Advance Baton Rouge to divide July 1
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After four years in operation, Advance Baton Rouge is splitting into two separate nonprofits, one focused on running its five charter schools, the other focused on its many other initiatives.
Starting July 1, Advance Baton Rouge will deal only with charter-school operations. The new entity, Advance Innovative Education, will take over training programs for teachers and principals.
The only charter-flavored aspect of the new nonprofit’s profile will be strategic planning for the creation of two new high schools, one focused on math and science, the other on digital arts, both slated for a fall 2010 start. In all, the new nonprofit will manage about $6.5 million in grants.
“It’s not so much of a change in direction. It’s taking what we have in place and making it better,” said Christel Slaughter, chairwoman of the board for Advance Baton Rouge.
Advance Baton Rouge’s Executive Director Kristy Hebert is shifting over to the new nonprofit. Slaughter said Advance Innovative Education contains the areas that Hebert is most passionate about.
This smaller Advance Baton Rouge has been advertising for someone to replace Hebert. Slaughter said she hopes in the next few days to select a new chief executive to manage charter schools.
Advance Baton Rouge only entered the charter-school world in spring 2008, but that has dominated the group’s public profile ever since.
In taking over Glen Oaks and Prescott Middle schools in Baton Rouge, and Pointe Coupee Central in Morganza, Advance Baton Rouge has encountered many problems.
The schools got started late and had trouble hiring and keeping good, experienced teachers. Leaders have changed at all three schools. Sporadic student misbehavior has made the news. Test scores from the first year in operation are scheduled to be released this week.
Relations between the East Baton Rouge Parish school system and Advance Baton Rouge have also soured considerably.
Slaughter said Advance Baton Rouge had grown overwhelmed with its growing responsibilities and the challenges of running three new schools, and taking over Dalton and Lanier elementary schools in the fall. She said she hopes splitting the organization in two will help improve operations across the board.
Slaughter said the two nonprofits will no longer share the same office, and she along with board members Jeff English and Dan Bevan will serve on the boards for both nonprofits during the transition.
“It’s just a very easy, clean break,” she said.
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