The public is not entitled to comment

Looks like the parents and teachers' advocates in the audience were upset with some of the decisions made at the Orleans Parish School Board meeting this week.

Thursday’s Orleans Parish School Board meeting devolved into shouting at times, as frustrated citizens struggled to conform to the district’s public comment policy following school closure and relocation announcements.

Orleans schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr.’s biggest news included five school closure recommendations, a few school relocations and several charter approvals. Lewis’ recommendations — presented as a report — take effect unless the board overrides them with a two-thirds vote. If the board does not formally move for a vote on them, however, they are not considered “action items.” And the public is not entitled to comment on them.

Lona Hankins, a parent and former district employee, implored the board to hold its committee meetings — where board members discuss most of their policy decisions — at times and in places that are accessible to the public. They are often held early on Tuesday afternoons at the district’s Algiers headquarters.

“Parents and the public can’t participate in that,” Hankins said. “You’re leaving parents out. You’re leaving the community out.”

Yeah so we've got this situation where the board doesn't run any of its schools directly (unless something has gone very wrong) and the Superintendent has near unilateral authority to approve charters and relocate schools with almost no public input. It does seem like a bad idea now. Too bad nobody said anything at the time those rules were written... well... almost nobody.

And hey too bad nobody said anything way way waaay back in 2016 when it was time to elect the board that would approve these rules.... well.. almost nobody.  In any case, nobody cared enough to even contest 4 of the seven seats.  At least there were more than a few people, even then, talking about the fact that the incoming board would be all but bought and paid for.

Another explanation for the lack of opponents this time might be that people like Brown's and Usdin's work, Jacobs said.

But Karran Harper Royal, an education activist who ran against Usdin and lost in 2012, said critics of Usdin, at least, might have been scared off by her fundraising muscle. Along with Jacobs, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Netflix founder Reed Hastings and former Time magazine editor and author Walter Isaacson were among a lengthy list of contributors to Usdin’s unprecedented $150,000 campaign haul four years ago. 

Royal raised close to $13,000.

“Those folks who were in power, the charter school movement, they have lined their ducks up in a row,” said Royal, who has been critical of charters. “For the everyday person, that’s an insurmountable hill to climb, particularly because of the amount of money in the race.”

Too bad nobody remembers any of this when the consequences become obvious. Well, almost nobody, anyway.  Otherwise, we might figure out how to keep it from happening again.