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Starting Over: A Post-Katrina Education

  • FINAL BELL

    I wanted to make my last entry in the “Starting Over” blog distinctive by detailing a chronology of the last week of school. Unfortunately, everything was happening so fast that I did not have time to write about it. Today, I am reserving the time for this special piece of [...]

    Posted: May 28, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
  • Congratulations!

    Four hours ago, Board members, Tracie, Madonna and I, had the privilege of presenting awards to a few hundred students at our schools first annual Scholastic Awards Ceremony. The auditorium was filled to capacity for this special event. One of the teachers did an outstanding job of decorating the [...]
    Posted: May 14, 2008, 11:55pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Congratulations!

    Four hours ago, Board members, Tracie, Madonna and I, had the privilege of presenting awards to a few hundred students at our school’s first annual Scholastic Awards Ceremony. The auditorium was filled to capacity for this special event. One of the teachers did an outstanding job of decorating the room [...]

    Posted: May 14, 2008, 11:55pm EDT
  • Prayers Answered

    The operation on our former principal was a success. She has survived a pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, a medically induced coma and more. Now she is out of the woods. Thank you for all of you prayers. [...]
    Posted: May 10, 2008, 3:56am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Prayers Answered

    The operation on our former principal was a success. She has survived a pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, a medically induced coma and more. Now she is “out of the woods.” Thank you for all of you prayers.

    [...]
    Posted: May 10, 2008, 3:56am EDT
  • Racing Against the Clock

    In the past, I have always loved the closing days of school. Not because it signaled the end of the session, but because it was a time to assess what had been accomplished and begin planning for the next year. It was like getting ready for New Years Eve. [...]
    Posted: May 10, 2008, 3:44am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Racing Against the Clock

    In the past, I have always loved the closing days of school. Not because it signaled the end of the session, but because it was a time to assess what had been accomplished and begin planning for the next year. It was like getting ready for New Year’s Eve. In [...]

    Posted: May 10, 2008, 3:44am EDT
  • In Prayer

    Yesterday was an emotional time for me, with shocking ups and downs all day. The best experience was picking up the trophies, medallions, and ribbons for the Scholastic Awards Night which is coming up in two weeks. The worst was news that a friend and colleague, our schools former [...]
    Posted: May 02, 2008, 1:27pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • In Prayer

    Yesterday was an emotional time for me, with shocking ups and downs all day. The best experience was picking up the trophies, medallions, and ribbons for the Scholastic Awards Night which is coming up in two weeks. The worst was news that a friend and colleague, our schools former [...]
    Posted: May 02, 2008, 1:27pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • In Prayer

    Yesterday was an emotional time for me, with shocking ups and downs all day. The best experience was picking up the trophies, medallions, and ribbons for the Scholastic Awards Night which is coming up in two weeks. The worst was news that a friend and colleague, our school’s former [...]

    Posted: May 02, 2008, 1:27pm EDT
  • A Beautiful Morning

    The Professional Development day went off without a hitch. The atmosphere at the Basin St. Station was exciting. The meeting was held in the 4th floor reception hall with a view overlooking the neighborhood. The breakfast menu blended traditional foods with health foods. Good coffee is a requirement in [...]
    Posted: May 01, 2008, 2:14am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • A Beautiful Morning

    The Professional Development day went off without a hitch. The atmosphere at the Basin St. Station was exciting. The meeting was held in the 4th floor reception hall with a view overlooking the neighborhood. The breakfast menu blended traditional foods with health foods. Good coffee is a requirement in New [...]

    Posted: May 01, 2008, 2:14am EDT
  • Spring Fever

    Do the students have Spring Fever? Have some of our teachers moved at a clip that was too fast and so hard that they are running out of gas before the end of the school year? Are there so many fires to put out that one administrator cant possibly [...]
    Posted: April 23, 2008, 1:04am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Spring Fever

    Do the students have Spring Fever? Have some of our teachers moved at a clip that was too fast and so hard that they are running out of gas before the end of the school year? Are there so many fires to put out that one administrator can’t possibly stay [...]

    Posted: April 23, 2008, 1:04am EDT
  • Supply and Demand, Amen

    As I searched the aisles of Home Depot a little while ago looking for chandelier cleaner, I spotted the famous McDonogh 42 Elementary Charter School Second Grade Teacher extraordinaire, Paulette Larkin, with her grandchildren making a purchase. Okay, maybe Im exaggerating her fame, but not her extraordinary status. Shes [...]
    Posted: April 15, 2008, 12:27am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Supply and Demand, Amen

    As I searched the aisles of Home Depot a little while ago looking for chandelier cleaner, I spotted the famous McDonogh 42 Elementary Charter School Second Grade Teacher extraordinaire, Paulette Larkin, with her grandchildren making a purchase. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating her fame, but not her extraordinary status. She’s an [...]

    Posted: April 15, 2008, 12:27am EDT
  • Awards Day Plans

    Im going to have some fun before I call it quits for tonight. I am going to create the Awards Day form for our teachers to list the students being recognized for outstanding performances. The reviewers need it by tomorrow morning, so I am on a deadline. This blog [...]
    Posted: April 09, 2008, 10:56pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Awards Day Plans

    I’m going to have some fun before I call it quits for tonight. I am going to create the Awards Day form for our teachers to list the students being recognized for outstanding performances. The reviewers need it by tomorrow morning, so I am on a deadline. This blog will [...]

    Posted: April 09, 2008, 10:56pm EDT
  • If I'm on Time . . . .

    I am going to an 8:00 meeting tomorrow morning to observe some principals in a focus group on leadership issues in New Orleans schools. This goes against the first of my four retirement rules. 1. No 8:00 meetings (a.m. or p.m.) 2. No Monday through Friday employment 3. No [...]
    Posted: April 08, 2008, 1:22am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • If I'm on Time . . . .

    I am going to an 8:00 meeting tomorrow morning to observe some principals in a focus group on leadership issues in New Orleans schools. This goes against the first of my four retirement rules.
    1. No 8:00 meetings (a.m. or p.m.)
    2. No Monday through Friday employment
    [...]

    Posted: April 08, 2008, 1:22am EDT
  • Where the Rubber Meets the Road

    Its been one hell of a week in New Orleans. The weather has gone from beautiful, windy spring days to frighteningly stormy nights. Weve had tornado warnings and now the Mississippi river is cresting at a level much higher than usual. These weather changes shouldnt cause too much concern, [...]
    Posted: April 06, 2008, 12:21am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Where the Rubber Meets the Road

    It’s been one hell of a week in New Orleans. The weather has gone from beautiful, windy spring days to frighteningly stormy nights. We’ve had tornado warnings and now the Mississippi river is cresting at a level much higher than usual. These weather changes shouldn’t cause too much concern, but [...]

    Posted: April 06, 2008, 12:21am EDT
  • Money, Money, Money

    My friend Sr. Judy Gomila celebrated her 50-year Jubilee at Our Lady of Holy Cross College Chapel this morning. Its hard to believe she was already a nun when I was starting Kindergarten. Shes as vibrant and funny as she was when I met her in my early teen [...]
    Posted: March 30, 2008, 2:34am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Money, Money, Money

    My friend Sr. Judy Gomila celebrated her 50-year Jubilee at Our Lady of Holy Cross College Chapel this morning. It’s hard to believe she was already a nun when I was starting Kindergarten. She’s as vibrant and funny as she was when I met her in my early teen [...]

    Posted: March 30, 2008, 2:34am EDT
  • In Mourning

    Many young people have been mourning the loss of Lance Zarders, one of my former students at Oretha Castle Haley Elementary School. I promised to post the link to his Guestbook where friends and family can express their sentiments. Lance was the second teenaged son to be murdered in [...]
    Posted: March 25, 2008, 1:19pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • In Mourning

    Many young people have been mourning the loss of Lance Zarders, one of my former students at Oretha Castle Haley Elementary School. I promised to post the link to his Guestbook where friends and family can express their sentiments. Lance was the second teenaged son to be murdered in the [...]

    Posted: March 25, 2008, 1:19pm EDT
  • Confession

    Im a procrastinator. I put off tasks that are tedious, unpleasant, or difficult until the last minute. I am rarely early for meetings, assignments, or church. I think that Ive always been a little late, even for parties, weddings and fun activities. Whether its a doctors appointment, a beauty [...]
    Posted: March 24, 2008, 1:03pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Confession

    I’m a procrastinator. I put off tasks that are tedious, unpleasant, or difficult until the last minute. I am rarely early for meetings, assignments, or church. I think that I’ve always been a little late, even for parties, weddings and fun activities. Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, a beauty [...]

    Posted: March 24, 2008, 1:03pm EDT
  • Happy Easter

    Yesterday was one of the best days weve had at our school this year. We didnt get any great news about winning a grant or contest. The LEAP testing was just completed last week. So, we didnt get any reports of high student achievement. But, several very special and [...]
    Posted: March 21, 2008, 2:20pm EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Happy Easter

    Yesterday was one of the best days we’ve had at our school this year. We didn’t get any great news about winning a grant or contest. The LEAP testing was just completed last week. So, we didn’t get any reports of high student achievement. But, several very special and very [...]

    Posted: March 21, 2008, 2:20pm EDT
  • Victim

    Victim identified in Frenchmen St. killing Saturday, March 15, 2008 From staff reports The 17-year-old shot to death Wednesday night in the 1600 block of Frenchmen Street has been identified by the Orleans Parish coroner's office as Lance Zarders of New Orleans. Police officers sent to that location after getting a [...]
    Posted: March 16, 2008, 4:50am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Victim

    Victim identified in Frenchmen St. killing
    Saturday, March 15, 2008
    From staff reports
    The 17-year-old shot to death Wednesday night in the 1600 block of Frenchmen Street has been identified by the Orleans Parish coroner's office as Lance Zarders of New Orleans.

    Police officers sent to that location after [...]

    Posted: March 16, 2008, 4:50am EDT
  • Crescent City Connection

    As we drove in a crisscross pattern through the streets of New Orleans this afternoon, Betsy and I talked about the effects of poverty on children. We agreed that the similarities between these children were more numerous than the differences regardless to whether they lived in Boston or the [...]
    Posted: March 13, 2008, 1:59am EDT
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Paid Help

    Today, I had an interesting conversation with another Charter School Board President. He was encouraging me to consider hiring an educational management organization to take over some of the administrative tasks we have been doing to allow us more free time and the opportunity to be just Board members, [...]
    Posted: March 06, 2008, 11:11pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Litigation

    I have a pretty strange assignment for the weekend. The Director of Recovery School District Charter Schools sent out a letter requesting copies of our salary schedules. This is in response to a public records request by a group of lawyers. I recognized a few of the names on [...]
    Posted: March 02, 2008, 1:46am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • A Parallel Universe

    Its strangely like living in two parallel universes at the same time. We are still staffing vacant positions, purchasing A-V equipment, maps and globes, etc., all activities for the opening of school. At the same time, we are beginning plans for the end of year faculty retreat. We just [...]
    Posted: February 28, 2008, 1:20am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Love of Basketball

    Last week, I was watching the NBA All-Stars Saturday Night Jam. In the comfort of my home, I enjoyed the events that included the 3-point shoot out and the Slam Dunk contest. We were in the middle of the NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans. Basketball greats like Kobe [...]
    Posted: February 19, 2008, 11:21am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Teaching the Test

    We are in our countdown to LEAP testing. Beginning on March 10th, our fourth and eighth grade students will be taking high-stakes, state mandated criterion referenced tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Their scores will determine whether or not they can be promoted to the [...]
    Posted: February 15, 2008, 1:37am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Good News

    I'm not really taking the day off just because school is closed for one more day as everyone recovers from Mardi Gras festivities. I'm taking the day off from blogging because Times-Picayune columnist, Sheila Stroup, did a much better job than I could in writing about a special event [...]
    Posted: February 06, 2008, 8:29pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Happy Mardi Gras!

    I love the marching bands, the high school dance teams, and the cleverly themed floats. I like to see the people in crazy costumes, the happy families, and the colorful throws flying from the hands of float riders to the eager clutches of spectators. Teenagers, in my day, had [...]
    Posted: February 05, 2008, 3:06pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Dancing the Two-Step

    This morning, I was thinking about the progress weve made in the past month. The New Year started off well for us at McDonogh 42 Elementary Charter School. Weve been able to hire a bright, young man for our middle school math position. The students reception was positive at their [...]
    Posted: January 29, 2008, 6:55pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Knights Around the Tables

    In honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, many of our local high school and college students decided to do service projects today. Our school benefited from the services of 12 young men from a nearby boys high school. The students arrived at our school promptly at 9:30 [...]
    Posted: January 21, 2008, 7:39pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Off to a Great Start

    One of the best things about working is schools is that you have a chance to start a new year twice, once when school opens and a second time when the calendar year changes. Weve started the new year with a bang. We hired a full-time speech therapist that started [...]
    Posted: January 17, 2008, 12:20am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Saturday Morning

    Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. --Lee Holz This morning, I attended a 2-hour meeting at a neighborhood high school. It was a city-wide School Facilities Master Plan for New Orleans meeting to determine the fate of every public [...]
    Posted: January 12, 2008, 8:13pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Stolen Property

    The laptop computers we purchased for the teachers were scheduled for delivery today. They have a fellow teacher to thank for planting the idea with the Board. Like so many of our faculty members, she was teaching in another state last year. When she returned to the city, she shared [...]
    Posted: January 11, 2008, 12:01am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • A Come to Jesus Meeting with Paul2

    Our State Superintendent, Paul Pastorek (Paul #1), convened a meeting of charter school leaders today. Our topics included discussions around bureaucratic creep, a term for increasing supervision and interference by the local education agencies in the autonomy provided to charter schools. Mr. Pastorek listened attentively to each person explain his [...]
    Posted: January 10, 2008, 1:13am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Are We Having Fun Yet?

    During my 32-year career as an educator, I was approached on several occasions by people who wanted to know if I had considered applying for the Superintendency in the New Orleans Public Schools. This was more prevalent after I received my Ph.D. in 1998. From my perspective, there were several [...]
    Posted: January 06, 2008, 8:39pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • All I Want for Christmas

    In 1984, I was still a probationary principal at Charles E. Gayarre Elementary School. Although the name of the school was changed to Oretha Castle Haley in 1995, it was in the same Bywater neighborhood in New Orleanss eighth ward where it had stood since 1896 when it first opened. [...]
    Posted: January 04, 2008, 4:41pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Something Special

    A newspaper reporter called me yesterday to ask if I wanted to make a comment on a story she was writing about Special Education and the charter schools. Im not sure what her angle was but she mentioned having talked to the parent of one of our schools students. The [...]
    Posted: January 02, 2008, 9:04pm EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.
  • Christmas Vacation Bah! Humbug!

    I was really looking forward to a break for the next two weeks while school was closed for the winter holiday. But, theres so much that needs to be completed, we really cant afford to stop. Its more like catch up time than vacation time. Early this morning I got several [...]
    Posted: December 28, 2007, 12:03am EST
    by Roslyn Johnson Smith, Ph.D.

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Starting Over: A Post-Katrina Education

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