JSHOP- Reporter

Education ‘hot topic’ of Town HallNOABJ gives residents chance to air concerns

JSHOP-Xavier University of Louisiana Volume 1, Issue 1 Summer 2012

The

Katrina, pg. 6Hurricane Katrina, 7 year anniversary

Town Hall meeting at Dillard University in Gentilly New Orleans residents listen to the panel.

For a local student’s point of view on the education sysytem, go to pg. 3

by Samantha Ramey and Trenton TurnerNABJ JSHOP Staff WritersSt. Mary’s Dominican H.S. and Thomas Jefferson

Heated discussions during the NABJ Town Hall Meeting on Post-Katrina Education on Tuesday championed the current state of charter school education in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

The National Association of Black Journal-ists organized a town hall meeting on Dillard University’s campus, where four speakers talked about school performances, funding and admissions.

Audience members were passionate about the views expressed by the panelists: Dr. Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Insti-tute of Education and Research; Kira Orange Jones, a member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in District 2; Eric B. Lewis, state director of the Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options and Karran Harper Royal, a public school parent.

Hill and Royal said charter schools have “cherry-picked” high-performing students and left behind low performing and special needs students, for the sake of enhancing approval rates and saving money.

“Charter schools evolved into political machines,” said Royal, who explained that she wanted to improve the school system not only

for her son but for “other little black boys” in New Orleans.

Hill said good students were being helped at the expense of lower-performing students, who could be kicked out of school for trivial rea-sons. He said charter schools were supposed to allow a wider range of school choices, but if the schools only want the best students, then not everyone has a choice.

“You can be expelled for sleeping,” he said.Royal said there is “a lack of choice” in

schools. She explained that her son had a hard time getting accepted in the schools. She was “on pins and needles” trying to make sure her son maintained a 2.0 GPA so he wouldn’t be kicked out of school.

Jones, who has been a local school board representative for six months, said she firmly believes that the current method of education is doing more good than harm. She said she doesn’t care about whether a school is charter or public, she cares about the quality of the instruction. Right now, where you live and your family’s income, can affect the quality of education you may receive, which isn’t fair.

“Demographics dictate destiny,” she said.Lewis said, 10 years ago the New Orleans

School District was one of the worst in the country, but earlier in 2012, school perfor-mances were better than in eastern Baton Rouge. He said that shows progress.

The attendants spoke their minds by calling out to the panelists. Some of them shouted, “Prove it!” and “Liar!”

Strong feelings flared all around the room even after the formal discussions ended.

One audience member, Rachael Gram of NABJ in New Orleans said there is a mad dash for power in the school system, so finding a school is very difficult. She said the panelists brought up valid points, but there was no defi-nite resolution. She explained that people are either on one side of the discussion or the other.

“There’s no middle ground,” she said.Orlando Lewellen, another NABJ mem-

ber from Dallas, Texas, said the struggle of education is not just relegated to his city, and that people must look at the issues with “open eyes.”

Reporter

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PublisherGregory LeeNABJ President

Executive EditorRussell LaCour

Managing EditorsSheryl Kennedy-HaydelReginald Ragland

Staff Writers: Amanda AddisonGeorge Aidoo Jr.Basha BallHeaven DouglasGwendolyn DucreKarlton HillAaron LaddJeBari LewisTyler PettigrewSamantha RameyMalik RossBrandon RouzanTre SuttonTrenton TurnerMia Williams

Staff Mentors:David T. Baker Sandra CombsEva Coleman Chrsitopher Cox, MSgt.Arnold CrumpBrenda Edgerton-WebsterAdriian GardnerJanice HaynesT.V. Johnson, Col.Kenneth Kunze, Capt.Dana LittlefieldBryan McDonnell, Sgt.Jeremy PierreCarl B. Redding Jr., Maj.Melinda SheltonLinda ShockleyTerrence Thames

Layout & DesignJulianne Brown

WebmasterDavid Baker

NABJ Staff LiaisonTiane Johnson

NABJ S.E.E.D. DirectorDemorris Lee

Lives, Education, Housing Still Stymied: Katrina 7 Years Later in New Orleans

libraries and local supermarkets in devastated areas were greatly damaged. According to Rachelle Oblack with About.com, “110 out of 126 public schools were completely destroyed.”

Rebuilding efforts since the tragedy have been made. The population of New Orleans is now 70.1 percent of pre-Katrina numbers, according to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. Pierre believes that slowly but surely, the city is getting back to the pre-Katrina way of life.

“No, the city will never be the same,” said author, actress and motivational speaker Phyllis Montana-LeBlanc who attended the New Orleans Association for Black Journalists Town Hall meeting June 19 at Dillard University. “I live in New Orleans East and they don’t have a hospital; there is no recovery in the black universe,” Montana-Leblanc said.

Education in New Orleans after Katrina is still a concern.

“Pre-Katrina the state of public schools was a reflection of what happened in the black community. We were treated like slaves,” said Charles Belonge, Project and Program manager for the city of New Orleans Department of Housing and Urban Development.

After marking its place as one of the nation’s most devastating tragedies, New Orleans’ school systems are still affected by Hurricane Katrina.

“Now there is so much discomfort and discourse toward children that are going to public schools. Teachers can’t teach and students have a hard time focusing. There is complete chaos,” Belonge said.

The screams and cries of victims filled the streets of New Orleans as water flowed down the concrete roads. A city so full of life and soul almost died in the blink of an eye.

To residents it is as if it was yesterday and not seven years ago when the city of New Orleans was struck with the third strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States.

“I felt out of my comfort zone, no one to turn to, tell my story to who was my age that would understand,” said Jeremy Pierre, a 23-year-old senior at Xavier University.

According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane Katrina passed over the Big Easy at 9 a.m. Aug. 29, 2005, only five days after Katrina was labeled a tropical storm.

Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans was under water. Hundreds of people remain categorized as missing in Louisiana. According to the Discovery Channel, the confirmed death toll stands at 1,836 of whom are from Louisiana.

Schools, homes, businesses,

by Amanda Addison and Basha BallNABJ JSHOP Staff WritersMount Carmel Academy and Edna Karr H.S.

Photo Credit: Google Images and Kami McDonaldSee Katrina, pg. 6

Recently there has been talk in the news about educa-tion and what to do to provide

a better education for youth. There have been discussions of different ways of teaching, who can adequately teach us, how the schools are set up, and why our schools are failing.

There are many different ways of teaching, from being hands on with students to stand-ing in the front of the room lec-turing and giving assignments on a subject. Whether these methods are effective depends on the opinion of the students. That is truly the only way to judge a teacher’s effectiveness not by test scores or ratings. When students are polled by the administration, that is truly when they will be able to learn who the best educators are. When students are happy and learning, they retain more infor-mation. When students see their teachers fired or restricted from teaching in certain ways, then they are less likely to have a drive to learn.

The unorganized way that the school systems in New Orleans are set up is horrible and if someone was looking at the plans for education without having any prior knowledge about the subject, he would never imagine that “more than

by JeBari LewisNABJ JSHOP Staff WriterO. Perry Walker H.S.

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qualified, well-educated adults”

created these systems. Many children have no clue of who has control of their school. This not only affects the children but also the teachers who have no clue who their bosses are or whether they will have a job in the following year. It also negatively affects the parents who have no one to address their grievances. When only one school board has con-trol over all of the schools, then people might truly be able to trust the public school system more and every voice could have a chance to get heard. Once stability is a fixture in public school education, then education will truly be able to improve.

Greg H. Lee Jr., the newest president of the National Association of Black Journalists, has brought a fresh young vibe to the organization and has put a strong emphasis on bringing a new crop of young black journalists into the association.

Lee, 37, is a proud native of New Orleans, La., and has been involved with NABJ for 18 years. He is an “NABJ baby,” meaning he became involved in the organization at an early age. In fact, you could say they grew up together. Because of that, he has a unique perspective on NABJ and the convention which will only increase as his tenure continues.

He currently works at the Boston Globe where he is a senior assistant sports editor. The Globe is a very popular newspaper not only because of its hefty sports section but also it has one of the most diverse newsrooms. Greg’s passion for sports is undeniable.

“I loved sports as a kid and I love sports for kids,” he said.

Lee has been very active with the Student Education Enrichment and Development (SEED), an organization that gives NABJ memberships to teen journalists. SEED journalists also receive multimedia courses and opportunities to work on some

NABJ student projects. He is involved in the creation of other programs as well.

“We hold an annual one-day boot camp that will be on the campus of Xavier this year,” said

Lee. Lee’s presidency

has also come with some controversy. Four months before his election, NABJ made the decision to disassociate from UNITY:

Journalists of Color after a 17-year partnership. UNITY is an organization of minority journalists made up of four different journalism organizations. NABJ released a statement through its website to clarify the decision stating it was “no longer financially prudent for NABJ” but some members are upset that the NABJ is no longer a part of the coalition.

Finally Lee, who was NABJ’s treasurer at the time, said the decision to leave UNITY was in the organization’s best interest.

“It just wasn’t the best thing financially for us right now,” Lee said. “Just as you see the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune cut staff, we had to make some cuts as well.”

Lee offers these words to students aspiring for a career in journalism.

“Always read. Read about history. Read everyday and practice your craft.”

Greg Lee brings new spirit to NABJ

Department of CommunicationsMass Communication Program

Beating the Drum for a Better Education

by Aaron Ladd and Malik RossNABJ JSHOP Staff WriterParkview H.S. and O. Perry Walker

Opinion

Norman Robinson, WDSU-NBC anchor

The King May Get His Ring

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With a 3-1 series on the table and the end near for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lebron James haters (like myself) have to finally accept that he will be a champion. For the nine years since James has entered the league, there have been two groups: Lebron haters and Lebron lovers.

It’s the age-old argument between two NBA fans. One fan says, “Lebron is the king. Three MVPs.” The next fan responds, “But...how many championships does he have?” Everyone knows that the measure of an NBA player’s legacy is marked by how many championships they have won. Not awards. Not stats. But rings.

But are we not giving him the credit that he deserves? James has been the greatest thing since sliced cheese the minute that he stepped into St. Vincent Saint Mary’s gym in Akron, Ohio. And it sure didn’t help that he was drafted to his hometown team and was surrounded by the same “Yes Men” who allowed him to carry out “The Decision.”

James took the heat (no pun intended) for how he made his decision, but he shouldn’t be chastised for why he made it. He was mature enough to know that the Cleveland environment was not only not getting him to the throne but also keeping him from ever reaching it. Sure, his methods weren’t perfect but you have to admire the fact that he was willing to burn his bridge to a crisp, just to win a championship.

James’ ability to fend off such harsh criticism from the media and still play at an MVP caliber has truly earned my respect. His tough skin, along with his feverish work ethic, has allowed him to finally reach the pinnacle of professional basketball.

But for all my Lebron haters out there… it’s just one ring.

In a city that seems very volatile at times, there is one hot-button issue that causes blood to boil and shouts of “The boards don’t work” and “Where have you been?” and that is education.

How to properly educate the youth and whether education is improving in New Orleans are two main causes of dissension among citizens and education professionals. Even before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ school system was in jeopardy, which led to the implementation of a charter school system as a means to recover from its failing state.

Charter schools are publicly funded independent schools established by teachers, parents, or community groups. However, New Orleans’ charter schools are owned by private corporations, that some parents and educators fear can have other agendas.

“Charter schools need tweaking… (they) serve some [students] better than others,” said Norman Robinson, a news anchor at WDSU-TV, who also moderated an education forum Tuesday night at Dillard University.

Dr. Lance Hill, of the Education Equity board, agreed when he said, “They’re (Charter Schools) cherry picking students.”

Robinson’s view was echoed by many parents and others since the issue of charter schools vs. traditional schools started many months ago.

Kira Orange Jones, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the state needs options.“The biggest opportunity we have is to

be able to ask the question of how are we able to create a system that does what we want it to do,” she said. During the June 19 forum which included education advocates and concerned parents, individuals expressed deep concern for the current state of New Orleans education, as there are many factors that contribute to its condition.

“We live in a country where demographics play a large role in our fate; studies have shown that a child’s kindergarten ZIP code can determine their educational success,” said Jones, who is also a Teach for America educator.

Karran Harper Royal, an education advocate and a deeply involved public school parent, expressed doubt about the management of the current school system. Royal said this system leaves many children behind.

“The School Boards need more transparency!” said Royal as Jones was speaking.

To some, there is a significant imbalance in treatment of students and resources for them as many charter schools are allocated public funds, stripping money from public schools in the process. In addition, some opponents say that the process favors some students over others. It is a case of “one child advancing at the expense of another,” Hill said.

He also recounted a story in which a special-needs student was denied admission to a charter school because she needed help using the restroom. Louisiana lawmakers approved a new program that allows low-

income students to attend private schools on vouchers that also are funded by state tax dollars. This has sparked public controversy as state regulations that apply to public schools do not necessarily apply to private schools. One area of concern is that private school students are not required to take state-mandated tests such as the LEAP and EOC.

“Because there are public dollars involved, all schools should be held accountable[to test],” Royal said

Jones sided with Royal and said, “Because schools are moving forward, all schools should be held to some sort of accountability despite the vouchers.”

Meanwhile, special-needs children are not given an equal number of vouchers. “Only two out of 1,800 vouchers awarded were [for] special-needs students,” said Hill of the new program.

Though there has been much discussion about the issues in charter schools, it remains unclear whether education in New Orleans is improving.

Darrell Doucette, a Xavier student and graduate of St. Augustine High School, sees education changing for the better.

“Charter schools are helping to improve public education, at least from when I was in school,” he said.

Stephen Hunyadi, a New Orleans teacher who attended the forum, said it’s too soon to tell. “Personally, I don’t feel that we can measure improvement. It’s only been five years since the schools came back from New Orleans.”

Charter Schools make blood boilby Aaron LaddNABJ JSHOP Staff WriterParkview H.S.

by Heaven Douglas and JeBari LewisNABJ JSHOP Staff WriterBenjamin Franklin H.S. and O.Perry Walker

JSHOP Spotlights New Orleans

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JSHOP student George Aidoo Jr. learns how to work the camera.

XULA Mass Communication programs welcome JSHOP students

Local marketplace in Downtown New Orleans

New Orleans “streetcar” rides down Canal St.

JSHOP students at the WDSU news station reception

JSHOP students visit local news station, WDSU, NBC.

Mercedes Benz Superdome shines through the city.

New Orleans “streetcar” rides down Canal St.

Photo Credit: Ray Hamilton, JeBari Lewis

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Katrina: A personal tragedyKatrina cont’d

A lack of knowledge faces both ends of the financial and educational spectrum. Paul Vallas, former New Orleans schools chief, doubled financial aid for education from the state government to New Orleans schools.

His goal was to increase teachers’ salaries and bolster other essential needs to improve the public school system, ultimately improving education for students.

“New Orleans was broken even before Hurricane Katrina,” said Dr. Lance Hill, executive director of Southern Institute for Education and Research.

Maya Jones, Xavier University alumna, said the New Orleans school system is at the point where only a few people are making justifications to a greater stir and it’s going to take a lot to rebuild, not just one person.

Growing up in New OrleansFormer Saint Augustine High

School student Jeremy Pierre described his “different taste of life,” in making a transition to the city of Metairie. He said the youth were taught responsibility.

Maya Jones said she was

forced to grow up during Katrina, and it almost felt as if she was trapped in a bubble. She didn’t branch out and after Katrina she was on her own and forced to grow up. She became more independent, and it was helpful in a way.

“But believe youth were left out in the rebuilding process like Six Flags and a lot of positive places were not brought back,” said Jones.

My family and I evacuated to Houston, to escape Hurricane Katrina. I attended Pine Forest Elementary. I remember that my uncle did not evacuate because he was convinced that it was just a thunderstorm that would pass over in no time.

I had horrible daydreams and night dreams about drowning and the death of my uncle.

I hated being in Texas because it was not the place I called home.

It was more like a stereotypical place, which discriminated against New Orleanians.

I was not belligerent about

it. I just stuck it out because my mom could only afford necessary things to a certain extent.

Momentarily, my family and I lived with my uncle who owned a house in Houston. But, in no time we got an apartment that offered discounts to residents of the city of New Orleans.

When I came back to my hometown, it was destroyed and unsanitary. FEMA donated trailers to returning residents. I felt claustrophobic living in that pit with my relatives. Today I feel that New Orleans is on the verge of getting back.

by Amanda AddisonNABJ JSHOP Staff WriterMount Carmel Academy

Photo Credit: Google Images

Photo Credit: Google Images Photo Credit: Google Images

Biographies

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JSHOPGeorge Aidoo Jr.St. Augustine H.S., Sophmore

George Aidoo Jr., is a self-confident writer and singer. The 14-year-old says his father is his life. “My dad is my favorite person in the world, he’s awesome.”

Amanda AddisonMount Carmel H.S., Junior

The 15-year-old dancer, model and future news anchor, who attends Ursuline Academy, said she has hopes one day of making a name for herself in the industry she has loved from a young age.

Karlton HillSt. Augustine H.S., Junior

Karlton Hill, 15, will be a better broadcast journalist as he returns to St. Augustine High School in the fall after four intense

days in the NABJ JSHOP at Xavier University in Louisiana. “I plan to work on our school TV program when I

return to school.”

Brandon RouzanSt. Augustine H.S., Class of 2012

Brandon Rouzan is a 17-year-old St. Augustine High School graduate with a 4.0 GPA and an interest in mass communication. Despite his impressive resume and solid test scores, Rouzan has been hesitant to rush into deciding where he will attend college.

Tyler PettigrewEdna Karr H.S., Class of 2012

Tyler Pettigrew is excited to begin walking the halls of Edna Karr High School as a senior. This New Orleans native grew

up in the West Bank neighborhood. Tyler is no stranger at her school.

Gwendolyn DucreSlidell H.S., Class of 2012

Some might say Gwendolyn Ducre, 17, is a triple threat. Singing, dancing and acting are some of her passions.Gwendolyn said she started singing, dancing and acting at age 4 to work toward her dream of becoming a musical theater star.

Tre SuttonWest Monroe H.S., Junior

Tre Sutton is definitely a legacy. His father, Will Sutton, was a former president of the National Association of Black Jour-

nalists. “I’m not sure if I will follow my father’s footsteps, but I am very interested in journalism,”

Mia WilliamsUrsuline H.S., Class of 2012

Mia Williams is an 18-year-old graduate of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans. She will be attending Louisiana State University in the fall, majoring in mass communication with a minor in broadcast journalism.

Samantha Ramey, St. Mary’s Dominican H.S., Senior

Samantha Ramey’s first love is the arts. She said she loves drawing and animation. Ramey draws detailed people and faces. Her favorite things to draw are figures and abstract art because they have multiple meanings.

Trenton Turner, Thomas Jefferson H.S., Freshman

The 17-year-old is certain that he wants to pursue a career as an operational meteorologist, so he can forecast the weather on televi-sion. “Since the age of 3, I have watched The Weather Channel and I just knew that’s what I wanted to be,”

Heaven DouglasBenjamin Franklin H.S., Sophmore

Heaven was born on Feb. 11, 1996. She attends Benjamin Franklin High School. She formerly attended Lusher High

School. She was truly inspired by the JSHOP program.

JeBari LewisO. Perry Walker H.S., Sophmore

Born in 1995, a New Orleans native, JeBari Lewis aspires to become a humanitarian journalist. Lewis hopes to major in journalism, with a minor in African-American disparities.

Malik RossO. Perry Walker H.S., Freshman

Malik Ross is the youngest rookie attending the NABJ high school journalism workshop at Xavier University, June 17-21.

Yet it’s possible he has the most potential. Malik, 15, could be called an anomaly, much like being the clas-

sic example of its definition, “deviating from the norm.”

Aaron Ladd,Parkview H.S.,Sophmore

Aaron Ladd is a student at Parkview High School in Stone Mountain, Ga. and serves as a sports editor of the Parkview

Pantera, his school newspaper.

Basha BallEdna Karr H.S.,Class of 2012

Basha Ball, recent graduate of Edna Karr High School, wants to pursue a career in kinesiology, the science of physical

movement.

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Department of CommunicationsMass Communication Program

United States Marine CorpsXavier University of Louisiana – Department of Communications

Mass Communication ProgramCapital One Bank

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WDSU – Channel 6Associated Press

The New Orleans Public LibraryTulsa World

Xavier University of Louisiana – AdmissionsXavier University of Louisiana – Student Success Program

New Orleans Association of Black JournalistsThe New Orleans Tribune

The Louisiana WeeklyGambit

Arkansas State UniversityUniversity of Central Arkansas

The University of Iowa – Summer Journalism WorkshopsThe International Quill and Scroll Society for High School Journalists

Red Bull DCJEA, Washington, D.C.

Frisco ISD-TV