Last month Henderson Lewis Jr. took the helm as superintendent of the Orleans Parish School Board. Today he laid out his plan for his first six months — and his vision for the future.
Henderson Lewis Jr. has a clear vision: "To reunite the school district," he says. "Right now we have a fragmented school system. We have some schools that are part of the Orleans Parish School Board. We have other schools that are part of the Recovery School District."
Lewis says his current job is to co-lead with the RSD superintendent. But ultimately, he wants all schools to return to local control.
This fall Martin Luther King Jr. Charter will become the first school to transfer back. Lewis hopes others follow suit.
"My goal is this, is to be able to build an infrastructure where those 60-plus other schools will be able to return back to the Orleans Parish School Board," he says.
His immediate plans include revising the board's policy manual, holding ethics trainings, and downsizing the central office to cut back on expenses.
