WHAT:
NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) will be hosting a virtual public meeting to collect feedback on the list of proposed names submitted by the community to the Facilities Renaming Committee for the retitling of school buildings. Specifically, the District would like public input to help match the proposed names on the list to the school buildings selected for renaming.
The final list of names submitted by the public is attached. It will placed on the website and may be accessed by visiting: https://nolapublicschools.com/renaming
These names reflect great figures from our local and national community.
NOLA-PS is New Orleans, and so we need the voices of our neighbors, families, and friends to help guide us through this process. We encourage the public to continue submitting feedback in support of any names on this list. Your comments and insights will be shared with the renaming committee. We want to hear great stories about the great recommendations on this list.
Public comment during this meeting will be limited to 1 minute per person to maximize public input. Any comment longer than 1 minute should be submitted via email to community@nolaublicschools.com.
NOLA-PS will be accepting ongoing community feedback throughout the Renaming Initiative process. For further details, visit: https://nolapublicschools.com/renaming
WHEN:
Wednesday, May 5 @ 4:30PM
WHERE:
Renaming Initiative Public Meeting
Dial in numbers: (301) 715-8592; (312) 626-6799; (253) 215-8782
WHY:
As NOLA-PS moves forward in renaming school facilities that have been identified as honoring figures from our painful past, we are asking the public to help match the proposed names with the appropriate school buildings.
The NOLA-PS administration outlined a plan to rename school facilities in response to recent public requests and in accordance with policy approved by the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). The OPSB believes all schools should be welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places for all students. Our goal is to ensure the names of these physical school facilities and the people that we honor reflect the values of the school district.
As their policy states, the OPSB is fundamentally opposed to retaining names of school facilities named for persons who were slave owners, confederate officials, or segregation supporters.
The Renaming Committee welcomes public feedback as it considers historical context, and local community ties of persons, places, or historical events to be honored by renaming school buildings. Through this process, the Renaming Committee is responsible for submitting renaming recommendations to the superintendent, who will ultimately present the final recommendations to the OPSB.
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. But public input is, and will be, a vital part of this process. 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 is being 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.
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.