School Realignment Vote

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Today marks an important milestone for the future of education in Baton Rouge. After months of community meetings and collaboration, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has passed a school realignment plan that lays the groundwork for a stronger, more effective use of resources and a commitment to optimizing community assets. 

Developing and passing this plan required tough decisions on the part of the Board and Superintendent Cole. It took vision, courage, and a deep commitment to ensuring that every child in Baton Rouge has access to a high-quality education and the opportunities they deserve. 

We are grateful for all the stakeholders, particularly parents, who engaged in this collaborative and student-centered effort. It’s a testament to what can be accomplished when we come together, operate transparently, and put students first. 

This plan sets our district off on a pathway leading to better-resourced, better-maintained schools, and that is certainly worth celebrating. But we know that the work does not end here. As we move forward, we must ensure that school transitions for students, families, and staff are smooth and supported and that there is thoughtful planning around the reutilization of buildings so that they continue to serve our neighborhoods in meaningful ways. 

Let’s build on this momentum and continue delivering the promise of a brighter future for every student in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge Community is Dreaming Big for its Students

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It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 days since Education as a Civil Right 2025, which brought students, parents, and community members together around a shared mission of providing an excellent education for every student. 

One of the most powerful moments of the evening was watching our community’s vision for excellent schools come to life through art. As people shared what their “dream school” would look like, an illustrator captured those hopes in real time, highlighting everything from safe, clean buildings and reliable transportation to more resources and programs to meet student needs. 

Now, as the East Baton Rouge School Board works to iron out its facilities realignment plan, those shared dreams can remind us of what is possible.

Realignment is about more than buildings. It’s about using our resources in ways that reflect our values and aspirations for the future. It’s about making the dreams shared at Education as a Civil Right a reality. 

The conversations sparked in February shouldn’t stay in the past. They can guide us forward.

We have to keep asking ourselves – What do our students deserve? What does it take to make a “dream school” a reality for all students?  How are we prioritizing the student experience? 

These are the questions Superintendent Cole and the EBR School Board are currently asking not only themselves but also the entire community. 

We’re grateful to everyone who made Education as a Civil Right such a meaningful night, and we’re committed to continuing the conversation, together.

 

       

 

School Realignment Priorities

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The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students commends Superintendent Cole and the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board for taking an important step forward in advancing the district’s school realignment plan. The facility changes will allow district leaders to ensure resources are being consolidated and allocated in ways that will better serve the needs of all Baton Rouge students. While these decisions are undoubtedly challenging, they provide us with an opportunity to give every student access to first-rate learning spaces, quality educators and the support they need to thrive.  Realigning facilities will create more efficient and effective educational environments that will benefit not only students, but also our entire community. For too long, district leaders have failed to adapt to the changing landscape in our city. But in less than a year under Superintendent Cole’s leadership, the administration has acted urgently and deliberately to prioritize student experience. The impact of this work will be felt for years to come, as we work together to ensure that every student has a learning space that fosters growth and the resources needed to achieve the lives of their dreams.

Faces of the Alliance: Community of Impact

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The strength of any community lies in its people—the stories, the diverse perspectives, and our shared triumphs. Faces of the Alliance from the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, is a new initiative dedicated to shining a light on the individuals and organizations who make up what we call our Alliance family. Through personal narratives and video interviews, highlighting their contributions and experiences, we aim to celebrate the passion and resilience of those working toward a common goal –  unlocking each child’s potential through education.

Why Faces of the Alliance? Because every person has a story, and every story has the power to inspire change. Whether it’s a parent advocating for their child, an elected official or CHANGEMAKER guiding the way forward, or a local volunteer doing the hard work on the ground with students and families, these stories deserve to be told. Our goal is to amplify the voices who make the Alliance what it is; they are essential to the progress we strive for in our city.

Each feature will offer a glimpse into the motivations, challenges, and successes of the people who define our movement. We hope these stories will not only inform and uplift but also encourage others to get involved and make an impact.

This is just the beginning. Join us as we introduce you to the Faces of the Alliance—because change starts with people, and people are at the heart of everything we do.

Stay tuned for our first profile as we celebrate the role we all play in ensuring every child in our community is well-educated.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”- Mother Teresa

 

Faces of the Alliance

Baton Rouge Alliance for Students 2024 Annual Report

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BATON ROUGE, LA – The Alliance is excited to announce the release of our 2024 annual report. This report highlights so many of the events, programs, and initiatives we were able to create and support over the last year. We thank you all for the support of our work and belief in our mission that An Excellent Education is Every Child’s Birthright.

 

2024 Alliance Annual Report

Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Awards Community Building Grants

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BATON ROUGE, LA – The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students announced Wednesday the awarding of its annual Community Building investments. Grant awards support the work of non-profit organizations in building positive community change and advancing the quality of life for Baton Rouge students and their families. The grants are designed to provide organizations with the resources to expand their reach and impact ahead of their work for next year. The selected recipients are: 

 

  • Fathers On A Mission
  • Line4Line
  • National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.
  • Redstick C.A.R.E.S.
  • Save the Children
  • Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response
  • The Langston Galloway Foundation
  • Thrive Foundation
  • Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge

 

This year’s grant recipients were selected based on their work in the Alliance’s community priority areas of equity, student growth and development, leadership development, family and community voice, youth empowerment, and out-of-school time. Grantees were also chosen for their ability to encourage the development of community advocacy and offer enriching learning experiences. 

 

“The Alliance is committed to building a coalition of community partners who will serve Baton Rouge students and families well,” said Adonica Pelichet Duggan, CEO of the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. “We hope that with these investments, grantees can advance their initiatives to continue building the robust and vibrant Baton Rouge our community’s children deserve.”

Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Announces 2024-25 CHANGEMAKERS

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The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students announced the selection of the 28 participants for the new class of CHANGEMAKERS who will emerge as education advocates and leaders in Baton Rouge.

The 10-month program will provide this seventh cohort of CHANGEMAKERS with an understanding of the education ecosystem through monthly discussions, city visits, school tours, and other community activities. The cohort’s work will heighten awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the public education system in the city’s K-12 education landscape.  

The following participants have been selected for the 2024-25 CHANGEMAKERS class:

Logan Anderson
Caleb Etheridge
Nenette Gray  
Tessa Holloway 
Griffin Landry
Brent Mangum 
Erika Musgrove
Desiree Reese
Raven Veal
Audrey Wascome   		 Jamee Blink 
Dr. Michelle Dennis
Mehdi Farasat
Tanya Hamilton
Tebbe Jackson 
Derrick Lathan
Sandy Michelet  
Russell Nolan
Megan Reilly Shannon		 Nesha Brown
Ebony Dorizan-Martin
Tia Fields
Harmony Hobbs 
Charles James, III
Regina Leingang
Ericka Poole 
Darren Smith, Jr

“This group of civic leaders join the 150 alumni of the program in being ready to make a difference for the future of our city’s students,” said Adonica Pelichet Duggan, Chief Executive Officer of the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. “CHANGEMAKERS leave our program with a comprehensive grasp of our complex public education system and geared with the tools to go into the community and be both truth-tellers and advocates.”  

The CHANGEMAKERS program reflects the Alliance’s mission to engage leaders in the community about the education system and create a pathway toward every child in Baton Rouge receiving their birthright of an excellent education. The Alliance remains dedicated to unlocking every child’s potential and enhancing Baton Rouge’s education system by empowering families, uplifting the community, and engaging leaders.

For more information about the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students or the CHANGEMAKERS program, please visit BRAlliance.org/change.

BR Alliance for Student Action Logo

EBR School Board should hold off on approval of two charter applicants

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As the Baton Rouge School Board prepares to take up new charter school approvals, we encourage members not to rush into expansions this cycle.

There are many promising applicants, and we are excited about what they could bring to the table for Baton Rouge families. However, we want schools to be set up for success from day one, and there are numerous factors that can impact outcomes despite best intentions and an innovative vision. 

There are two applicants this year, offering important and inspiring opportunities: one with demonstrated success in turning around struggling schools through a model that pays teachers significantly more than the average school, and another that supports development of a pipeline of students excited and ready to take advantage of job opportunities in film production after graduation. While these schools, Third Future and the Louisiana Academy for Film Production, respectively, show promise, our opinion is that now is not the time and the EBR School System is not the appropriate authorizer for these schools.

Third Future operates Prescott Academy in EBR, which it opened in 2023. Official performance data won’t be available until this coming fall, which is the key reason why we believe conversations about expansion are premature. If, in the fall, Third Future’s official data comes back demonstrating student success, we will be excited to support their future expansion. 

The LA Academy for Film Production would like to enroll students from more parishes than EBR to fit its niche as a preparatory school for professions in the film industry. This makes it a better fit for a multi-parish enrollment area, which it can receive only from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, not the EBR school board. 

At the heart of our mission is ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality education. A solid, thriving foundation should be established before further growth can begin, and attempting to do too much too soon can hinder progress of an otherwise promising school. 

Any decisions regarding opening new schools should also take into account both the ongoing teacher shortage we are facing and the complex enrollment process that is a barrier to families trying to access schools that will best fit their student’s needs. 

We are all eager to create new opportunities for students to thrive, and by making decisions with thoughtful, practical intention, we will accomplish these goals.

A Statement on Recent False and Defamatory Allegations

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The East Baton Rouge School board made a decision last week about the future of the students in Baton Rouge and what it will and will not accept for students. Its vote not to renew the Superintendent’s contract was a close one and a tough one. Anyone engaged in the conversation about public schools knew this vote would be fraught with emotion. 

What very few expected was that this conversation about public schools would devolve into vitriol and lies. A small number of elected officials and organized advocates have been making false and shameful allegations that the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students and our CEO, Adonica Pelichet Duggan, have engaged in illegal acts with certain school board members. The Alliance submits that these allegations are absolutely baseless and are defamatory. There is no proof as to these allegations because they are categorically untrue and unfounded. 

Thursday night’s dialogue was heated. That’s to be expected when there are strong feelings at play and a person’s professional status is at stake. Among the values we hold here at the Alliance is the belief that adults must be held accountable for children’s learning. They must also be held accountable for their actions. We certainly hope that these allegations will stop.  However, those who continue to repeat and share the unfounded and defamatory allegations against our organization and CEO will be held accountable. We have a legal right to protect ourselves from false and defamatory statements, and we will exercise it. 

Instead of spreading lies, we encourage the few people perpetuating the false narrative to put their focus on the students in Baton Rouge.  As a community, we can and should be acting to ensure our students gain access to the futures their families want for them. We live in a city where just 37 percent of our public school students read on grade level, and only 24 percent do math on grade level. If you agree with the Alliance that an excellent education is every child’s birthright, then it’s those statistics that should outrage you, not the false statements being spread by this group of individuals.

Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Announces 2023-24 CHANGEMAKERS

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The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students today announced the selection of twenty-nine participants for its new class of CHANGEMAKERS, who will become education advocates and leaders in Baton Rouge.
Representing the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, the CHANGEMAKERS will collaborate with local education leaders over a ten-month period. The selected individuals will engage in an in-depth exploration of the Baton Rouge education ecosystem, visiting local schools and interacting with national and local education policymakers. Their work will focus on understanding and addressing key issues facing the city’s K-12 education landscape.
The following participants have been selected for the 2023-24 CHANGEMAKERS class:

  • Renee Antoine
  • Dave Baxter
  • Courtney Bell
  • Danielle Brown
  • Chelsea Brumfield 
  • Eboni Buchanan
  • Hunter Chauvin
  • Lizzie Cosse
  • Rory Denicola
  • Adrian Deschamp
  • Brandon Dumas
  • Donald Dunbar, Jr.
  • Crystal Ellis
  • Brad French
  • Amos Gibson
  • Melvin Hollins
  • Justin Hutchinson
  • DeJunne’ Clark Jackson
  • Anna Johnson
  • Nick Miller
  • Patrick Mulhearn 
  • Antoinette Patterson
  • Katie Pryor
  • Luz Randolph
  • Jeremy Robicheaux
  • Cory Stewart
  • Leslie Triche 
  • Amanda Vincent
  • Chloe Wiley

The CHANGEMAKERS program supports the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students’ core values of empowering families, elevating community, and engaging leaders. The CHANGEMAKERS program reflects the organization’s commitment to unlocking each child’s potential and strengthening Baton Rouge’s education system.
For more information about the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students or the CHANGEMAKERS program, please visit BRAlliance.org/change.