Redesign Schools Louisiana (RSL) is reshaping the landscape of equity and opportunity for children. Faculty and staff at these schools are tackling the multifaceted challenges that hinder equal access to quality education, addressing issues ranging from food insecurity to menstrual equity. This organization is a pillar for providing students with quality education, all while guaranteeing more individualized help. At a glance, RSL schools are at the forefront of innovation with a small student-to-teacher ratio (10:1), personalized attention, individualized help, and an acceleration model.
Three campuses fall under RSL: Dalton Elementary (grades K-5); Zion City School (grades 6-8); and Lanier Elementary (grades Pre-K – 5). These schools aim to provide food assistance, uniforms, technology assistance, family learning, academic support, housing assistance, and menstrual care for students and their families.
“RSL schools take a holistic approach to education, ensuring that students are prepared for learning both inside and outside the classroom through a variety of strategies and initiatives,” states Latoria Izzard, Curriculum Specialist from Lanier Elementary School. Decades of research have underlined the necessity for educational approaches that acknowledge the connections between children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic growth, along with their physical and mental well-being. “At RSL, students are allowed to have choices. They’re being impacted because of the skills inside of the classroom, logical problem-solving, and developing relationships with their teachers. There is a distinct connection between school and home. Our students perform better than other students across the state,” explains Izzard.
One of the most important ways RSL schools support students is by addressing housing insecurity. Recognizing that stable housing is an integral part of a student’s ability to learn, these schools partner with the Office of Community Development and Louisiana Housing Corporation. The partnership was established to assist with housing for families struggling with credit, lack of income, or other reasons. With a lease-to-own program, families can improve their credit scores and learn how to better manage their finances to save funds to apply for home ownership. RSL schools are currently working with universities to help families match their funding to help with down payments, foreclosing costs, and other important financial commitments.
In a partnership with the Southern University AgCenter, Zion City School is in the process of allowing students the opportunity to take home food on Fridays. “We want to provide students with something they can take home on Fridays that is also heart-healthy and microwavable,” says Simone Higginbotham, Executive Director at Scotlandville Community Development Corporation. “Most children who live in these communities do not have the option to have food on hand. We want to ensure that students go home and have food over the weekend until they come back on Monday.” Heart-healthy foods like sandwiches, vegetables, soups, and non-perishables are available in bulk, and students can bring them home to feed their entire family. In the future, RSL hopes to create a storefront where students can shop for snacks, meals, and other necessities during the weekdays. In addition, AgCenter hosts a monthly free market where vegetables and other foods are available for families to bring home.
Furthermore, Louisiana’s Redesigned Schools are combatting period poverty and championing menstrual equity through a partnership with Power Pump Girls, Inc. Power Pump Girls is a local nonprofit organization that provides free period products and education to menstruators in need, specifically students. Menstrual products are currently not available for free in Louisiana schools. By ensuring products are available in RSL schools, they are promoting gender equity and removing barriers that can hinder a child’s performance in school and also personal hygiene and health. “We’re combating the issue of menstrual inequity. We’re getting rid of the taboo of discussing menstruation in school and providing students with the opportunity to receive the menstrual care they deserve,” says Raina Vallot, Co-Founder of Power Pump Girls, Inc.
Redesign Louisiana Schools is revolutionizing education by addressing multifaceted challenges hindering equal access to quality education, from food insecurity to menstrual equity. By prioritizing the whole-child approach, RSL is creating transformative impacts on students’ lives.
To learn more about what’s happening at Redesign Schools Louisiana, please visit redesignschoolslouisiana.org.
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