Vendredi

By E.J. Ruane 

Education consultant and community leader Leslie Ellison has announced her intent to run for the Orleans Parish School Board, District Four, against sitting board member Lourdes Moran. The lifelong Algiers resident throws her hat into the race several months after testifying about a controversial bill about contracting during the legislative session. Ellison is running to represent an area mostly comprised of Algiers and parts of the East Bank.  

Ms. Ellison's announcement to run focused on her consistent involvement in the community-- "A graduate of Orleans Parish public schools and a lifelong resident of Algiers, I am involved with the community and education at various levels." ?Her fervor for the District 4 position is clear as she takes on, "the very honorable task of reclaiming the focus and ultimate purpose of education in New Orleans".  Ellison adds, "This type of bold transformation will start with a leader who has a heart and a love for the community".  

As founder and CEO of the Ellison Group, she leads the education consulting firm in devising effective education strategies with education leaders, parents and stakeholders.  

In addition to Ellison's community ties, she has over twenty years of governmental involvement (educational policy and advocacy) to the School Board position.  Her most recent policy effort came in the Spring as Ellison vouched for a legislative bill which would remove discriminatory language from state contracts regarding sexual orientation. According to the Advocate, Ellison testified that she refused to sign a state charter contract because it would require her to promise not to discriminate against gays and others. Ellison told a committee she was against the state "inserting its own opinions" into a state contract.

The bill was defeated after protests that it could make way for charter schools to discriminate based on sexual orientation and ability to speak English. Proponents of the bill, including the Louisiana Family Forum, denied that it was designed to discriminate.

Ellison will meet Board veteran, Lourdes Moran, in the coming Orleans Parish elections.