This review is for the original Ben Franklin on Carrollton. We did not have Any sports teams at…read moreall, but we got a great education. It was before computers. U really cannot compare the two.

I worked harder here than I ever have in college. And that includes my current studies in nursing…read moreschool, though they're very nearly tied in beating me senseless with paperwork. The kids were fantastic. Anyone with the brains to get in can and will fit in here. The faculty is great. The administration was such a problem that I can't give more than three stars. In fact, the administration is what I attribute my pure hatred for high school. Unfortunately there's a school board that oversees the principal. So even though there are huge problems with the current (not personal experience with this one, just from having spoken to several members of the faculty) and previous (good riddance!) principal, it's next to impossible to convince the board that there needs to be a change. If the principal is allowed to pick on teachers he or she doesn't like, it affects how the teachers treat each other and thus how the teachers treat the students. This is a very liberal school. I wish the dress code were less strict. The point of going to Franklin was supposed to be having the ability to be yourself, and to learn who you are. Why can't kids in high school shave a mo-hawk or dye their hair blue if they want to?

John M Donald ran a shipping and receiving business out of Baltimore…read more In 1845 he shut his business down (where he employed slaves) and moved his business to NOLA. Before he left Baltimore, he freed all of his slaves and gave them money to start their lives. Then he opened a success port business in NOLA . He brought 100 acres of the 1600 acre park and donated it to the City Park Foundation. Before he died, he freed all of his New Orleans slaves, and also gave them money to start a life with. He build homes for the poor and pretty much gave them away. When he died, he had given money to start public schools in New Orleans and Baltimore. Prior to hurricane Katrina there were 42 John McDonald schools. He was a very generous man and gave away most of his life's savings.

So far My son and I are loving this school. I'm going to start off with the Cons because I honestly…read moredon't have many. The neighborhood that the school is in has terrible roads. Most of the houses in the immediate area are French Style New Orleans homes so it's really cute. Just be aware that if you drive a couple blocks down in the wrong direction the roads will start tearing apart and scenery will change. I've told a few people my son will be attending this school and most ppl applaud the news. I hear great feedback from other parents of a mix of different races and I've only heard good things about them. During orientation they stressed about how they are a school who welcomes families of different cultures and students who have differences. And I feel like they mean it. During orientation one of the teachers was giving a story about how much they care about their students and how racism is around us so much and the students who attend this school will learn how to accept one another and learn and understand the different cultures of different races and learn to love one another. The lady was in tears at the end of her speech and I just knew she meant every word of it. We did apply for a scholarship to attend the school, we applied rather early and we got in. They have an online system to pay for lunch, field trips, donations etc.. which I think is very organized. They do have a bus service for New Orleans parish residence, for Jefferson Parish, parents have to pay for bus service. Inside the school is very clean, everything looks fairly new, colorful, bright, and organized. I'm really picky so yes I looked around. The equipment in the cafeteria also looked fairly new and clean. They stress the importance of music, art, and physical education. Which most schools do not. Also they have a speech therapist at the school. Some people tried to discourage me from bringing my son to a language school when he has some catching up to do with his speech. It's amazing to see that he's not the only child who struggles with speech and they have professionals there to help regardless if he's learning one language or two. They also have after school programs like home work help if they stay in after school care, science club, and Soccer Shots. My son just started attending, we find out who our teacher is on Monday but I'm really excited, some say it may be challenging but we are ready for it.

A new Orleans school that can have classes, federal and local voting and open house day - all on…read moreNovember 4th is a rarity that deserves all the praise!

I credit St Augustine's marching band and Jon Batiste for showcasing what an amazing school St…read moreAugustine is. An all boys Catholic high school in New Orlean's 7th ward that was founded in 1951 as a place for excellence. The school's Marching 100 Band is a city treasure and shows up in parades and in Batiste's song "We Are."

Not what it used to be…read more Growing up in the community at large; "St Aug/The Aug" was the placed that ALLLLLL the "aspiring to be young professional African Am Men" strived to go. The parents of said young men also had it in their minds this was the "place to be" for young African American Men. Well that "reputation" has since expired. I've had the not so fortunate pleasure of witnessing 1st hand the reputation & standards of the school spiral out of control. The most recent changing of the guards (administration) is the #1 reason for said displeasure. Additionally, the mismanagement of classrooms, lack of proper student teacher parent communication, unavailability of required supplies... Only adds to the failing reputation. Just not at all what it used to be... I'm saddened to know "St Aug/The Aug" as of late.

They don't answer the phones, called 3 times each from different numbers. Had to drive to the…read moreschool when I got there I started calling them again the phone was ringing while people were in the the office none of them cared about who was calling WHY SEND YOUR KIDS HERE THEY SUCK AND DON'T CARE I was just trying to check up on how my brother was doing and they can't even pick up the phone.

Best school ever. Great place if you want your sons to become successful in any endeavor!read more

It's extremely disappointing to see how situations involving racism are being handled at this…read moreschool. When members of the community call the administration to address serious concerns about the behavior of some students, it feels like our voices are being ignored. Issues like this should never be brushed aside or dismissed. Schools are supposed to be places where respect, accountability, and leadership are taught. The administration needs to do better by listening to the community, addressing these problems directly, and making it clear that racist behavior will not be tolerated. Silence or inaction only damages trust with the community you serve.

What a beautiful campus! Holy Cross is an expansive campus with beautiful and up to date buildings…read more They have great technology, creative labs (I Especially liked the one with various snakes, spiders and a baby alligator) and dedicated teachers and staff, that seem to teach even the most traditional of subjects (such as Math) in creative and engaging ways. I could not have been more impressed by this school and my visit here. It is worth top consideration for anyone who is looking for a school for their son in the New Orleans area!

The campus is beautiful and the sports are good. But, only conventional rote learners with high…read morefunctioning executive skills can survive here. The portal is abysmal; every teacher has a different way of posting to it or not using it at all. I don't know why they don't just use Google Classroom. My son developed severe anxiety and was even throwing up consistently from such a punitive and unsupportive environment. It is really a "no excuses" style school without the support for students. The counselors are overworked and ineffective, and we could not get any help. There is no program to assist ADHD or other common learning differences, only detention and other shaming, as the disciplinarian routinely calls the boys morons. The teachers are painfully ignorant about ADHD, in fact, I was told many times that my son is too smart to have a learning disability and that he just was lazy and not trying. Outside testing proved otherwise. The one accommodation they have to provide by law is extra time for tests, and he was denied that service on multiple occasions. There is also a lot of racism at the school that goes unaddressed, which was deeply unsettling. The years we tried to make this school work were traumatizing for the whole family and we are happily back at public school now.

I don't know about you, but my high school wasn't 1/10 as cool as this NOCCA. I daresay at that…read moretime, there wasn't anything that came close. Oh, I had unrealistic dreams of going to the Fame high school in NYC, of course. Yep. Just dreams. And truth be told, in the grand scheme of things, my HS had a decent music and theater program going on. BUT IT WAS NO NOCCA. Ahem. Since I don't go to this damn school, I can't give a firsthand review of that, just to note that the programs they offer are truly fantastic- culinary, music-both classical *and* jazz, creative writing, theater and more *swoon* And it's public! I saw a production of Balm in Gilead at NOCCA in their black box theater, and although the production was put on by a group not affiliated with NOCCA, I was truly impressed with this state-of-the-art theater overall. Acoustics & lighting were spot-on (har) and there are excellent sight lines. My only issue was that the seats are hard and uncomfortable. I mean *really* uncomfortable, as in torture devices. And it's not like I don't have enough cushion of my own, just sayin'.

I'm suppose to go here for Classical Instruments but overall its an amazing school. Awesome…read moreTeachers, campus, and Students. The place is open and full of talented people. Amazing Place! High security as well. There's a guard every hour and every day of the week. That's all I can say. The only problem would be the parking. Its hard to Find! Love how its by the French Quarter (You literally can walk there!)