, love and lose Lee Harvey Oswald, is making her first appearance in New Orleans in more than a decade to discuss her intimate relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald and why she believes he is not the killer of President John F. Kennedy.

She will be joined at the one-day symposium exploring the 50th anniversary of the assassination’s events linked to New Orleans with Louisiana reporter and author Todd Elliott, whose book A Rose by Many Other Names, explores the link between Eunice resident Rose Cherami and the JFK assassination. Ms. Rose was picked up by authorities 48 hours before the assassination and was the first non-public investigation into the murder.

Both authors will be the featured speakers at Loyola University’s Miller Hall, Room 114 on Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon, in New Orleans.  The symposium is sponsored by Trineday Publishing and Attorney Stuart H. Smith.

Stuart H. Smith, J.D. '86, one of the largest donors to the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and founder of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice at the university’s Broadway campus, was honored Sept. 18 with a sculpture unveiling of his likeness.The event took place at the law clinic and was hosted by College of Law Dean María Pabón López, J.D.

The sculpture is by Jeroen Henneman, a 71-year-old Dutch visual artist whose works are included at the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands
and are represented in the U.S. by Sotheby's.

Smith has practiced law for 25 years, litigating against oil companies and other energy-related corporations for damages associated with radioactive oilfield waste. He has been lead counsel on a number of oil pollution cases, which focus primarily on damages caused by produced water and sludges oil companies discharge into the environment. In 2001, Smith was lead counsel in an oilfield radiation case that resulted in a verdict of more than $1 billion against ExxonMobil for contaminating private property it leased from the Grefer family in Harvey, La. He is also representing thousands of individuals, businesses and property owners against BP for the largest man-made disaster in U.S. history in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic is a fully functioning legal clinic which allows third-year law students the opportunity to represent indigent clients under the supervision of experienced attorneys.

Civil District Court Judge Paulette Irons recently presented checks of $2500 each to the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Center and VIET New Orleans Learning Center, two non-profits promoting education in the Michoud area. The awards came from the settlement of a class-action lawsuit, wherein the proceeds had to benefit area service organizations. For more information about these programs visit www.mqvncdc.org and vietno.org

The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) today released the schedule for the third season of  their charter board recruitment and development program The Top Shelf, announced LAPCS Executive Director Caroline Roemer Shirley and Director of Governance Initiatives Makiyah Moody.
 
“We look to build upon the success of our previous series of workshops,” said Ms. Moody. “These sessions will offer current and potential charter governing board members critical insight on their responsibilities, while providing a sounding board for participants to reflect upon, and share with others, their personal learning journey as charter board members.”
 
Unlike traditional schools in Louisiana that are governed by an elected school board with centralized offices and standardized operations, charter schools are governed by a local, non-profit group of engaged community members empowered to make decisions as close to the student as possible. The Top Shelf enhances the capacity of charter school boards through professional development, board recruitment and community engagement, said Ms. Moody.

Contact: Heather Harper, Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools (504) 897-6110

The International School of Louisiana (ISL) will hold Open Houses for parents and prospective students in grades K-8 at its Uptown, Westbank, and Jefferson Parish (Bunche) Campuses.  Interested parents are invited to tour the school on these dates and learn about ISL’s unique and high quality education. The School's mission is to provide a challenging education emphasizing French and Spanish language immersion, international awareness, the celebration of diversity and community responsibility. Students from all over the state are invited to apply to ISL’s Uptown and Westbank Campuses.  ISL’s Jefferson Parish campus is open to Jefferson Parish residents only.  

WHEN/WHERE: 
International School of Louisiana (K-8)

Uptown Campus: 1400 Camp St., New Orleans, LA 70130 • (504) 654-1088 Tuesday, October 1 - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, October 5 - 10:00 a.m.  

Westbank Campus: 502 Olivier St., New Orleans, LA 70114 • (504) 274-4571 Thursday, October 3 - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, October 5 - 1:00 p.m.  

Bunche Campus (Jefferson Parish residents only): 8101 Simon St., Metairie, LA 70003 • (504) 934-4875 Thursday, October 24 - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, October 26 - 10:00 a.m.