The Creole Tomato

Posted 3 years ago at 10:42 am. 0 comments

“If you ain’t from here, you won’t get it” is the tagline for the online news site The Creole Tomato. The Creole Tomato is a “news” website that explores stories that highlight the lighter side of the New Orleans rebuilding effort. Below is a story currently posted on the front page of the site:

Orleans Parish School Board to combine McDonough Numbers 15, 42, 32, and 35

New school to be called McDonough #114

Under pressure from Governor Blanco, Mayor Nagin, and thousands of angry parents to reopen the public schools more quickly, the Orleans Parish School Board announced today that it would combine McDonough numbers 15, 42, 32, and 35 into one 24-hour “super school.”

The new school will be called McDonough #114.

The plan copies heavily from efforts by area private and parochial schools to retain students with a two-shift school day. One set of students attends classes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., while another studies from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Rummel/Brother Martin/Mt. Carmel and St. Martin’s/Jesuit currently have such arrangements.

The McDonough #114 plan, however, calls for a third shift of students from midnight to 7 a.m.

The plan is seen as a calculated response to proponents of an initiative to create a new series of public charter schools that will operate independently of the School Board.

“With a three-shift system, we can educate our city’s youth without the need for independent charter schools,” said School Board President Torin Sanders.

When told by reporters that the numbers of the four McDonough schools actually added up to 124, not 114, Sanders responded:

“Sorry. I guess we forgot to carry the one.”

If that’s not funny, then I’m not sure what is. The Creole Tomato is our cool site of the week.

The Creole Tomato can be found at: www.nycnolahelp.org/creoletomato/.