On August 9, Mays Prep scholars returned from their brief summer vacation to continue the work of preparing for high school and college success. This year, we increased our student population by 20%, adding a new section of kindergarten, adding new students into remaining grades, while also accommodating retained students from our district school counterpart, Carver Elementary. A growing school Of course, the addition of new students requires more teachers and support staff – so we are growing, and our presence in the city has also grown. School leader Duke Bradley says, “We had pretty minimal recruitment efforts and were able to fill the majority of our seats before the end of last school year.” “That put us in a pretty good position going in to the fall.” When looking at the data, we found that parents chose Mays Prep for a variety of reasons. Parent recommendations go a long way Foremost among those was our commitment to a disciplined and structured learning environment as well as the glowing recommendations made by current Mays Prep parents. Bradley says, “In much of our recruitment, we invited whole families into our school community mainly for them to see us in action – to see our teachers teach, and to become more intimate with how we have school. With those efforts, parents could at least say that they made an informed decision.” An all important year With the influx of new students, we are very well aware that 3 rd grade scholars will take the iLEAP exam this year - and until the following year, their performance will be all that most observers will take interest in. “I’m fine with that,” says Bradley – “this is why we do this work.” “We’re back, focused and ready.” 3059 Higgins Boulevard, Bldgs. A&B ▪ New Orleans, Louisiana 70126 ▪ (504) 428-8711 THE ROUNDTABLE The Official Newsletter of Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School ▪ Home of the Knights Third grader Michael Page is among the returning Mays Prep scholars that will be taking the Louisiana iLEAP examination this year. Mays Prep: Focused and Ready! In a very critical year, Mays Prep returns more determined to exceed our first year successes. New Orleans Schools on the Move The reforms underway in New Orleans are beginning to produce radical results. Diagram below courtesy of *Educate Now *Educate Now is a non-profit organization dedicated to the reform of New Orleans public schools; www.educatenow.net
Transcript
On August 9, Mays Prep scholars
returned from their brief summer vacation to continue the work of preparing for high school and college success. This year, we increased our student population by 20%, adding a new section of kindergarten, adding new students into remaining grades, while also accommodating retained students from our district school counterpart, Carver Elementary. A growing school
Of course, the addition of new students requires more teachers and support staff – so we are growing, and our presence in the city has also grown. School leader Duke Bradley says, “We had pretty minimal recruitment efforts and were able to fill the majority of our seats before the end of last school year.” “That put us in a pretty good position going in to the fall.” When looking at the data, we found that parents chose Mays Prep for a variety of reasons. Parent recommendations
go a long way
Foremost among those was our commitment to a disciplined and structured learning environment as well as the glowing recommendations made by current Mays Prep parents.
Bradley says, “In much of our recruitment, we invited whole families into our school community mainly for them to see us in action – to see our teachers teach, and to become more intimate with how we have school. With those efforts, parents could at least say that they made an informed decision.” An all important year
With the influx of new students, we are very well aware that 3rd grade scholars will take the iLEAP exam this year - and until the following year, their performance will be all that most observers will take interest in. “I’m fine with that,” says Bradley – “this is why we do this work.” “We’re back, focused and ready.”
larger story noting the proliferation of charter schools in New Orleans. Todd Johnson, reporter for thegrio.com spent a day at the school meeting with faculty and staff, interacting with students, and discussing New Orleans’ aggressive charter school movement. To watch the story, visit: http://www.thegrio.com/specials/katrina---five-years-
TheGrio.com is the first video-centric news community site devoted to providing African Americans with stories and perspectives that appeal to them but are underrepresented in existing national news outlets.
DID YOU KNOW?
Dr. Benjamin E. Mays served as President of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia for 27 years. One his students, Dr. Michael Lomax, president and chief executive of the United Negro College Fund served as President of New Orleans’ own Dillard University for seven years.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Mays Prep Featured On
QUOTABLE
“EXCELLENCE cannot be reached without having passed through the slow and painful
process of study and preparation.”
-Adapted, Author Unknown
visit us online ▪ www.maysprep.org
Tulane University President Scott Cowen gets some “love” during a
recent visit to Mays Prep.
Hard Work ▪ Excellence ▪ Respect ▪ Discipline ▪ Determination ▪ Leadership
Mays Prep Attracts Top Talent
With the groundswell of
new schools that have taken root in New Orleans, the ability to recruit quality personnel is critical to a school’s success. While organizations like Teach for America and TeachNola have worked to provide a quality teacher corps from which to choose, Mays Prep works diligently to maintain a balance of teachers - many of whom have varied backgrounds.
Reading Interventionist Bridget Burns
facilitates a guided reading lesson
Veteran teacher Ms. Bridget Burns (pictured above) joined the Mays Prep team after having served at the RSD’s Laurel Elementary. A native New Orleanean, she brings a wealth of experience that has proven to be immediately impactful to the school. Other teachers new to the Mays Prep team – some from surrounding Parishes and others from other local schools also help to set the standard for the talent that defines the quality of a Mays Prep teacher. END.
5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the education reform efforts underway in New Orleans also received noted attention. This attention comes on the heels of two big announcements that directly impact public school attendees in New Orleans and the organizations that have pledged to ensure that all children in the city have access to high quality education. First, local non-profit New Schools for New Orleans (a Mays Prep partner in education) was awarded the ultra competitive federal I3 grant. ________________________________________________
The I3 program provides competitive grants to
school districts, consortia of schools, or
partnerships between schools and non-profits to
implement new innovative practices and
programs. _________________________________________________________________ New Schools for New Orleans was one of only 49 winners nationwide, staking claim to its share of a whopping $650 million dollar in federal grants. A recent press release from the NSNO indicated that the monies will allow them continue many of the positive reforms already in place in the city. Read more here: http://newschoolsforneworleans.org/press_nola_wins.p
hp
1.8 Billion To Rebuild New Orleans’
Schools
Secondly, New Orleans also received word that the federal government will award… ______________________________________________________________
“…a lump sum payment of 1.8 billion dollars to
rebuild and repair public schools damaged by
Hurricane Katrina.” _____________________________________________________________ Of course, this is one of the largest federal investments in public schools in American history. Among the schools slated to receive a new facility in which to serve children is Mays Prep. Although details about the transition into the new facility have not yet been finalized, Mays Prep is happy to learn that in the very near future, we will be in a nice, newly renovated building.
Sidney Barthelemy, Jr.
Installed As Mays Prep’s
New Board Chair
At Mays Prep, we are
beginning our second year with a new Board Chair, Mr. Sidney Barthelemy. Charged with the responsibility of keeping the school accountable for the demands of it charter and supporting the Principal and Founder, Mr. Barthelemy is ready
Read more here:
http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/201
0/08/18billion_from_fema_for_hurri.html
When it’s all said and done, the country is taking notice of the good work being done on behalf of children in New Orleans - and rightfully so. END.
Mays Prep is positioned to benefit from two big awards that will directly impact New Orleans’ public schools
Sidney Barthelemy, Jr., At A-Glance:
Hometown: New Orleans, LA (Gentilly)
Alma Mater:
o Brother Martin High School, ‘93
o Morehouse College, ‘98
Profession: Small business owner (Home
Restoration and General Construction)
Factoid: Mr. Barthelemy is the son of Sidney
Barthelemy, Sr., former two term Mayor of New
Orleans (‘86-’94)
Quotable: “I want my service to Mays Prep to be
punctuated by ensuring that we become a part of
the larger community of high quality schools in
New Orleans.”
Good News for New Orleans…and Mays Prep!
Sidney Barthelemy, Jr.
for the challenge. He says, “There are great things
quality of our physical space – and that means ensuring that students are welcomed daily into environments conducive to learning and where they are constantly bombarded with messages that reinforce why they attend Mays Prep: TO GET TO COLLEGE! Tenet based classroom
design
Each of our classrooms are carefully thought out and organized according to a few basic tenets. First, teachers must be deliberate in terms of how desks are arranged to maximize space. _____________________________________
“…classrooms must
be neat, orderly, and accompanied by a plan to keep them
that way.” _____________________________________ Secondly, all classrooms must message a deeply held belief that every member of the Mays Prep community subscribes to, which
is: “The harder you work, the smarter you get.” This belief manifests itself in many ways – such as a banner in third grade teacher Ms. Nicole Carryl’s learning community which says, “Think you can. Work Hard. Get Smart.” School leader Duke Bradley says, “These things are not simply representations of our fanaticism with neatness and order, they are anecdotes of what makes Mays
Prep special – and our team understands that.” “Even more, our kids deserve a space that signals to them that they are special and deserving.”
If nothing else, Mays Prep classrooms run well – learning is happening, and our kids are happy to be with us. The organization of our classrooms contributes to that. END.
Mays Prep takes seriously the design of our classrooms
Keep Up With Mays Prep
Video
Michigan Radio, National Public Radio (NPR) Affiliate “Building School Culture”; Mays Prep featured at 3:41, http://twocities.michiganradio.org/2010/05/13/building-school-culture-video/News 21 The Charter Explosion “Door-to-Door Salesman” http://columbia.news21.com/?p=2270
Audio
WNYC, The Takeaway, American Public Radio http://maysprep.org/duke-bradley-on-the-takeaway.php Michigan Radio, National Public Radio (NPR) Affiliate “Going Charter” http://twocities.michiganradio.org/2010/05/18/going-charter/
Be certain to check out some of the national attention that Mays Prep has received over the
