Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education, Inc. (AAEE) which oversees Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS), recently elected Mark I. Baum, AIA to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Baum, Class of 1977, is not only a Franklin alumnus, founding member and past president of its Alumni Association, but also a parent of a current Franklin student. Mr. Baum is actively involved with the AAEE Facilities Committee and the Ben Franklin Athletic Association (BFAA). He is currently the principal of the New Orleans office of Chenevert Architects LLC.

“Mr. Baum brings a wealth of experience and will play a key role in advocating for and sustaining Franklin’s goals,” said Duris Holmes, AAEE Board President.

Dr. Timothy Rusnak, Franklin’s Principal/CEO added, “We are fortunate to have Mr. Baum join our board. His strong history of support of Franklin as a graduate, coupled with his highly respected reputation as an architect is a perfect match as we map out our future.”

(From L to R: First row: Corinne Williams, Meryl Hahne, Ezinne Agwaramgbo, Erin Howard; Second Row: Alfred Joseph, Diana Issokson, Elise Moore; Third Row: Matthew Buckley and Bram Lloyd. Not pictured: Bradford McCandless.)
 
Lusher Charter School is proud to announce the following ten students have been recognized by the National Scholarship Corp. for outstanding academic achievement.here to edit.

How did you become involved with this charter school?
I was invited to visit the Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy (JCFA) campus by current board member Dawn Palermo and Juvenile Court Judge Ann Keller. They were impressed and thought I would like to be a part of what JCFA was doing.
 
Why did you say yes when asked to serve?
Once I read the research on the need for the school and met the students and staff I wanted to be involved in pushing JCFA to its full potential.
 
What was compelling about the opportunity?
In my experience in the judicial system and working with “At Risk” youth, JCFA provided the perfect environment to reach an almost forgotten population. I am very passionate about the future of our city’s youth and I have dedicated my life to pushing them toward a positive purpose. JCFA affords me the opportunity to further that cause. I believe the board and staff are relentless in their pursuit to reach our youth.

So, the holiday break is upon you and there is no avoiding one reality: Your child is miserable in their school.            

This might not be what you wanted to concentrate on during the winter break, but it’s not uncommon.            

In Louisiana, some families are finding the switch to a free, public virtual school meets their needs.            

“Changing to a virtual charter school is not just a change of venue, but a change of mindset,” said Principal Caroline Wood, Louisiana Connections Academy.            

According to Principal Wood, the top reasons for switching schools mid-year usually are:
1.    Your child learns at a different pace—faster or slower—and the benefit of personalized learning and pacing from an online education will keep them engaged;

2.    The traditional classroom is not addressing your child’s needs to stay focused or recover self-esteem; or

3.    Your child’s athletic/performance/health schedule demands the flexibility of online education.

Two Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools members are moving to a new home for the holidays! Audubon Charter School is excited to announce its move of the Upper School Campus (Grades 4-8) from its current location on Carrollton Ave. to its newly renovated campus at 1111 Milan St. (the former McDonogh 7 campus).
 
New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (NOMMA) will begin moving into its brand new Federal City building at 425 O'Bannon St in Algiers on December 19.  Students previously attended classes in the old Navy Exchange site, just steps away from the new construction.
 
To accommodate its move, Audubon has changed the school calendar to make students’ last day of school for the holiday break December 17. Teachers will remain at the school packing their classrooms through December 20 with the moving company arriving after Christmas.  All teachers and staff will help with the move to the new building, with teachers returning on January 6 to unpack the new location before students return on January 9.
 
“This is the best present we can get this holiday season,” said Audubon Charter Principal Janice Dupuy.  "Having our students settled into the new location as soon as possible is an important component in finishing this school year strong.”

 EDWARD HYNES ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
PRESENTS HOLIDAY CONCERT
 

WHAT:     
Edward Hynes Charter Elementary School presents its annual holiday concert with performances by the chorus, the band and the theatre students.
 
WHEN:    
Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 6:30 PM
 
WHERE:  
Hynes Charter School, 990 Harrison Ave. in the gym
 
For more information, visit the website at www.hynesschool.org.

LEESVILLE, La.-Fort Polk Progress is confident that the Vernon Parish School District can withstand the scrutiny called for by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno in an Oct. 31 article published by the Army Times. In the article, Odierno said the Army would soon begin evaluating the performance of public schools near its installations in order to pressure officials to make improvements.

“We have to identify those schools that are under-performing, whether it be elementary schools, middle schools or high schools,” Odierno is quoted as saying in the article as he addresses a family forum at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting. “I’ve actually asked for an evaluation of every school outside of every Army installation.” Odierno made it very clear that the evaluations would be part of the criteria in future force structure decisions.

In a meeting of the Vernon Parish School Board Tuesday evening, Michael Reese, chairman of Fort Polk Progress, addressed the board, congratulating the district on its current successes and informing them of the Fort Polk Progress Education Initiative.

When Assessor Erroll G. Williams took his oath of office on January 1, 2011, he became the first citywide elected single Assessor for Orleans Parish. He now seeks re-election to that position.

As Orleans Parish Assessor, Williams oversees one of the state’s largest assessment rolls, valued at $4.5 billion, including 166,000 parcels and 10,000 businesses. The parish encompasses nearly 400 residential neighborhoods and 141 commercial corridors.

Assessor Williams has more than 35 years of experience in public service, including election as the Third Municipal District’s Assessor for more than 25 years. He is a Certified Louisiana Assessor and holds a Louisiana Real Estate License.

On November 7, 2006 Louisiana voters passed a measure (RS 47: 1901, Paragraph B) that reduced the number of Assessors in Orleans Parish from seven to one. Assessor Williams’ Third Municipal District was the largest of seven within the City of New Orleans.

In addition to his years of experience as a parish Assessor, Williams held various executive offices within the City of New Orleans, including Chief Administrative Officer (1984-85) and Director of Finance (1978-84). His esteemed career also includes time with Alexander Grant & Co. Certified Public Accountants (1975-78) and as an Internal Auditor with Goldman, Sachs, & Co., Investment Bankers (1971-73). He is a past President of the Louisiana Assessors’ Association.