Dear Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education:

We, the undersigned, wish to express our opposition to the plan presented by Supt. Paul Pastorek  regarding the return of schools in the Recovery School District.

We believe that the Recovery School District has poorly served the citizens of New Orleans. Their claims about educational progress are highly questionable, their management has been severely lacking as indicated by several state audits. RSD administration has not acted transparently or with a sense of accountability.

For these reasons, we believe that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) should:

1) Mandate the return of schools with performance scores of 70 or above beginning next school year. If a charter school returns to local control it does not mean it will lose its charter. It merely means that the local board will be the chartering authority just as it is now for successful schools such as Lake Forest, Audubon, Lusher and others.

2)Direct the Supt. to enter into an Agreement with the local school board for the gradual return of additional schools that continue to have low performance.

Thank you for your attention to our deeply held concerns. We spoke clearly and loudly at the public hearing held in New Orleans. Please hear us again and take the action that the PEOPLE are calling for.

Sincerely,

Citizens and Friends of New Orleans

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