New Schools for New Orleans: Development of a Strategic Business Plan

Case Overview

New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) engaged FSG to develop a strategic plan that would build on the organization’s success and map out a plan for future growth and impact in one of the nation’s most exciting hotbeds for education reform.

Since its founding in 2006, NSNO has played a critical role in improving the quality of public school options in New Orleans post-Katrina. Through its work creating open-enrollment charter schools, ensuring schools receive needed support services, and recruiting and developing quality teachers and school leaders, NSNO has helped transform the local public school system from one characterized by chronic failure into a national model for change. Five years after Katrina, NSNO set out to develop a strategy for the next phase of its work.

To develop the strategy, FSG worked very closely with NSNO staff and board leadership and drew upon the input and guidance of an advisory group of key education stakeholders from across New Orleans, including representatives from the University of New Orleans, the Algiers Charter School Association, Teach for America, the New Teacher Project, New Leaders for New Schools, local school leaders, and the Louisiana State Charter Association, among others. This engagement with a cross-cutting and diverse advisory group allowed NSNO to consider a broad view of the education needs in New Orleans and build its credibility to play an increasingly city-wide role in education reform. FSG also conducted a data-driven analysis of the local education environment, interviewing local and national actors, surveying school leaders, and conducting secondary research. This analysis enabled NSNO and the advisory group to better understand key trends in the New Orleans education sector and the broader national context; the agendas of potential local and national funding partners; the views of key stakeholders like school leaders, CMO leaders, and key partners; and most importantly, the needs of school developers and operators.

The resulting strategic plan articulated a future path focused on a relentless drive for educational excellence, a strong focus on school quality, and a shift from an "all charter" portfolio to a broader focus on the New Orleans education sector. Key priorities of the strategy included exceptional human capital, excellent school operators, high-quality school support providers, and a reform-driven political environment. The plan, crafted both to guide the organization’s implementation as well as to appeal to funders, included the following components:

• Vision, Mission and Values Statements
• New Orleans Charter Landscape Analysis (including challenges and opportunities)
• Strategic Priorities
• Organizational and Governance Structure
• Financial Projections and Potential Funders
• Key Potential Partners
• High-Level Year One Implementation Plan
• Risks and Mitigation Strategies
• Evaluation Plan

About New Schools for New Orleans