Congrats, Dr.Ìý. Congrats,Ìý. The Orleans Parish School District is moving forward with a permanent school superintendent.
at a Wednesday meeting. She dropped "interim" from her title, and now, though she sits in the same chair in the same office, she has certainty that her decisions matter.
Public school charter scholar students in high school have seen come and go since they were in elementary school. I'm hoping that Fulmore will get a good, seven- to 10-year run to establish stability and to give her, and the board, a decent chance to significantly improve public education in New Orleans. It'll take that long to repair some of the damage done in the last two decades with the charter school "experiment."
Dr. Fateama Fulmore, the new Orleans Parish School Superintendent, at a community meeting at Walter Cohen High School when the Orleans Parish School Board considered two finalists for the top school job on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. She was named permanent superintendent on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)
Fulmore has a chance to do something that other superintendents have not done: She can develop a board-charter-community vision that better appreciates and respects the various ideas and philosophies about public school education with data and firm accountability, including traditional school perspectives with new approaches from charters and others.
Fulmore was selected from a pool of 20 candidates, becoming one of two finalists. The other was Dr. Sharon Latten-Clark, the District 2 representative on the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and leader of Sophie B. Wright High School. The board voted 5-2 in favor of Fulmore.
Board members Nolan Marshall Jr. and KaTrina Chantelle Griffin voted no. Griffin said though Clark wasn't selected, she extends "sincere congratulations" to Fulmore. "The future of our children is too important for division, and I remain committed to working alongside Dr. Fulmore to ensure that every student in New Orleans has access to a high-quality education." She looks forward to board accountability, "holding us accountable for the success and well-being of our students, families and educators."
Joseph Bouie
State Sen. Joe Bouie, a frequent OPSB critic, had hoped the board would go in a different direction for leadership as well. Now he's ready to "circle the wagons around (Fulmore) and give her an opportunity to demonstrate whether she can save our system."
Unfortunately, Fulmore is stepping into her permanent role as too many have lost trust in the board and the district.
There's a significant budget shortfall. Not having $36 million, as was reported last year, is one thing. Not having $50 million, the updated number, is potentially so crippling that there could be massive layoffs, school closures and yet another school reorganization. It can't be a stopgap step.
Our school children are owed better.
Someone — or some people — made a colossal financial error. Budget and funding calculations were based on a 12-month calendar year and not the months-shorter school year. I'm not a certified public accountant, a forensics accountant or a chief financial officer, but I did take a "finance for nonfinancial managers" course when I was responsible for an entire newsroom budget. Calendar year, quarterly and monthly calculations are different yet tied together. Our instructors didn't spend any time explaining how to spread nine or 10 months of money across an entire year.
The board is blaming Mayor LaToya Cantrell for backing out of a settlement to pay the district what they think they're owed. If there ever was a legitimate agreement, it's reasonable to expect payment. With or without an agreement, students, educators, parents and taxpayers deserve to know more about such a significant miscalculation.Ìý
"We have no comprehensive explanation about the miscalculation," Bouie said Thursday. "We know very little about who, how, and the board's position on ensuring that can never happen again."
The complex legal and moral debate about what the city owes the district will be resolved in time. Meanwhile, in March, the school board approved a Fulmore plan to use district savings and some of a budget surplus to soften the financial blow this year.
And what about next year?
To be fair, the school has provided explanations about the inflated revenue projections, but none that have resonated as understood with the public.
Ìý“My objective is to be the person who works hardest for children to get what they deserve,†FulmoreÌýsaid during a Tuesday night town hall.Ìý
Board President Katie Baudouin is happy with making Fulmore permanent. “The district is on a great path right now, and I think that (Fulmore’s) leadership really played a big role in getting us here,†Baudouin said after the board meeting.
Fulmore worked hard to earn her shot at running an entire school district as a superintendent. "This is a dream come true,†Fulmore told reporter Marie Fazio.
That dream can rapidly evolve into a nightmare if Fulmore,ÌýBaudouinÌýand the board don't come clean with facts — including a timeline — about how such a colossal financial mistake was made in ways the public can grasp.
We deserve to know.
