WHAT:
NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) will be hosting a public meeting to gather community input on names the District should consider, as it moves forward in renaming 21 school facilities that currently honor figures from our painful past. Specifically, we want to receive input from the public about the great figures from our local and national community the renaming committee has already received, as well as newly proposed names.
NOLA-PS is New Orleans, and so we need the voices of our neighbors, families, and friends to help guide us through this process.
Public comment will be limited to 1 minute per person to maximize public input during the meeting. Any comment longer than 1 minute should be submitted via email to community@nolaublicschools.com.
It's important to note NOLA-PS will be accepting community input through Friday, April 30, 2021.
WHEN:
Tuesday, April 27 @ 4:30PM
WHERE:
Renaming Initiative Public Meeting
Dial in numbers: (301) 715-8592; (312) 626-6799; (646) 558-865;, (253) 215-8782
Webinar ID: 942 6436 5004
WHY:
In response to recent public requests and in accordance with board policy, the NOLA-PS administration has outlined a plan to rename 21 school facilities. The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) believes all schools should be welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places for all students. OPSB is seeking to ensure the names of these physical school facilities, and the people that we honor through naming, reflect the values of the school district.
The School Board is fundamentally opposed to retaining names of school facilities named for persons who were slave owners, confederate officials, or segregation supporters.
The OPSB shall have sole authority to name or rename any school facility (i.e., school campuses, individual buildings, athletic fields, stadiums, gymnasiums, libraries, fields, tracks, and multipurpose rooms) private drive, or street it owns. The full Naming of Facilities policy can be found here.
It's important to note NOLA-PS has the authority to change the outward facing name on any of its buildings. However, it cannot change the program name designated by a Charter Management Organization (CMO). CMOs are autonomous and are governed by their own boards and leadership. Therefore, for example, the OPSB could change a school building's physical name to read Nelson Mandela School. But, if the CMO chooses to keep its program name, the school's official name would be titled as follows: "McDonogh 7 Charter School at the Nelson Mandela building." The renaming process will be guided by a Renaming Committee. In accordance with OPSB policy, this committee consists of a school board member appointed by the OPSB president; a representative of the NOLA-PS administration; and community members approved by the superintendent. The composition of the full Renaming Committee will be announced prior to the first public meeting on April 27, 2021.
The renaming committee will consider public feedback, historical context, and local community ties of persons, places, or historical events to be honored. They will also be tasked with putting forth name recommendations for facilities that have been approved to move forward in the Facilities Renaming Initiative. As qualified renaming recommendations are proposed, the committee will consider public feedback, historical context, and local community ties of persons, places, or historical events to be honored to guide recommendations.
The Renaming Committee will be responsible for submitting renaming recommendations to the superintendent, who will ultimately present the final recommendation to the OPSB.
For more details about the renaming initiative, visit: https://nolapublicschools.com/renaming
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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.