OCDC Executive Director Tiffanie Lewis and President Charles Lewis want to convert N.P. Moss Middle School into a public charter school.
Photo by Walter Pierce
At 6:30 tonight in the Heymann Park Rec Center, dozens of parents are expected to turn out for an informational meeting on a planned public charter school for north Lafayette. What many will no doubt long to hear: A viable alternative to the status quo is coming. That alternative is Harvest Preparatory Academy, an ambitious project announced last week by Outreach Community Development Corporation, a non-profit formed by Northside residents and educators. “We just kind of got concerned about the test scores, the dropouts, the failures, and this was the whole concept: What can we do to help improve the situation,” says OCDC President Charles Lewis, who taught instrumental music in the public school system in Lafayette and Caddo parishes for more than 30 years and has a master’s degree.
“We want to give them what state Superintendent Paul Pastorek wants for all students in Louisiana, and that’s a world-class education,” says Tiffanie Lewis (no relation to Charles Lewis), OCDC’s executive director and a teacher, counselor and administrator in public schools in Texas and Louisiana for a dozen years, the last five at Northside High. “Students on the north side of town have been underserved — typically underserved — by the parish, and we hope to make a difference.”
The school will use project-based learning — a task- and problem-solving curriculum — and students will be equipped with individual laptop computers and iPods, as well as other high-tech electronics. “Every type of technology that you can basically name that is being used in schools now will also be used in our school, and even more, to help the learning process,” Tiffanie Lewis adds.
The school day will also be longer at Harvest Prep: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an extended day program until 5:30 p.m. for additional instruction, homework and extra-curricular activities. And the school year at Harvest Prep will also be about two weeks longer than that of public schools in Lafayette Parish.
OCDC’s plan is for Harvest Prep to accept 90 students in grades 5, 6 and 7 and will increase one grade level per year until it reaches 600 students in grades 5 through 12. The group wants to draw students from four north Lafayette schools: J.W. Faulk and Alice Boucher elementaries, N.P. Moss Middle and Northside High, four of the parish’s lowest-performing schools. Because it would be a public charter school, Harvest Prep would be free — no private school tuition — funded by state tax dollars.
The plans for Harvest Prep are big, but so is the caveat hanging over the school: It has to obtain a charter first.
The group will submit a charter application to the Lafayette Parish School Board at the board’s Nov. 18 meeting — an application the board could choose to reject.
School Board President Carl Lacombe, who has not seen the OCDC charter application, says the board will give the application fair scrutiny. “We’ve looked at charter applications before, so this is nothing new,” Lacombe says. “I’m sure the board’s going to look at it very closely.”
But Lacombe readily admits he, like many in the public-school community not just in Louisiana but nationwide, has misgivings about the charter-school concept. “You also have to deal with the fact of what kind of resources are going to be siphoned off of the public system,” Lacombe explains. “We are a public school system and we have to make sure that we are stewards of the public’s money and using it properly to operate the schools.”
However, OCDC, according to Tiffanie Lewis, is prepared to lobby hard for Harvest Prep, all the way to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education if necessary: “We hope Lafayette Parish will take the opportunity to work with us. But if they don’t take the advantage and the opportunity to work with us we’re prepared to move on to BESE and file an application with them.”
Obtaining a charter is critical for Harvest Prep, says Tiffanie Lewis, in order to offer a free education to its students; unlike private and parochial schools, public charter schools are state funded and must meet state educational standards. “We don’t want to be a private school in any form or fashion,” she insists. “We want to reach the students who are high-poverty, at-risk students, and typically students of that nature can’t afford to go to private school.” She also argues that there’s more accountability for charters than for mainline public schools: “Charter schools are held way more accountable than a regular public school. If you don’t meet certain criteria within a certain amount of time your school can be closed. The other thing is choice: Students choose to come to this school. Teachers choose to work at this school. It is about choice, and creating a healthy competition between the local [public] school and the charter school.”
“Charter schools have proven to be good alternatives,” says Greg Davis, a longtime Lafayette education advocate and a member of the civic group 100 Black Men, which got details on the plan for Harvest Prep last week from Tiffanie Lewis. “They’re showing good results in New Orleans. I’m all for change and reform, especially the kind that is driven by past results that have proven to be effective. I think that Tiffanie Lewis made a good presentation and I think she has a good concept.”
Also part of OCDC’s plan is to use N.P. Moss Middle as the site for Harvest Prep. That facet of the proposal, however, is complicated: The firm currently conducting a comprehensive facilities master plan for the LPSB recently recommended that Moss become the site of a technical high school. “We felt like N.P. Moss was being under-utilized, and we feel it could be fully utilized in its capacity with this charter school,” says Tiffanie Lewis.
Charles Lewis says they hope to open Harvest Prep for the 2010-2011 school year, but they’re willing to be patient and get it right. “If it takes longer,” he says, “we’ll just do what we have to do.”
The informational meeting for Harvest Preparatory Academy will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Heymann Park Recreation Center, 1500 South Orange Street, next to Paul Breaux Middle School
... written by the hummer , November 04, 2009 - 01:10 am
This sounds exciting. I am all for charter schools and I have personally seen the positiveness of their effects in the community and on students. Let's spend tax dollars the right way on educating students!
... written by chicken little , November 04, 2009 - 11:23 am
Lordy, greg davis doesn't know what he's talking about. the charter schools in new orleans are failing, and the facts are there for anyone who cares to look at them. Also, somebody might want to look into Ms. Lewis' background. for istance, she works for pastorek right now. conflict of interest? also, she used to "work" for the board. there's stuff there too. too bad Mr. Pierce didn't take time to look into any of that.
... written by Amber , November 04, 2009 - 11:41 am
Is this meeting open to the public or restricted to parents only?
... written by Walter Pierce, Managing Editor , November 04, 2009 - 11:43 am
It's open to the public, Amber.
... written by Huh? , November 04, 2009 - 11:51 am
"Chicken little" seems well named. Most New Orleans charter schools are succeeding now whereas the vast majority were not only failing but vorrupt prior to the take over. CL, what facts are you referring to in your post above?
... written by chicken little , November 04, 2009 - 12:15 pm
huh? you need to check the facts. it's all on the Louisiana Dept of Ed's website. i'm talking about test scores, school performance scores, etc. they're all there. wake up and smell the coffee.
also, not sure where Mr. Pierce gets his info about the Lewises not being related. last i checked they are married and living in teh same house, have same address, etc. ?????
... written by just wundering , November 04, 2009 - 12:53 pm
Cajundome czar Davis, again shows his expertise....expert at everything but making money at Canjudome.
... written by get it right , November 05, 2009 - 05:23 pm
@ CL, aparently you know nothing of what you are talking about. I cant stand when people just rattle. While you are at you PI work, check thier marriage license and then ask yourself what's important the relationship these people have or children's education. Sounds like you are worried about the wrong thing, or are you worried at all. I think you just like to see your name posted here. The name is fitting too chicken little no nothing.lol.
... written by the hummer , November 05, 2009 - 11:47 pm
to the chicken: looks like this sword has only one edge. I dont see you asking who Lemoine is living and sleeping with or who he is related to. I think we would find these questions very interesting. Background checks let's do that for the duds that sitting on the board now, I bet there's lots to find our:) Start choking you chicken a little.
... written by the hummer , November 06, 2009 - 10:52 pm
TO WALTER PIERCE: I ATTENDED THE MEETING AND IT WAS AWESOME. MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE THERE INCLUDING SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, ATTORNEYS, DOCTORS AND CHAMBER MEMBERS. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED BY HOW DIVERSE OCDC BOARD IS. LAFAYETTE IS IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE BECAUSE THESE EDUCATORS HAVE THEIR STUFF TOGETHER. THINK ABOUT THIS, LAFAYETTE HAS FOUR FAILING SCHOOLS ALL WITHIN A THREE MILE RADIUS AND THEY HAVE BEEN FAILING FOR YEARS AND HONESTLY OCDC MAY BE THE SOLUTION.
... written by Betsy , November 10, 2009 - 02:04 pm
I don't believe the "...students on the north side of town have been underserved, typically underserved..." and as a tax paying citizen, I resent the insinuation that the community has neglected students in one area of town. Students in all areas of this parish deserve to be served and that is the responsibility of the school board. If Ms. Lewis takes on this program with the attitude and assumption that the citizens of this community have ignored or intentionally disregarded a certain sector of the community, she will have trouble getting the support I assume she wants. Perhaps she should rethink how she wants to present this program to the community. I do not deny some students might need more attention, additional resources, earlier intervention, more support from the community, but I don't think much will be accomplished by trying to blame someone, by accusing that they have been "under served".
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