Since 2009, the sounds of the LHA Marching Eagles can be heard practicing up and down Trafalgar Street and performing along multiple parade routes. The over 100-member marching unit is a staple of the community and, for one family, a tradition. The tradition started in 2015 when then 8th grader Jahmad Randolph was selected as the LHA Drum Major. This special position is reserved for a student who has shown dedication and commitment to the band. Band director, Mr. Venable, or “Mr. V” as everyone calls him, selects the student each year. This student is given this honor based on the years they have served in the band, their display of leadership skills, and their ability to give feedback to multiple band members playing different instruments. “It was such an honor to be the drum major. You are who everyone looks to, you are the first face everyone sees for the marching band. You are the first man up; you set the tone,” said Jahmad.
While Jahmad was busy leading the marching band, he noticed pretty early on that his younger brother, Markiaj, was also interested in music. As it turns out, Markiaj would grow up to follow in his big brother’s footsteps, serving as the current drum major for the LHA Marching Eagles.
“I had a feeling Markiaj would be in the band and eventually the drum major! It all started when he was about four years old. He would come home from daycare, and I would see him trying to play my trumpet, mimicking my moves in the band,” said Jahmad. “When he was about six and in the first grade at LHA, I would bring him to practice, and he would be our little mini drum major.” 
Markiaj remembers those moments when he was able to learn from his brother and uses what he learned to be the drum major that he is today. “It was a family thing for me; I knew I wanted to take what my brother taught me and become the sort of leader I saw in him. He inspired me to join the band and then to be the leader,” said Markiaj.
As the current drum major, Markiaj uses the fundamentals of the Marching Eagles: self-control, understanding musical notes, patience, practice, and prep for parade season to help lead, but he holds close to him a lot of what he learned from his brother. “I view my role as the drum major as sort of a big brother. I want to set the same example that Jahmad set for me,” said Markiaj. “I am also still learning from him. Jahmad will call me and ask how things are going with the band and give me tips and feedback on the perfect moves. I am still trying to perfect my crab walk!”
Markiaj sets the tone by making sure his fellow band members are on time to practice, that they are getting schoolwork done, and ensuring accountability is in place. “I want them to see me doing all of these things correctly and know that is the standard for being a Marching Eagle.” Markiaj knows that these things are all key to that moment when they are performing in front of thousands. “When we have all these things in place, we have practiced and coordinated, I have made sure I have my routine down, everyone else knows their parts, then we know we are ready,” says Markiaj.
“I also like to remind everyone the importance of never playing louder than the person next to you,” Markiaj says with a smile. “We are one band with one sound.”
For big brother Jahmad, now a music education student and member of the Southern University Human Jukebox, music has continued to set the path for his career. He is currently one of three section leaders in the mellophone section of the band with big plans to return back to LHA after graduation.
“I know I’d have big shoes to fill, but I would love to come back and be like Mr. V and lead the Marching Eagles,” says Jahmad. “Mr. V was more than just a band director or music teacher for me. He was like a father figure, he was everything that some of us needed and more. He made sure I studied so I could go to a good high school and college. I plan to do the same for LHA students when it is my time.”
The love of music that Jahmad and Markiaj share is also shared with their younger brother Aiden, who is also a member of the Marching Eagles. Jahmad is proud of both of his brothers and knows the future is bright for them.
“It is humbling to know Markiaj has looked up to me as a drum major. I always tell him nothing is too hard or too big for him to accomplish,” says Jahmad. “ I am proud of him, and in terms of skills, I think he has me beat!”
Be sure to check out the LHA Marching Eagles in the Knights of Chaos on 2/16, Krewe of NOMTOC on 2/18, Krewe of Okeanos on 2/19, and closing out the Mardi Gras season with the Krewe of Zulu on 2/21.
FirstLine Schools is proud to announce the launch of our new Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) section on the FirstLine Schools website. This section will serve as an online learning space to learn more about our history in DEI work, our current goals around DEI work, and our commitments to the future of DEI at FirstLine Schools.
The DEI section will provide staff, students, families, funders, partners, and the community insight into the work we’re doing to ensure DEI becomes a woven thread in the fabric of our organization. We hope it results in a clear shared reflection on actions, systems, policies, and practices throughout the network that leads to successful student academic achievement. “The website will highlight how intentional and committed we are to creating change in our efforts to become an anti-racist organization,” said Chief Equity Officer Sivi Domango.
“Our goal is to keep this section of our website constantly evolving,” added Domango. “We will strive to update the site as we make progress on our goals, aim to share stories from all stakeholders, and we hope to make it a space where valuable resources can be shared, and open collaboration can take place.”
You can check out the new Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) section on the FirstLine Schools website by clicking here.
FirstLine Schools has received a $7 million gift from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This gift will allow FirstLine to advance its teaching model, which has achieved extraordinary post-pandemic student growth across all four of its New Orleans schools. This is the largest single unsolicited donation FirstLine has ever received, and it is a vote of confidence in the work our leaders, teachers and support staff do in schools across the city of New Orleans every day.
FirstLine’s highly effective, data-driven instruction resulted in major improvements in student outcomes reflected in their 2022 Louisiana Assessment of Educational Progress (LEAP) performance. FirstLine achieved some of the highest student growth scores in the city using a precisely constructed combination of high-dosage tutoring, small group instruction, social and emotional learning, and a wide variety of experiences designed to stimulate student engagement and critical thinking, including FirstLine’s nationally acclaimed garden and culinary education program, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. FirstLine students’ scores in English Language Arts and mathematics improved significantly across all of our schools in the 21-22 school year. These improvements occurred despite frequent interruptions in instruction, including a three-week closure for Hurricane Ida and multiple pandemic quarantines.
“We are so proud of the work that FirstLine teachers, leaders, and support staff have done, particularly in some of the most challenging circumstances any of us have ever encountered. The pandemic gravely impacted learning. We have a long way to go to recover from the pandemic and accelerate much further than pre-COVID levels of learning, but MacKenzie Scott’s gift is a tremendous affirmation of our work and approach. It ensures that we will have the resources to refine our approach and innovate further so that students may thrive,” says Sabrina Pence, CEO of FirstLine Schools.
FirstLine, a 24-year-old New Orleans based charter management organization, embraces a whole child education philosophy that nurtures students in mind, body, and spirit. Since its inception, it has worked to develop a Vision of Excellence that includes rigorous academics, effective professional development for a diverse group of teachers and leaders, a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, social and emotional learning for students and staff, and the creation of school environments that promote a sense of belonging and community.
FirstLine board chair Charles West says, “We are deeply grateful for MacKenzie Scott’s visionary philanthropy, her belief in the importance of high-quality public education, and her recognition of FirstLine’s pioneering work. Her investment in FirstLine’s approach to teaching and learning will change the life outcomes of thousands of New Orleans children.”
Hello, Friends of FirstLine,
All of us at FirstLine schools were thrilled to welcome our students back to school in August. We began the year with some very good news: FirstLine students at all four of our schools made gains in every subject on the state LEAP tests taken last spring. This is a testament to the work of the strong educators in our network and the partnership that our families demonstrated throughout a very challenging year, one that began with three weeks of school closure due to Hurricane Ida and regular interruptions due to COVID quarantines. Here is how our students fared in the face of these challenges:
On average, FirstLine students’ scores in English Language Arts improved 9% in the category of Basic and 7% in the category of Mastery from their 2020-21 scores. This means 52% of our students scored Basic or above and 26% scored Mastery or above. Last year, improving our outcomes in ELA was our primary focus, and this has resulted in both significant improvement and coming close to our pre-pandemic levels.
FirstLine students’ scores in math improved an average of 10% in the category of Basic and 5% in the category of Mastery from their 2020-21 scores, with 39% scoring Basic or above and 13% scoring Mastery.
FirstLine students’ scores in social studies improved an average of 2% in the category of Basic and 1% in the category of Mastery from their 2020-21 scores, with 29% scoring Basic or above and 11% scoring Mastery.
FirstLine students’ scores in science improved an average of 3% in the category of Basic and 2% in the category of Mastery from their 2020-21 scores, with 31% of students scoring Basic or above and 11% scoring Mastery or above.
I am so proud of our children, our educators, and all of you who support our work. The scores clearly show the importance of in-person learning and great teaching. And, while we have had tremendous gains, there is much more work to do, both to achieve recovery from learning loss due to COVID-19, and to move beyond recovery to excellence. This year we will build on our successful work in ELA and focus our attention on improving math achievement in all grades.
We are happy to be able to welcome volunteers and other partners back into our school buildings, now that COVID spread has decreased in our city. We will continue to follow all public health guidelines, but for now, we look forward to seeing you at our school events and celebrations, or to help out in the classrooms and our Edible Schoolyard gardens.
Here’s to a great school year!
Sabrina Pence
CEO
In the early days of FirstLine, all new hires went on a bus tour in which our founders told the story of our first school, New Orleans Charter Middle School, and visited its various locations. We haven’t been able to do the tour for the past four years because of COVID and weather events. Our Communication team has created a video version of the FirstLine History Tour, featuring our founders, Jay Altman and Dr. Tony Recasner, along with veteran FirstLine educators and our school directors, telling the story of FirstLine’s pioneering work in education reform from 1993 through the present day. The piece serves as a history not only of FirstLine, but of the charter school movement in New Orleans, through the voices of the people involved. The piece is 52 minutes long, so get a snack and settle in to watch this mini-documentary about the FirstLine Family, of which you are a part!
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Edible Schoolyard culinary program at Arthur Ashe has resumed kitchen classes for first through fourth graders. New Lead Chef Educator, Jeranika Semian, aka “Ms Jae,” who has taught science at Ashe for the past three years, is firing up the ovens and creating lessons that weave science, math, ELA and social studies into her classes. A skilled middle school science teacher, Ms. Jae is finishing her masters in business administration this semester and when not teaching, runs her own catering company. Students will also learn much from Assistant Chef Educator Derrick Johnson, who has years of formal culinary training and who served as a sous chef and culinary educator for a local catering company before joining the FirstLine team in August. Both Ms. Jae and Mr. Johnson are New Orleans natives and love our culinary traditions!
Ms. Jae says, “I’m excited to use my career expertise and food truck experience in the classroom while teaching students the fundamentals of cooking. It brings joy to my work watching them get excited to try new things and to share with their teachers here at Ashe.” We look forward to the resumption of ESY culinary events such as Iron Chef and Market-to-Table, where our students work with local chefs to produce tasty meals shared with their families and friends.
In the garden, ESY has welcomed a new Lead Garden Educator, Dr. Abisoye Igenoza, who comes to us with years of experience teaching agriculture and garden education in Nigeria and the United States, and who holds a PhD in Agriculture. She says, “I am excited about guiding the kids to grow, harvest, taste, and cook food in the garden.” Camille Grundy, whose deep investment in service work inspired her year of City Year service at Ashe, has also joined the team as Associate Garden Educator.
We are so excited to welcome these new team members to the ESY family, who will teach our students to make healthy connections to food and the natural world. Stay tuned for information on upcoming ESY events at Arthur Ashe.
Ms. Rameisha Johnson was appointed FirstLine Schools’ inaugural Family Engagement Manager in late summer of 2022, and quickly planned, marketed, and hosted a kickoff event for the FirstLine community on August 25, 2022 that was attended by over 200 of FirstLine’s families, staff, and advocates. Ms. Johnson’s history of fostering relationships between families and schools began early in her life as she observed her grandmother’s advocacy and involvement in her own education. Ms. Johnson’s grandmother attended every PTA meeting, volunteered at many of her school events as a parent liaison, and advocated for Ms. Johnson to receive the best education. It is this early advocacy that inspired Ms. Johnson’s career as a veteran educator, and she has become a passionate advocate for the students that she has educated and mentored, as well as for her own school aged daughter and family.
In her work as the Family Engagement Manager, Ms. Johnson leans into FirstLine’s commitments of listening and understanding, and speaking with honesty and respect, to families within the FirstLine community. Central to Ms. Johnson’s work is creating meaningful dialogue and communication between schools to ensure that the partnership between FirstLine’s schools and families provides the tools and resources necessary to foster academic achievement for FirstLine students. Ms. Johnson will host both virtual and in-person focus groups as she continues to foster the rich discussion that will inform her vision and the work in her role as Family Engagement Manager. Please contact her at rjohnson@firstlineschools.org if you wish to be involved in this initiative or would like to discuss or support her work.
Enjoy this short clip of a recent interview with FirstLine’s Director of Operations, Neil Williams, who has been a part of the FirstLine family since he was a student at New Orleans Charter Middle over 20 years ago. Mr. Williams won FirstLine’s Ramona Luke Big Chief of Service Award in early 2022, well deserved recognition for his dedication and service mindset.
