As I’m writing this editor’s note, it’s the weekend before my daughter (finally) heads back to school, and I have just finished a lovely brunch with six other friends of mine, all moms. None of us could contain our excitement about the return of school. It’s basically exactly how our kids felt 2.5 months ago.
For some of the moms, it’s a time of welcome relief — one that comes with getting back into a regular routine after a summer of shuttling around the city to various summer camps and/or all over the country visiting family. For others, the start of school is a kind of mid-year New Year, complete with a hopeful list of resolutions that typically includes trying to lose the weight gained by months of sno-balls and ice cream. For me, it’s both of these things, mixed with the promise that cooler weather (and Halloween) are both getting closer by the day.
Back in April, when our cover Q&A was with Patrick Dobard, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans, I shared my own personal experience, and frustrations, with our school system here and the challenges involved with securing a space in the school of our choice. But the reality too is that my child is already bilingual. At an age when I was still struggling to read in one language, she can read and converse effectively in two. The opportunities that opens up for her — for college, for jobs — is unlike anything my husband or I ever had and this month’s cover person, Leslie Jacobs, is largely to thank for that.
You can’t talk about the changes New Orleans’ schools have been through post-Katrina without talking about all the work Ms. Jacobs has done. What I’m excited about in this piece, though, is the opportunity to share her new passion — making sure the kids we’re graduating are going on to find jobs and careers that provide for their needs and the needs of our region. It’s a win-win for everyone and the key to the future of our region.
Happy Reading,
Kimberley Singletary​
Managing Editor
