[CharterSchools] good news for Baton Rouge's Capitol High Charter

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

Company commits $2.5 million to BR school
     •     By CHARLES LUSSIER
     •     Advocate staff writer
     •     Published: Jul 31, 2009 - Page: 4B

A large for-profit school management company announced Thursday it is 
spending an additional $2.5 million this school year at Capitol High Academy to 
improve instruction and combat student violence. EdisonLearning, formerly 
Edison Schools, is purchasing new reading programs, paying for increased 
teacher training, student testing systems, and new advanced and honor courses. 
EdisonLearning executives announced the plan at a news conference at Capitol 
High, the company’s lone Baton Rouge school.
They were joined by new principal, Don Green, and leaders of 100 Black Men 
of Baton Rouge, the group with whom the company contracts to run the school.

“This is a serious commitment on the part of EdisonLearning,” said Dennis 
Blunt, immediate past president of 100 Black Men. Blunt said the $2.5 
million comes in addition to regular state and local funding. Blunt spoke at 
length about a new anti-violence effort 100 Black Men is undertaking with the 
school, expanding on the mentoring that these professionals men already do with 
students. The school plans to develop the anti-violence effort with help 
from LSU, local law enforcement and other state agencies.
Blunt acknowledged that Capitol High’s first year in operation — 
previously the low performing high school that was run by the East Baton Rouge Parish 
school system as separate boys and girls schools — had problems. “It wasn’
t until mid-year that we really started to hit our stride,” Blunt said.

Carranza Guidry, a graduate of Capitol High School and a member of the 
school’s alumni association, said last year the groups involved with Capitol 
High failed to meet all of their commitments and changed the plan too much. “I 
liked what I heard, but then I liked what I heard last year,” Guidry said. “
We don’t want to go through again what we went through last year.”Guidry 
said the school is making changes, many of which bring the school closer to 
what it used to be. For example, he noted that the school has added 
advancement placement courses in English and math, several honors courses, as well as 
new health, arts and agriculture classes.
“I want to tell you there’s a new sheriff, and that sheriff is not going 
anywhere soon,” Guidry said. Guidry said that as of Tuesday the school had abo
ut 300 students. Last year, it had about 400 students, and it is shooting 
for 500 this year.
The new school year starts Aug. 6.
Here are some of the new areas of spending:
     •     Read 180 and System 44 reading programs for adolescents with 
reading problems.
     •     Algebraic Thinking training program for math teachers.
     •     PSAT testing for ninth to 11th graders.
     •     More preparation in lower grades to be able to enroll in 
advanced placement courses later.
     •     Fifty minutes daily of professional development for all 
teachers.



cheron brylski
the brylski company
3418 coliseum street
new orleans, louisiana 70115
(504) 897-6110
cell (504) 460-1468
fax (504) 897-0778
www.brylskicompany.com



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