Across The Board: A Family’s Guide to Understanding Charter School Boards
in New Orleans
August 2019
Nationally, New Orleans’ public education system has become known for its unique governance model that is comprised almost exclusively of charter schools, rather than schools run directly by the local Orleans Parish School Board. One key feature is that in addition to the OPSB, schools also have charter boards that help with everyday operations and management. Each charter school or Charter Management Organization (an organization which operates multiple charter schools and is abbreviated as CMO hereafter) must have a board. Unlike the seven members of the OPSB, the members of charter boards are not publicly elected. Instead, some are chosen initially by the school leader(s), parents, or other founding members when the school opens, and then, subsequent members are chosen by the existing board members. In researching and chronicling New Orleans’ public education system, we have learned that this added layer of oversight and governance can lead to public confusion around the duties and responsibilities of the OPSB compared to charter boards.
This report aims to clarify some of those responsibilities and provide information on the role of charter boards to families and other stakeholders in the city’s public education system. It does not intend to serve as a comprehensive review of state law and OPSB policy on charter boards. Rather, it focuses mainly on common questions and the most relevant issues for parents, guardians, and families. The report includes:
A breakdown of charter boards’ responsibilities.
Recommendations on how to help the public better understand charter boards.
A descriptive overview of charter board members.
A Q&A addressing frequent questions about charter boards