Additional grants available for D and F schools

The state Department of Education today released its plan to revive schools graded D or F. The plan is called “Believe and Succeed: Louisiana’s Initiative to Transform Struggling Schools,” and it will offer grants to teachers, principals, school districts and nonprofit organizations that have proposals to turn around their schools. Applicants who propose a new vision for a school in which the school leader has flexibility over hiring and firing, budgetary, curricular, and other key decisions, will be considered, the department says. “There are great leaders with creative ideas within our schools. ‘Believe and Succeed’ calls on these leaders to act now and serve Louisiana’s most underserved students,” says state Superintendent John White. There are two types of grants available through the plan, and applications for both are due by April 26. Nearly 200,000 students in 59 of the 64 parishes across the state attend a school graded D or F. Complete details and applications can be found here.