[CharterSchools] PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCATE AND CHARTER SCHOOL “DADDY” RETIRES

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

Brian Riedlinger leaves legacyin public school reform in Louisiana


Contact:    C. Brylski/H. Harper (504) 897-6110 or B. Riedlinger/SLC (504) 655-4366
FEBRUARY 22, 2018
 
           The man who learned he loved teaching school one summer while teaching Algiers5th graders in the early 1970s is erasing the proverbial blackboardone last time: Dr. Brian Riedlinger---long recognized as one of Louisiana’s toppublic educators---retires after a career that spanned five decades.
           So begins a national search to replace the position he has held at thenon-profit School Leadership Center for 20 years, a professional developmentcenter he founded with like-minded corporate and philanthropic supporters toimprove principals and other leaders in Orleans public education.
           At the time he started SLC, Brian was a recognized Louisiana Principal of theyear and had three education degrees under his belt as well as multiple awardsand recognitions for his talent at turning around troubled public schools. Wellbefore the 2005 storms and levee failures that forced the restructuring of theOrleans public school system, Riedlinger was intent on finding a way to sharehis education success with others and improve the parish’s 120 schools, nearlyall of which were academically failing at the time.
           And then the storm to change all storms hit, and Brian, with years of ideas anddreams in his head, tookadvantage of a shut-down public school system, a team of experienced educatorswho had stayed despite nearly all campuses being destroyed or damaged, and usedtheir collective knowledge of the law to open a group of charter schools inAlgiers.
           As founding Chief Executive Officer of the Algiers Charter Schools Association,a group of five and then nine schools welcomed any K-12 kid brave enough to return to Orleans Parish inAugust, 2005. Eventually, this encouraged other talented, experienced Orleanseducators to return and mimic the Algiers example on the east bank, starting anorganization known as the Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools and thespecial education center (SUNS) under Riedlinger’s tutelage.
           Today, nearly all the schools he was associated with “re-imagining” as charterschools in a failing district are not only open, but listed as some of the topacademically performing public schools in the State of Louisiana.
           By 2008, Dr. Riedlinger’s attention was back full-time to the organization he and hiscolleagues founded: The School Leadership Center,preparing school leaders to survive in what was rapidly becoming the firstall-charter urban public-school district in the nation.
           To that end, he has helped train over 300 schoolleaders and well over 800 educators in various programs for any greater New Orleans area public, private or parochial school. More than 30 of SLC's Fellows, or program ‘graduates’, serve as schoolsuperintendents.
Brian is quick topoint out that those involved in his success story, besides his family, churchand the educators he has worked along throughout his career, are the Baptist Community Ministries (BCM),which helped him found SLC in 1997; Xavier University and the University of New Orleans;education reformers like the late Dr. EverettWilliams, Mary Zervigon, Dr.Rodney Lafon and SLC Chair Dr. Byron Harrell, fellowcharter advocate Dr. Rose Peterson and Kathy Kilgore as well as his Algiers Charter School second in command -Kevin Guitterez, now running ReNew charters. 
Dr. Riedlinger iscalling all those who have an experience in school reform and management, aswell as professional development, to investigate the job opening he is nowtrying to fill: His replacement. The job posting is listed at slc-gno.org andcandidates can apply until March 23.


PHOTO OF RIEDLINGER: NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE






Cheron Brylski
The Brylski Company
3418 Coliseum Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70115
www.brylskicompany.com
(504) 897-6110
Cell (504) 460-1468


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