INDReporter

New positions created for low-scoring schools

by Heather Miller

An academic/behavior coordinator is now available to schools that aren't making the grade.

Three low-performing Lafayette Parish schools have expressed interest in hiring a designated academic/behavior coordinator, a new position approved by the Lafayette Parish School Board to assist underperforming, high-poverty schools in raising the bar for parents and students.

The Advocate reports that the new position will be paid for with federal Title I money, which makes any Title I (high-poverty) school in the parish eligible to add the job to its payroll.

JW Faulk Elementary and Alice Boucher Elementary schools, both of which barely surpassed the minimum school performance score needed to stay off the state's failing school list, are exploring adding the position to their schools. Charter High School, which received an academically unacceptable score from the state when it released preliminary data recently, also would like to pursue the academic coordinator position.

According to The Advocate, the school district plans to challenge the SPS given to Charter by the state.

Speaking of new faces in Lafayette Parish Schools, as of Tuesday, four applicants are vying to replace Superintendent of Schools Burnell Lemoine when he retires in December, The Advocate reports:

-Wayne Alexander, of Old Lyme, Conn., who holds a doctorate of education in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is a director and special education teacher for Hartford public schools. From 2007 to 2009, Alexander was the superintendent of Hernando County in Brooksville, Fla., with a student population of 23,000.

-Luis Gonzales, of Harrisburg, Pa., who holds a doctorate in administration from the University of Texas. Since 2009, Gonzales has been the superintendent and chief executive officer of Central Dauphin school district in Harrisburg.

-Arthur D. Gottlieb, of Queensbury, N.Y., holds a master's degree in school district administration and a certificate from the New York State School Superintendent Development Program. He is an adjunct professor of biology at the College of St. Joseph in Rutland, Vt., and an adjunct professor of education at SUNY-Plattsburgh, Queensbury campus.

-Karl Reichman, of Jackson, holds a professional diploma in administration and supervision from Long Island University. He is president and owner of SAGE Educational Consulting. From 2006 to 2010, Reichman served as the "superintendent/director" of Lake County International Charter School in Middletown, Calif.

The window for submitting an application ends Sept. 12.

Read more here and here.