PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jackie Lansdale – 318-424-4579
WHERE: Caddo Parish School Board Office – 1961 Midway Ave., Shreveport, LA 71130
WHEN: 4:00 PM Tuesday, November 5, 2013
WHO: Jackie Lansdale, President, Red River United
WHAT: RECLAIMING THE PROMISE OF CADDO PARISH – DOING WHAT WORKS – REJECTING WHAT DOESN’T – RED RIVER UNITED’S PLAN FOR CADDO PARISH.
On November 5, 2013 at 4:00 PM at the Caddo Parish School Board office on Midway Avenue, Red River United will be holding a press conference encouraging the Caddo Parish School Board to look beyond the Recovery School District (RSD) as a solution. Red River United believes that students are best served by community controlled schools, and that the Caddo Parish School System is best equipped to raise academic standards. Here is how we can improve our Caddo Schools:
- Caddo should focus on creating K-8 models. They are stabilizing for students and have provided academic success in our district.
- Caddo should focus on choice. One area proven successful has been our programmatic magnet schools. These schools should be standalone, and not part of any existing school.
- Caddo should concentrate the focus on where we can be the most effective in overall student achievement – we should provide Pre-k for every student in our district, with wraparound services for at-risk youngsters.
- Caddo should focus on strong professional development for all of our teachers. TAP, for example, has proven successful in other districts and in Caddo Parish where it has been implemented in several schools.
- Caddo should focus on academic standards and disciplinary codes of conduct in all of our schools. Teachers cannot teach, and students cannot learn in an atmosphere full of disruption and discord.
- Caddo should be willing to reach out to the community, the public for their help and input. After all, it is the Public’s Education.
Red River United does not believe turning our students over to the RSD meets the promise of providing a quality public education to our students. This is a question of civil rights. All children deserve a stable, quality education. The RSD does not have a proven track record of turning around AU schools. Parents and students are demonstrating a lack of confidence in the RSD through participation in community actions and petitions.
What is the promise of public education? Public schools provide transportation to and from school, provide healthy breakfasts and lunches for our children, a clean and safe environment to learn, a certified classroom teacher, and a promise to provide services to ALL children, even those with special needs. These are all promises of public education. Will we be able to keep these promises once we have torn apart our Caddo Parish Schools, relinquished community control of our schools, and parsed control of our schools to private- monied and political interests?