Caddo community to LDOE: 'Education hasn't been on equal terms'

State Superintendent of Education John White and the Louisiana Recovery School District Superintendent, Patrick Dobard, took copious notes Tuesday night as Shreveport community members discussed their concerns regarding the Caddo Parish School System.

White and Dobard were in town Tuesday to listen to citizens and to answer questions about the district's failing schools.

The big questions: Why are so many schools in Caddo Parish rated a 'D' or 'F'? Why should Fair Park and Booker T. Washington High School merge?

Community members piled into Peaceful Rest Baptist Church Tuesday to tell  White about their concerns regarding disparity among lower and higher performing schools, limited resources, uncertified teachers, socioeconomic status and to find out why the state is just now getting involved.

"I'm glad to see the turn out tonight because this really gives us the opportunity to really have a frank and honest discussion about the schools here in Caddo," Dobard said to the crowd. "What can we do for our young people and improve the situation?"

White said while there have been great efforts made, there have been significant struggles in the failing schools. He acknowledged that most of the failing schools have higher numbers of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

"This great city has the largest concentration of low-income densely populated schools that are struggling in our state," White said. "What are we going to do? The colors on the left side of this map (West Shreveport) are largely different from the colors on the right side of this map." White was indicating the district's failing schools which color coded on a map to indicate rank.

Community member, Middie Farrow, said "enough is enough" to White, Dobard and community members. She questioned what Caddo Schools Superintendent  Lamar Goree has been doing to save these schools and to keep children with their peers.

"Goree gets well paid. Does he look like us? Yes. Will he take us down? Yes," she said. "Our children can learn. It's a lie that they're stupid."

Many religious leaders were present during the meeting.

Pastor Stan Lewis asked White, 'Who draws the line for the school board to decide what children go to what school?'

White answered, "Pastor, I think your school board and their staff make that decision."

Lewis continued saying, "White supremacy and Jim Crow is a lie. When have you ever heard of a school board giving a superintendent a renewal contract, a raise and then evaluate him after that? I have talked to a number of school board members and I was told that the bond issue was not about education, the bond issue was about buildings and transportation."

Former Caddo Parish School teacher, Pamela Jackson, said Caddo's inner city schools have been neglected for years. She suggested that community members began talking to political leaders to introduce legislation that will mandate school districts to place a certain percentage of highly qualified certified teachers at lower performing schools to help improve academics.

"When we look at our under-performing schools and failing schools in comparison with schools with top excellence, top growth, top gain — that'll reflect that education hasn't been on equal terms.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Recovery School District are scheduled to meet March 7 to discuss further options.

School                                                                    Letter grade        2016-17 Student Count

Arthur Circle Elementary                                                D                              393    

Booker T. Washington High School                                D                              712 

Broadmoor Middle Laboratory School                            D                              501

Caddo Middle Career and Technology School               D                               329

E.B. Williams Stoner Hill Elementary Lab School          D                             270

Eighty-first Street ECE Center                                       D                         273

Forest Hill Elementary School                                       D                         560   

Huntington High School                                                D                         1,098  

Jack P. Timmons Elementary School                           D                           275

Keithville Elementary/Middle                                        D                           983

Magnolia School of Excellence                                    D                          1,166

Midway Professional Development Center                  D                            312  

Mooretown Elementary School                                    D                             345

Mooringsport Elementary School                                 D                             313 

North Highlands Elementary School                            D                            457  

Northside Elementary School                                      D                           450

Pine Grove Elementary School                                   D                         397   

Ridgewood Elementary School                                   D                            761

Southern Hills Elementary School                               D                884  

Summer Grove Elementary School                             D               673

Summerfield Elementary School                                 D               598

Turner Elementary                                                      D              1,097    

Werner Park Elementary School                                D                 457

Academic Recovery Ombudsman                              F                 88

Alexander Learning Center                                         F                 93

Atkins Technology Elementary School                        F                  270     

Caddo Heights Math/Science Elementary School      F                   500

Fair Park High School                                                 F                   736

J.S. Clark Elementary School                                     F                   754  

Lakeshore Middle School                                           F                   253 

Oak Park Microsociety Elementary School                F                    848

Pathways in Education -Louisiana Inc.                       F                   258 

Pathways in Education- N. Market                             F                   149

Queensborough Elementary School                          F                    328

Sunset Acres Elementary School                              F                    333

Westwood Elementary School                                  F                    548     

Woodlawn Leadership Academy                               F                    769