Benjamin Franklin High School (New Orleans, Louisiana)

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This article is about the Franklin High School in Louisiana. For others of a similar name, see Franklin High School (disambiguation)
Benjamin Franklin High School
Address
2001 Leon C. Simon Drive
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70122
USA
Information
School board Orleans Parish School District (charter school).
Principal Ms. Delores Winfield (acting)[1]
Enrollment

628 (Fall 2006)
School type Public magnet high school
Grades 9-12
Mascot Falcons
Color(s) Green, white, and orange
Founded 1957
Homepage http://benfranklinhighschool.org

Benjamin Franklin High School is a public magnet high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Commonly nicknamed "Franklin" or "Ben Franklin", this school should not be confused with Franklin High School in Franklin, Louisiana.

The school was founded in 1957 and moved to its current location in 1990. Ben Franklin is adjacent to the campus of the University of New Orleans (UNO) in the Lakeview district of Orleans Parish, near Lake Pontchartrain. It is on the intersection of Leon C. Simon Drive and Saint Anthony Avenue.

Ben Franklin is part of the Orleans Parish School District. However, the school became a charter school under UNO after Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. Ben Franklin has a selective admissions process and is known for the academic performance of its students. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School twice by the U.S. Department of Education, and is the highest-ranked secondary school in the state of Louisiana both before and after Katrina.[2][3] In 2007, Ben Franklin was listed as one of 20 "public elite" schools on Newsweek's "Best High Schools in America" list.[4] The class of 2008 produced 17 National Achievement semifinalists, the most of any school in the United States.[5]

Contents

[edit] History

The original campus of Benjamin Franklin High School on 719 South Carrollton Ave., from 1957 to 1990. It is now the temporary campus of Hynes Elementary School
The original campus of Benjamin Franklin High School on 719 South Carrollton Ave., from 1957 to 1990. It is now the temporary campus of Hynes Elementary School

Benjamin Franklin High School opened as a math and science-oriented school for gifted children in 1957 under the direction of School Superintendent James F. Redmond. Dr. Thomas Tews (Principal, 1988-2001) believed the school was founded as part of a nationwide push for elite science and math academies, prompted by the launching that year of Sputnik by the Soviet Union.[6] During the African-American Civil Rights Movement, a 1960 Time Magazine article stated that Redmond's "proudest memory of the first day of integration three weeks ago, when truancy was rife, is that 'my Franklin kids stuck with it.'"[7] Redmond referred to November 16, 1960, when 2,000 youths surged through New Orleans streets in demonstrations against school integration. Only 8 Franklin students were absent from class.[8]

For over 30 years the school was housed in a historic courthouse on Carrollton Avenue in Uptown New Orleans. Built in 1855, the building had served as the Jefferson Parish Courthouse until the City of Carrollton was incorporated into New Orleans.[9] By 1987, the building had fallen into disrepair and lacked basic air conditioning.[10] Despite these conditions, Franklin maintained a reputation as a place of academic excellence.[11]

After Katrina, Ben Franklin received support from across the nation and around the world. Here, the United States Ambassador to Germany, William R. Timken, Jr., accepts a "Band of Friendship" from the students of Clay Oberschule, Ben Franklin's official GAPP partner school in Berlin, Germany on December 8, 2005.
After Katrina, Ben Franklin received support from across the nation and around the world. Here, the United States Ambassador to Germany, William R. Timken, Jr., accepts a "Band of Friendship" from the students of Clay Oberschule, Ben Franklin's official GAPP partner school in Berlin, Germany on December 8, 2005.[12]

In the late 1980s, the Orleans Parish School Board leased land from UNO and built a larger and more modern campus for Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin moved to this current Lakeview campus during the 1989-1990 school year.[13] The building was designed by E. Eean Mcnaughton Architects and received an honor award from the American Institute of Architects Gulf States Region in 1994.[14]

Ben Franklin is located near the London Avenue Canal. Like the southern buildings of UNO and most of the schools in Orleans Parish, Ben Franklin suffered several feet of flood damage from Hurricane Katrina. The school was closed before the storm hit on August 29, 2005, and remained closed for several months. School administration, faculty, parents, students, alumni, and volunteers participated in a massive cleanup effort, without funding from and independent of the Orleans Parish School Board. The effort was chronicled by several nationwide news agencies.[15][16][17] Contributions to Ben Franklin after Katrina included US$10,000 from the government of France.[18]

The school re-opened as a charter school on January 17, 2006, the 300th birthday of its namesake Benjamin Franklin. The re-opening ceremony was held in the previously flooded-out gym. The gym had been the most severely damaged structure on campus. All of the floor tiles had to be removed and replaced, and the wind-damaged ceiling had to be repaired.[19][20]

Visitors to Franklin include President Bill Clinton, who spoke with Franklin students on April 30, 1993 about his plans to create a National Service Initiative.[21]

[edit] Academics

An admissions test is required to apply to Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin features a challenging college-preparatory curricula and an extensive AP Program. Approximately 99.5% of each graduating class enters college. Of the 162 students in the class of 2006, 28 were National Merit Semifinalists, 7 were National Achievement Finalists, and 3 were Hispanic Scholars. For the class of 2005, the mean SAT Verbal score was 645, and the mean SAT Math score was 636. The mean ACT composite score was 27.2.[22] One hundred percent of Franklin students passed the Louisiana Graduate Exit Examination (GEE) in Spring 2006, with a significant number achieving Advanced and Mastery level.[23]

In the fall of 2005, Ben Franklin was one of three high schools given a five star rating (the highest possible) by the Louisiana Department of Education. The following table displays the three schools, along with their respective "School Performance Score (SPS)." The SPS is based on test scores from LEAP/GEE subject area tests in addition to "The Iowa Tests" results and attendance/dropout data.[24]

2005 Louisiana School Performance Score (SPS) Comparisons[25]
School Name Magnet School Status Performance Label (2005) Baseline SPS (2005)
Benjamin Franklin Senior High School Yes Five Stars 200.5
Caddo Parish Magnet High School Yes Five Stars 176.6
Baton Rouge Magnet High School Yes Five Stars 171.7

Benjamin Franklin High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 1989 and 2003.[26][27] It is routinely ranked as the best traditional high school in Louisiana with regards to student test scores, sports, arts, and advanced placement programs. Newsweek listed Ben Franklin as one of the elite public schools in the country in 2006 and 2007.[28][4] In 2008, Franklin was no longer listed as a "public elite" and instead ranked number 35 in the nation on the complete list of America's Top Public High Schools.[3] Additionally, 1 art and 12 academic Presidential Scholars have been selected from the school as of 2007.[29][30][31]

Right before the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, Ben Franklin's principal, Carol Christen, abruptly left the school. She has been temporarily replaced by assistant principal Delores Winfield.[1]

[edit] Enrollment

A marble statue of Benjamin Franklin stands in the atrium. The statue was commissioned in 1844 and has been with the school since 1959.
A marble statue of Benjamin Franklin stands in the atrium. The statue was commissioned in 1844 and has been with the school since 1959.[32]

Enrollment in Ben Franklin is open to residents of Orleans Parish entering ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade. Students applying for tenth grade must have one credit in English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language. Students applying for 11th grade must have two credits in each of the listed courses. Admission is based on an applicant's GPA and performance on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills or the Iowa Test of Educational Development for reading, language, and mathematics. The Iowa Tests are administered at Ben Franklin. All students meeting the criteria for entrance into 9th grade are also required to pass the LEAP 21 exam (Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century Exam taken in 8th grade).[22]

Ben Franklin had 888 students during the 2004-2005 school year. The demographics were 422 Caucasian, non-Hispanic, 239 African American, 123 Asian, 33 Hispanic, and 1 Pacific Islander.[33]

White, non-Hispanic African American Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native
56% 27% 14% 4% 0%

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Athletics

Logo of the Ben Franklin Falcons
Logo of the Ben Franklin Falcons

Ben Franklin teams are known as the "Falcons" with school colors green, white, and orange. The Falcons are in District 11-3A (Div. II) of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association and features the following athletic programs:

Ben Franklin is best known for its girls athletics program, which is one of the best in the Greater New Orleans Area. The girls' soccer team was the Class 4A State Champion in 1998, 2003, and 2004, and the volleyball team won state titles in 1996, 2002, and 2003.[34]

Accomplishments include:

  • Swimming-Girls (AAAA Champion 1997; Runner-up 1996, 1999)
  • Swimming-Boys (AAAA Champion 2001; Runner-up 1999, 2000)
  • Volleyball (AAAA Champion 1996,2002,2003; Runner-up 1997, 2004)
  • Girls' Soccer (AAAA Champion 1998,2003,2004)
  • Boys' Soccer (AAAA Champion 2004; Runner-up 2005)
  • Tennis-Girls (AAAA Runner-up 1997)
  • Tennis-Boys (AAA Champion 2008; AAAA Runner-up 2004, 2006, 2007)

In 2007, the Ben Franklin football team made the Class 3A playoffs for the first time in school history. However, they went on to lose in the first round to Amite High School.

[edit] Performing arts

In March 2008, Franklin theater students were able to conduct a mixed-media performance of James Still's "And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank" with Holocaust survivor/author Eva Schloss in attendance. The play was co-sponsored by the National World War II Museum and coincided with Schloss' lecture at the museum.[35][36]

[edit] Publications

Ben Franklin publications include The Franklin Forum (school newspaper), The Ben Franklin Post (parent monthly newsletter), The Riverbend Review (literary magazine), and The Franklin Falcon (yearbook). The Riverbend Review has received numerous awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the American Scholastic Press Association, winning Silver Crowns and First Place classifications as recently as 2006 and 2007.[37][38][39][40]

[edit] Clubs and organizations

The following list includes clubs offered at Ben Franklin High School in 2006-2007.[41]

  • Close-Up: Washington, D.C.
  • Culinary Club
  • Dance Team
  • Drama Club (Produces school plays)
  • Environmental Club
  • French Exchange Program
  • French Trip
  • Franklin Forum (School Newspaper)
  • Science-Fiction Club
  • Service Learning Projects
  • Spain Trip
  • Speech/Debate Team
  • Student Council
  • Student Leadership Team (Jrs./Srs.)
  • Students Working Against AIDS Together (SWAAT)
  • Yearbook
  • Young Democrats
  • Young Republicans

[edit] Yearbook 2006

The class of 2006 was the subject of an online documentary called Yearbook 2006, created by bluecadet interactive and produced by Josh Goldblum, Josh Cogan, and David Lee. The non-profit Web-based project features 140 minutes of raw interviews as well as photographs and other multimedia designed to capture the lives of about 30 Franklin seniors after Katrina. The project, featured in SAMHSA's Spirit of Recovery conference and USA Today,[42][43] was designed to “give a cohesive and layered forum to the fractured voices of those seniors who were displaced and those who remained in New Orleans, aiming to, above all, nurture and heal the vibrant social fabric that Katrina threatened to destroy.”[44]

[edit] Notable alumni

Ben Franklin/NOCCA alumnus Wynton Marsalis
Ben Franklin/NOCCA alumnus Wynton Marsalis

[edit] In popular culture

Benjamin Franklin High School has appeared in film, books, and other media. In a short play that appears in New Orleans novelist Walker Percy's Lost in the Cosmos, the lead character attends Franklin.[61]

Portions of the school's atrium and front entrance were used in the 2004 Disney Channel movie Stuck in the Suburbs. The school was also used for portions of the 2005 Lifetime Television movie Odd Girl Out.[62]

In Julie Smith's mystery novel Louisiana Hotshot, murder victim Rhonda Bergeron is said to have graduated from Ben Franklin High School in New Orleans.[63] In Ronald Everett Capps' novel "Off Magazine Street" (loosely adapted into the film A Love Song for Bobby Long), Byron Burns decides to send Hanna to Benjamin Franklin High School, a school "he had heard had a fair reputation."[64]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Simon, Darran (2007-08-09). "Franklin principal leaving position". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
  2. ^ Saulny, Susan (2006-01-04). "Students Return to Big Changes in New Orleans". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-03-15.
  3. ^ a b Newsweek (May 20, 2008) The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. high schools. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  4. ^ a b Newsweek (May 28, 2007) The Public Elites. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  5. ^ Montoya, Maria (2007-12-17). "Brain gain: Ben Franklin No. 1 in National Achievement semifinalists". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
  6. ^ Thevenot, Brian (2004-05-18), “Drawn Apart; New Orleans public magnet schools represent both an answer to failed integration and a new kind of segregation.”, The Times-Picayune. 
  7. ^ Time (1960-12-12). "Hot Seat in New Orleans". Time Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  8. ^ Sitton, Claude (1960-11-17), “2,000 Youths Riot in New Orleans; Police Arrest 50 and Subdue Anti-Integration Mobs.”, The New York Times: pg.1, Special to The New York Times. 
  9. ^ "Images of the Month: April 2004". New Orleans Public Library (2004-03-24). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  10. ^ Associated Press (1987-05-21), “Heat is burning issue at Ben Franklin High.”, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). 
  11. ^ Marcus, Frances Frank (1988-12-18), “THE NATION: The View From America's Stranded Public Schools; Lack of Interest: In New Orleans, Many Opt Out.”, The New York Times: Sec.4, Pg.4, Column 2. 
  12. ^ Speech by Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr. to the students of the Clay Oberschule, December 8, 2005. U.S. Embassy in Germany. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
  13. ^ Regional History - New Orleans Collection. Southeastern Louisiana University: Center for South Louisiana Studies. Archived from the original on 2005-04-07. Retrieved on March 1, 2007.
  14. ^ E. Eean Mcnaughton Architects Project Page. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  15. ^ CBS News "The Early Show": Principal Pushes To Reopen School (January 19, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
  16. ^ Anders, George (2006-01-13). "Back to Class: How a Principal In New Orleans Saved Her School". The Wall Street Journal, pg. A1 (dead tree edition). Retrieved on 2006-03-15.
  17. ^ National Public Radio "Fresh Air": Back in School, Back in New Orleans (March 15, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  18. ^ General Consulate of France in New Orleans: French Cultural Aid to Louisiana. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  19. ^ Camille Bullock's reopening speech.
  20. ^ Bronston, Barri. "Mind over muck", The Times-Picayune, 2005-12-05. Retrieved on 2006-05-31. 
  21. ^ William J. Clinton Foundation: Remarks by the President with students of the National Service Initiative: at Benjamin Franklin High School.
  22. ^ a b Benjamin Franklin Admissions Booklet. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  23. ^ Louisiana Department of Education GEE Grades 10 & 11 - First-Time Test Takers. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  24. ^ Louisiana Department of Education: 2004-2005 Accountability User Guide
  25. ^ Louisiana Department of Education: Fall 2005 Detailed School-Level Tables. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  26. ^ List of Blue Ribbon Schools Recognized 1982-2002. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved on 2007-03-04.
  27. ^ 2003 No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools: All Public High Schools. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
  28. ^ Newsweek (May 8, 2006) The Public Elites. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
  29. ^ Presidential Scholars Program search State:Louisiana, High School:Benjamin Franklin. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  30. ^ Jackson, Connie (1995-05-18), “High School Senior Writing Her Destiny.”, The Times-Picayune: pg.A1 
  31. ^ US Department of Education: 2007 Presidential Scholars. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
  32. ^ Stall, Buddy (2000-06-22). "Franklin's statue well traveled throughout city". Clarion Herald. Archived from the original on 2001-02-22. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  33. ^ National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  34. ^ LHSAA State Championship Archives starting from 1996, Accessed February 24, 2007
  35. ^ Wolgelenter, Nina (2008-03-06). "Holocaust survivor's story comes to life on the stage". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  36. ^ "A conversation with Eva Schloss at The National World War II Museum". The National World War II Museum (2008-02-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  37. ^ Columbia Scholastic Press Association: 2006 Scholastic Crowns. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
  38. ^ Columbia Scholastic Press Association: 2007 Scholastic Crowns. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  39. ^ American Scholastic Press Association Top-Scoring Magazines for 2006 and Advisers. Archived from the original on 2007-03-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  40. ^ American Scholastic Press Association Top-Scoring Magazines for 2007 and Advisers. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  41. ^ Clubs 2006-07. Benjamin Franklin High School. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  42. ^ SAMHSA News: July/August 2006, Volume 14, Number 4. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  43. ^ Clark, Colleen (2006-08-28). "Class of Katrina carries on". USA Today. Retrieved on 2006-04-16.
  44. ^ Yearbook 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  45. ^ New Orleans CityBusiness (April 2, 2007)."2007 Leadership in Law". New Orleans CityBusiness. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  46. ^ Louisiana State Bar Association Names Phelps Dunbar Partner President-Elect. Phelps Dunbar LLP. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  47. ^ Robert S. Eitel. U.S. Department of Education: Office of the General Counsel. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  48. ^ The Times-Picayune (1995-07-05), "New Columnist", The Times-Picayune: National,pg.A1
  49. ^ Brett Clanton (March 11, 2002)."Radio station mgr. discusses local music industry". New Orleans CityBusiness. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
  50. ^ Lisa R. Gaddis, Geologist & Program Chief. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
  51. ^ Representative Jalila Jefferson-Bullock. Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  52. ^ New Orleans CityBusiness (March 26, 2001)."Women&Business presents the Women of the Year: SAUNDRA LEVY". New Orleans CityBusiness. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  53. ^ (1982-) Contemporary Black Biography: Delfeayo Marsalis. The Gale Group, Inc.. 
  54. ^ "Blowing up a storm" January 25, 2003. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2007-02-20
  55. ^ Larson, Susan (2008-04-16). "Author James Nolan's 'Perpetual Care' is the real deal". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  56. ^ Representative Cedric L. Richmond. Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  57. ^ Denise Trowbridge (May 2004). "Basin Street Records". New Orleans CityLife. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  58. ^ LaFrance, Siona (2003-06-11), “En pointe; A NOCCA graduate returns home and leaps into a dream”, The Times-Picayune: LIVING, pg.1 
  59. ^ Misty Suri, MD. Ochsner Physician Directory. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
  60. ^ Native Son Comes Home. Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (2004-02-19). Archived from the original on 2004-03-08. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
  61. ^ Percy, Walker. Lost in the Cosmos. 
  62. ^ The Franklin Forum. Benjamin Franklin High School. February 2005, No.5, pg 2.. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  63. ^ Smith, Julie (2002). Louisiana Hotshot. New York, NY: Tor., 69. ISBN 0765342928. 
  64. ^ Capps, Ronald Everett (2004). Off Magazine Street. San Francisco, CA: MacAdam/Cage Pub., 198. ISBN 1931561745. 

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