May 9, 2017

Dr. Henderson Lewis
3520 General De Gaulle Dr.
New Orleans, LA 70114

Re: OPSB Notice of Non-Compliance Letter dated May 8, 2017

Greetings Dr. Lewis,

It is with great displeasure that have to write this letter on behalf of our organization which has
consistently stood for providing choice to and advocacy for all parents of New Orleans children,
especially those who are disadvantaged, in accessing a quality education. This commitment has been
demonstrated through our active involvement with ON EAPP and EnrollNOLA. Over the last ?ve years,
lnspireNOLA has participated in the ONEAPP advisory committee, advocated for OPSB high schools to
join ONEAPP early, participated in numerous discussions regarding school choice and advocated for a
system that holds schools accountable and provides a quality seat for every child.

Until now, lnspireNOLA leaders have followed all admissions and enrollment policies and procedures
when parents selected our schools and students were placed with adequate credits. Even this year, when
we sought to decrease our enrollment for 9th grade at Karr, we worked with EnrollNOLA to take into
account the best interests of all students to increase our match numbers which could result in an in?ation
of our 9th grade enrollment yet again. This year alone we have admitted 29 students since October 1,
2017 during the round robin process.

The entire success of ONEAPP and EnrollNOLA is premised on fairness and equity to all who apply.
Charter networks, school leaders, parents and EnrollNOLA are all expected to play by the rules and
accept the results of a process that is being applied evenly to all participants. lnvariably, the process
results in many parents and students being happy with their placements, while others are disappointed
in their results. Those disappointed parents often reach out to us through lnspireNOLA central of?ce,
through our school leadership, through our board - to express their frustration with the results obtained.
We do our best to explain that there are only a set amount of seats per grade and that the students for
those seats are selected in a way that is fair to all. It is most difficult to explain the fairness of the process
to those parents who already have a child in an lnspireNOLA school, but who were not able to secure a
seat for the child's brother or sister even in that difficult situation, we stand by the ONEAPP process and

defend its results.

The circumstances surrounding the placement of student _at Alice Harte Charter School
undermine the fairness and equity of the ONEAPP and EnrollNOLA process. It is my understanding that
the parent of this student applied for a seat for this student at Harte in round 1 of the process; the child
did not receive a placement at Harte at that time. In addition to this particular student, numerous other
children did not receive a placement at Harte, including many siblings of current Harte students. It is my

3520 General DeGaulIe Drive, Suite 4040, New Orleans, LA 70114
504-227-3057





understanding that the parent in question then sought to obtain a seat at Harte through a round robin,
purposely seeking to circumvent the results of round 1. How can InpireNOLA be asked to tell all the
other parents who hoped their children would be placed at Harte, played by the rules and were not able
to obtain a placement that there are no more seats available at Harte, and then proceed to admit the
student in question? Our parents are aware of the situation and admitting the student will only provide
evidence of a ?rigged? and ?inequitable" system.

We support the intended purpose of EnrollNOLA and ONEAPP and the leadership of EnrollNOLA; it is
exactly for this reason that we do not and cannot agree to the mandate being placed on lnspireNOLA that
apparently triggered the Notice of Non-Compliance Letter I received on May 8th.

1 have personally met with members of your staff to raise this issue and have attempted to bring about a
resolution. I am also concerned about the effect of school closures on the placement of students and have
brought up that issue as well. Being compelled to follow policies and procedures that are not in the best
interests of New Orleans students is unacceptable -- being compelled to blindly follow policies and
procedures that could undermine the public confidence in a process that can only exist and succeed if the
community trusts its fairness and equity is unconscionable. As an OPSB operator and advocate I am also
disheartened at the language used in the OPSB letter of Does not meet standard and Fails far below when
we have admitted 29 students since October 1, 2016 in the ON EAPP process. is this what OPSB considers
as nonacceptable?

I ask that you intervene to take or cause the following actions:

consider revoking OPSB's Notice of Non-Compliance to lnspireNOLA,
revoke EnrollNOLA?s notice of Enrollment Policy Violation to lnspireN OLA,

0 consider the language being used in this letter since we have accepted 29 students since October
in the Round Robin process

0 identify an appropriate school site to meet the student?s right to a public education, and

engage the appropriate stakeholders to address and correct this loophole in
policies and procedures.

It is my hope that we can resolve this matter. lnspireNOLA is humbled by the numerous
parents who select our schools and tries to provide quality seats every year. Today, we are trying to
protect the system and stop a negative rumor that is spreading amongst our community regarding
admission through the round robin system. We ask for your consideration.

Thank you for your consideration in advance.

Sincerely with gratitude,


Iamar McKneely

3520 General DeGauIle Drive, Suite 4040, New Orleans, LA 70114
504-227-3057