January 31, 2008

An Open Letter to the New Orleans Community:

As executive director of the KIPP New Orleans Schools, I would like to clarify the history, circumstances, and legacy relating to one of the school buildings where we educate our children: Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary. 

The school building, located in the Carrollton community of New Orleans, was named after Dr. Ronald McNair in 1992.  Dr. McNair, a celebrated physicist, tragically lost his life aboard the NASA space shuttle Challenger in 1984.  We were honored when one of our first charter schools - KIPP Believe College Prep - was offered shared space in Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary in August of 2006.  

KIPP Believe College Prep is part of a national network of free, locally-run, college preparatory charter schools - three of which operate in New Orleans.  KIPP Believe currently serves 170 students in grades five and six; 99 percent of students are African American.  KIPP Believe students are raising the bar for student achievement in New Orleans.  Last school year, KIPP Believe students performed significantly above the city average on state tests in both reading and mathematics.  Last spring, PBS profiled the success of KIPP Believe students on national television. 

In February of 2007, a tornado hit the front of Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary and left an approximately 150 square foot hole in the building and tore off the McNair sign once displayed on the outside of the school.  The Recovery School District (RSD), which has operational control over the McNair Facility, completed repairs in August 2007.  The “Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary” lettering was not replaced on the outside wall during renovations, as the focus was on making timely repairs and making the new wall structurally sound.  This week, the RSD informed us that temporary lettering will arrive on Friday.  We understand that the RSD ultimately plans to replace the temporary lettering with permanent lettering that will restore the name “Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary” to the school building.

We at the KIPP New Orleans Schools take great pride in the history of Dr. Ronald McNair, and our students learn about his accomplishments as an example of what can be attained through higher education.  We are confident that all of our KIPP New Orleans students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and hopeful that some students will honor the legacy of Dr. McNair by entering the field of science.

Rhonda Kalifey-Aluise

Executive Director

KIPP New Orleans Schools