This is what incremental journalism looks like.
In May, I got a tip that it would be wise to attend Bricolage Academy’s monthly board meeting. I was the only reporter there — this is not a rare occurrence given the city has 29 independent school boards which meet monthly.
In a second-story classroom, board members, lacking name placards, sat at student desks alongside members of the public. There was no indication the group held fiscal responsibility for a 1,000-student school with a multi-million dollar budget. The members faced CEO Edward Brown who sat at the head of the classroom.
The meeting started with a public comment period. Several community members expressed concerns about school leadership and reported two dozen staff members had sent grievances to the board. Next, board members listened to routine financial and academic updates. Then, the board entered a closed-door session to discuss “personnel.”
I sat in the hall during the 45-some minute executive session. The discussion got heated at times, board members could be heard yelling from outside the closed classroom door. When the meeting reopened to the public, Board President Norman Barnum said:
“This board stands fully committed to work with Dr. Brown as our CEO and move forward in an effort to reengage our Bricolage values with our parents and teachers [who] expressed their concerns relative to Dr. Brown’s leadership.”
A week later, Principal Caitlin Meehan-Draper announced her imminent departure. Trust in my outlet turned into another tip: Lamplighter was the first to report her unexpected resignation.
On July 10, I broke the news that the NOLA Public Schools district cited Bricolage for failing to follow open meetings law and the district’s investigation into the charter’s handling of staff grievances: NOLA Public Schools: Bricolage Academy ‘failed to follow’ Open Meetings Law.
On July 14, The Times-Picayune’s Marie Fazio covered the escalating complaints: NOLA Public Schools looking into complaints about Bricolage Academy, letter says.
On July 31, Verite News’ Safura Syed broke open wide-ranging allegations in her story: Bricolage Academy faculty say CEO berated, belittled employees — particularly women.
The district is investigating the charter school board for violating open meetings law, and — in a rare move — is examining the charter board’s policies that cover employee grievances.
You may not always see it, but the education reporters in this city have long been supportive of one another. With a district as decentralized as ours, we need to fan out to capture the beat. A decade ago, The Advocate’s Della Haselle and I would sit side-by-side at the press table and strategize our coverage to maximize what readers would see in the local news the next day.
I think our city’s reporting is at its strongest when outlets scaffold off each other’s work, bringing new eyes, more sources and institutional knowledge.
I’m glad I was at Bricolage that day in May and I aim to continue to be the first boots on the ground.
More about my reporting and why I started Lamplighter News. Stay tuned, more Bricolage news is on the way.
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