New Orleans — Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS), released the following statement regarding the New Orleans Unification Transition Plan:
“LAPCS supports the Unification Transition Plan that is being presented to the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) today. We thank the Unification Committee, the various task forces, and the families who participated in community meetings for their input and their work on developing this plan.
“The plan is an important first step in the unification of schools in New Orleans, but the tough work is just beginning. Good governance is the key to success — the school board needs to ensure that all of its decisions are rooted in academic outcomes.
“The biggest challenge to all of this is to keep politics out of decision making. The children of New Orleans are depending on OPSB, and all of us in the community, to get this right.
“As the primary authorizer for public schools in Orleans Parish, OPSB needs to ensure that it continues to be focused on high quality charter schools that meet the needs of all students, and restructure itself accordingly so that it serves as a thought and support partner for its schools.”