Ben Franklin Alumni Community

The Ben Franklin Alumni Community page located here is your best place for finding Franklin alums and getting post-Katrina news.

I'm disabling any further comments or posting to this blogspot one, since it's starting to attract spammers and isn't really used by anybody any more.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Press release re: Franklin seeking charter school status

For Immediate Release

 

October 2, 2005

 

            Today the board of directors of the Benjamin Franklin High School Association voted unanimously to take all steps necessary to reopen the school in January 2006.  For more than forty years, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School has been a symbol of academic excellence in the New Orleans Public School System and the State of Louisiana.  Franklin is committed to assisting with the rebuilding of the City of New Orleans by reopening its doors as soon as possible so that students and their families will be encouraged to return to the City and resume their productive roles in our society. 

 

            To meet that commitment, the board agreed to present an application to the New Orleans Public School Board for Franklin to become a Type 3 charter school in partnership with the University of New Orleans, continuing to provide a college preparatory education to students who meet admission requirements.  The Franklin parent board had never before considered the charter school option but determined that it would be in the best interests of the school given the impact that Hurricane Katrina has had on the New Orleans Public School system, particularly for the schools on the East Bank of Orleans Parish.  In fact, as of this date, no plans for re-opening any of the East Bank schools have been announced by the board or its administrators.  By pursuing the charter school option, Franklin can continue its unparalleled education of public high school students within the district and take advantage of the educational partnership offered by UNO and federal and private resources available to charter schools. 

 

            Because of the impact that Katrina had within Orleans Parish on the homes and residences of Franklin students, it is anticipated that students registered as of August 29, 2005, will be permitted to enroll in January 2006, and remain enrolled through their graduation regardless of their parish of residence.  Any student who was accepted for enrollment in Franklin for the 2005-2006 school year but chose to attend another high school and is unable to continue his/her education at that school due to the effects of Katrina may also enroll at Franklin in January 2006.  Franklin also understands the drastic impact Katrina had on all college-bound high school seniors and will work with seniors attending any New Orleans Public School who have passed the Graduate Exit Exam so that they can obtain the remaining units that they need to graduate.

 

            Working together with the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Public School system, and the State of Louisiana, it is the hope of Franklin parents, teachers, and staff to reverse at least part of the negative impact of Katrina on the public education system of the city and to again give its citizens an educational example of which they can be proud.

 

            For more information, contact Carol A. Christen, principal at cachristen@yahoo.com, or Duris L. Holmes, president of the Franklin parents association at dholmes@dkslaw.com.

 

 

 

 

           

BFHS status (new building)

9/18 Times Picayune confirms sad state of BFHS:

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09_17.html#080701

At the University of New Orleans, floodwaters at some point covered
about a third of the Lakefront campus, mostly on its south and west
sides, invading the first floor of a dorm and the city's premier high
school, Ben Franklin, at the edge of the college campus.

Ted Frank '87
http://tedfrank.com

Hi All and good luck

Hi Ray,
Thanks for doing this. It is good to read the news of old friends.

Hi Denise,
I hope I will get to return to your classroom to talk about careers in
oceanography sometime SOON. Unfortunately I hear the new building is in
a bad - wet - place. But I am really glad to hear you and your family
are well.

Hi All,
My dad and sister Marie (class of '81) evacuated from NO to various
places and are now staying with me in Houma. Both plan to go back to
New Orleans ASAP, but will likely return until the city is in better
condition. Dad lives a few blocks from the old Franklin and I viewed
aerials taken Sept 3 - that area is high and dry, including the
courthouse. Marie was worried about money as she depends on her massage
clientele, but is doing really well here in Houma because so many relief
staff need massages. She is one of few in Houma trained in Thai
Massage.

I work at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Chauvin, LA in
Terrebonne Parish - it did not flood (thank goodness), but does need a
new roof.

I am close to New Orleans if anyone needs anything. Just hollar.

Jessie

********************************************************************
Jessica A. Kastler, Ph.D.
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
8124 Highway 56
Chauvin, LA 70344

985-851-2848 phone
985-851-2874 fax
jkastler@lumcon.edu
********************************************************************

Teacher in Austin

Hi Ray and Franklin Alums,
Denise Ekberg, current or was teacher of Bio and Chem at Ben Franklin. I
evacuated to Austin and am staying with a close friend. Diego Gonzalez can
be contacted at dgonzalez@aol.com and would love to hear from any and all. I
spoke with him yesterday and he is safe and sound and running a contact
system mostly for seniors to contact teachers for letters of rec.

Thanks,
Denise

_________________________________________________________________
On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to
get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement

Ben Franklin

Dear Ray,

 

I taught English at Franklin from 81-87, and my first thoughts when I saw New Orleans inundated by water were of Diego (or Mr. Gonzalez to be formal).  He is the best example of an excellent teacher I've evern known, and I worried that he might be among those who were/are stranded--or worse.  If anyone knows how to reach him in Chicago, I would appreciate receiving that information. 

 

I am also eager to know the whereabouts of Madame Alford.

 

I hope all the students whom I knew are safe somewhere.  If anyone ended up in the Los Angeles area and needs help with anything, please let me know.

 

My university, CSULA, is waiving out-of-state  tuition for college students whose education has been interrupted because of Katrina.  If any of Franklin students' relatives decide to take advantage of that, please let me know.  I can help with paperwork and some temporary housing, food, etc.

 

Thank you so much for organizing this space.

Marilyn Elkins   

 

 

Marilyn Elkins

melkins1@earthlink.net

EarthLink Revolves Around You.

 

community.bfalumni.com

<a href="http://community.bfalumni.com">Community.BFAlumni.com</a> is up and running, with several dozen alums and over a dozen offers of help already.  Spread the word.

 

<a href="http://tedfrank.com">Ted Frank</a>, BFHS '87

Franklin (the new one) is underwater

This is kind of third hand, but Ted Frank reports here that the new Franklin is underwater.

(OK, OK, I realize "the new Franklin" is pretty old at this point, but if somebody told me "Franklin is underwater", my first thought would be the courthouse.)

ray