You’re Invited.
November 20, 2011 § 1 Comment
The next Caisson EduChat will be held at Monday night in the East Riverside neighborhood. If you are interested in learning more about this project, or New Orleans public schools in general, please join us. Here are the details:
Monday, Nov 21 @ 7:15 PM
3714 Laurel St.
100 Point Survey Online
November 15, 2011 § Leave a Comment
In previous posts, I have mentioned the 100 point survey I give to parents at EduChats as a potential conversation starter and a way to determine the relative value of a variety of school attributes. I have now put that survey online, so you don’ t need to be at an EduChat to complete it. If you would like to complete the survey, click here: 100PointSurvey.
The Second Step – EduChat #2 Report
November 9, 2011 § 1 Comment
By all accounts, the second EduChat was a success. On Monday night, ten parents gathered in a living room in New Orleans’ East Riverside neighborhood to have a conversation about public education and learn about their public school options. Most parents who attended have children enrolled in the University Montessori School in the Audubon neighborhood.
Unlike EduChat #1, when I was a little vague about my desire to start a new school, this time, I came right out and stated that an application for a new school was the probable outcome and goal of what I am now calling “The Caisson Project.” « Read the rest of this entry »
Second EduChat Tonight
November 7, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Tonight, friends of mine who attend University Montessori School are hosting our second EduChat. If you are interested in learning more about the project, or talking with other New Orleans community members about public schools, please come by. Our host’s doors open at 7:15, and we’ll get started with the conversation at 7:30. Check out the flyer below for more information.
Hope to see you there.
To Know Is To Listen
October 21, 2011 § 4 Comments
In his latest podcast, ESPN writer Bill Simmons talked with Ticketmaster CEO, Nathan Hubbard, about the constantly changing state of the ‘live event’ consumer. The conversation began with a focus on how fan purchasing behavior has influenced the current state of NBA, and flowed into everything from the NHL to Taylor Swift to MTV in 1984 to future fan experiences at live sporting events (think smart phone integration). In addition to being a riveting conversation, it was incredibly relevant to my current work at 4.0 Schools: practicing empathy and ‘knowing your users.’ I was particularly struck by something Hubbard said about 12 minutes in: « Read the rest of this entry »
Feedback From The First EduChat
October 20, 2011 § 1 Comment
On Tuesday night we held the first of what will hopefully be a series of conversations with citizens interested in learning more about school design and the public school options in New Orleans. It was an exiting beginning to a potentially transformative journey.
Seventeen people attended. Fifteen attendees were parents, and all of the parents either currently have, or will soon have, pre-school aged children. The group consisted primarily of New Orleans transplants: there were only two ‘native New Orleanians.’ It seemed that nearly everyone there had a connection to at least one other attendee and received a personal invitation from a friend. « Read the rest of this entry »
First of the Parent EduChats
October 18, 2011 § Leave a Comment
My experience at 4.0 Schools has influenced the scope of my current work. I started the 4.0 experience set on opening an open enrollment school designed for socio-economic diversity. My perspective on that narrow goal has changed some. I am attempting to broaden my work to address the disengagement of the urban middle class in public education. My hunch is that the best way to « Read the rest of this entry »
