McDonogh 35 College Preparatory Charter High School
McDonogh 35 Senior High School is a charter public high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a part of New Orleans Public Schools and InspireNOLA charter operator. The school was named after John McDonogh.[2]
| McDonogh 35 Senior High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
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United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Charter; College Preparatory |
| Motto | A Choice, Not an Echo |
| Established | 1917 |
| School district | New Orleans Public Schools |
| Faculty | 48.93 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | Education in the United States#School grades 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 1008[1] (2010–11) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 20.6:1[1] |
| Color(s) | Maroon and gold |
| Athletics conference | LHSAA |
| Sports | Baseball (Boys) Basketball (Boys JV) Basketball (Boys Varsity) Basketball (Girls Varsity) Football (Boys JV) Football (Boys Varsity) Softball (Girls) Track and Field (Boys) Track and Field (Girls) Volleyball (Girls JV) Volleyball (Girls Varsity) |
| Nickname | Thirty-five; Three Five |
| Team name | Roneagle |
| Website | mcdonogh35shs.org |
History
Prior to 1917, during the era of segregated school systems in the Southern U.S., no public high school existed in New Orleans for African-American pupils. Those interested in pursuing an education beyond the eighth grade had to attend one of the city's three private secondary schools for blacks: Leland College, New Orleans University, or Straight College.
In 1917, a group of citizens met to petition the Orleans Parish School System to convert McDonogh 13 Boys' School from a white elementary school to a secondary educational facility for black pupils. The petition was granted and in the fall of 1917, McDonogh 35 Senior High School became recognized as a four-year high school. McDonogh 35 remained the only public four-year high school for African Americans until the L. B. Landry transitioned from an elementary into a high school in 1942. Booker T. Washington also opened its doors in 1942 for African Americans.
Over the years, McDonogh 35 has changed its location four times. The original building at 655 South Rampart Street was destroyed when Hurricane Betsy struck New Orleans in 1965, and for the next four years the school was temporarily located in the former United States Federal Court House Building at 600 Camp Street. In 1969, students and faculty were moved into the school facility at 133 St. Ann Street that formerly housed McDonogh 41 Elementary School. In September 1972, the facility relocated to 1331 Kerlerec Street in the Tremé neighborhood.[3] During the 1992-1993 school year, McDonogh 35 was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.
By April 13, 2006, McDonogh 35 was one of six public high schools that had re-opened since Katrina. Of them, it was the only one in a Downtown neighborhood. According to Philip White, the principal, initially the administration had plans to accommodate 800 students but found fewer due to the effects of the hurricane. One month later, the enrollment went over 1,000 students and the administration was forced to stop accepting students.[4]
The current facility which opened on August 20, 2015 is located on 16 acres in the Bayou District at 4000 Cadillac Street, the former Phillips/Waters school site.[3] The Louisiana Recovery School District allocated $55 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery funds tied to this site to construct the new state of the art McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School.
On December 20, 2018, the Orleans Parish School Board awarded the InspireNOLA charter group a two-year management contract to operate McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School, which will only have eleventh and twelfth grades.[5] Once the students graduate, that school will close.[5]
The school board also announced that InspireNOLA was awarded a contract to create a charter high school on the same campus.[5] In 2019, McDonogh 35 College Preparatory Charter High School will start with ninth grade and add a grade each year until it reaches twelfth grade.[5]
The "Roneagle"
A "Roneagle" or "Ironeagle" is a mythical bird fashioned after the American bald eagle however because of its solid iron constitution, it was stronger, swifter, larger and more resourceful than all other birds—a symbol of strength and courage meant to inspire the students of the school. This is the emblem and mascot of McDonogh 35 Senior High School; the "I" was later intentionally dropped to make it easier to pronounce. The first issue of the school's yearbook in 1928 describes the mythical creature.
Academics
Christine Woyshner and Chara Haeussler Bohan, editors of Histories of Social Studies and Race: 1865-2000, said that "Despite the pressures of a state-mandated standardized curriculum and a corresponding accountability policy, in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, McDonogh 35 retained a strong academic curriculum that placed social justice and students at its center.[2]
Notable alumni
McDonogh 35 College Preparatory High School
- Delvin Breaux, NFL cornerback
- Carlos Henderson, NFL wide receiver
McDonogh 35 Senior High School
- Joan Bernard Armstrong, first female elected judge in Louisiana and first African American chief judge of the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Israel Meyer Augustine, Jr., first black elected judge of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
- Wesley T. Bishop, Senator, Louisiana State Senate
- Jared Brossett (Class of 2000), Councilman, City of New Orleans
- James Carter (Class of 1987), Former Councilman, City of New Orleans
- Chris Clark (Class of 2003), NFL offensive tackle
- Rev. Abraham Lincoln "A.L." Davis, founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference and first black city councilman in New Orleans[7]
- Dr. Erasmus Feltus (Class of 1968), First black student to earn a Doctoral degree in Mathematics from Tulane University
- Michael S. Harrison (Class of 1987), Superintendent, New Orleans Police Department
- Morris F.X. Jeff, Sr., former head of New Orleans Recreation Department's "colored" division
- Jason Hughes, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Punkie Johnson (class of 2003), actress and stand-up comedian, current featured player on Saturday Night Live
- Deborah Kellar (Class of 1968), Actress
- Darryl Kilbert (Class of 1974), Former Superintendent of Orleans Parish School Board
- Dr. Calvin Mackie (Class of 1985), motivational speaker and entrepreneur
- Ernest Nathan Morial, first African-American mayor of New Orleans, in office from 1978 until 1986
- Dr Darren M Vigee, DPM, (Class of 1982), local Podiatrist and first to become a podiatrist from McDonogh 35
- Ernest Polk (class of 1981), Musician, Executive, former Shell Oil Company executive winner of the 1994 Laurel Society Award for Company's Top Marketer, started New Breed Companies, RockinSoul Music, and OuttheBox.com[7]
- Margurite Berry Polk, Educator, award-winning math teacher, first teacher to teach new math in New Orleans Public Schools
- Representative Sandra Seals-Hollins (Class of 1988), First African-American woman elected to the Utah State Legislature
- Michael Smith (Class of 1997) NFL reporter for ESPN and a senior writer for ESPN.com
- Neil Smith (Class of 1984), NFL defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion
- Dr. Mack Justin Spears (Class of 1937), first black president of the Louisiana School Boards Association and first black to serve on the Orleans Parish School Board
- Darryl Willis, Vice President in charge of claims for BP in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill[8]
Further reading
- DeCuir, Erica (2012). "Placing Social Justice at the Center of Standards-Based Reform: Race and Social Studies at McDonogh #35 Senior High, New Orleans, 1980–2000". In Woyshner, Christine; Bohan, Chara Haeussler (eds.). Histories of Social Studies and Race: 1865–2000. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 159–178. ISBN 978-1-137-00754-4.
References
- " "School Information Directory". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- Woyshner and Bohan, "Introduction." Pg. 11, Histories of Social Studies and Race: 1865-2000."[...]in McDonogh #35 Senior High School in New Orleans. In 1917, McDonogh #35 was established as the first public high school for Black children in Louisiana."
- "McDonogh 35 History". mcdonogh.la.opc.schoolinsites. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- Troeh, Eve. "Many Children Still Lack Schools in New Orleans." National Public Radio. Retrieved on March 16, 2013.
- "After McDonogh 35 vote, New Orleans will be 1st in US without traditionally run public schools". nola.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- "McDonogh 35". lhsaa.org. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- "Notable AfricanAmericans from Louisiana". Archived from the original on January 9, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2006.
- Rioux, Paul. "New Orleans native gives BP a friendlier face" New Orleans Times Picayune. June 27, 2010. Retrieved on March 16, 2013. "Willis, who grew up in Pontchartrain Park and graduated from McDonogh 35 High School, has quickly become one of the oil giant's most public faces."