One of the reasons that CCS is so unique is because its staff, parents, supporters, and board members believe in the unlimited potential of each child. Connie Labat, one of our newest board members, is a native New Orleanian who attended and taught at William Frantz school, now home to Akili Academy of New Orleans. Her time at Frantz made her want to become a teacher, a profession she then held on to for 32 years. See below to read our Q&A with Connie to learn more about her past and what she hopes to accomplish as a board member.
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What is your background?
I am a native New Orleanian, and I grew up in the 9th ward, two blocks from William Frantz school, which is the school where Ruby Bridges famously attended in 1960 as schools were being integrated. I attended Frantz school as a child from third grade to sixth grade. I am one of three children; I have a sister who is five years older and a younger brother who is eight years younger than me. We all still live in New Orleans.
Currently, my husband and I own an art venue, The Building, where we host art exhibits and events, and before COVID, we did music events as well, but we are hoping to host film events in the future. We also have our big exhibit with Renegade Artist Collective (RAC) in March, highlighting 16 incredible artists.
What was William Frantz like when you were a student?
Going to William Frantz school felt special. The school itself was a special place, it felt like an old schoolhouse. Everything in the school was wood, and you’d go into a cloakroom, and it was a warm environment. Frantz was an excellent elementary school filled with a very strong teaching staff, which was part of my inspiration to be a teacher. There was no air conditioning at that time, but we weren’t uncomfortable; these two oscillating fans in the front of the class by the chalkboard would fill the room with a calm breeze. I remember feeling so comfortable, and I just loved being in class with my fellow students and my wonderful teachers.
I had a beautiful experience there. As a former educator, I had good teachers, and it was an enriching experience. Coming from parents who hadn’t completed high school, the education I received at Frantz profoundly affected me. The teachers also highly decorated the school for the first day of school and all of the holidays.
What made you want to become a teacher?
I realized I wanted to be a teacher because of the positive experiences I had at Frantz. I so enjoyed learning, and I wanted to spend my life providing a positive educational experience for others. For me, becoming a teacher was a no-brainer, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
How did you end up back at William Frantz as a teacher?
The path back to Frantz was immediate. This is my community, and this is where I went to school. When I was at Xavier, I did my student teaching at Frantz and taught under one of my former teachers, and I knew that I would go back when I graduated (which was in 1987). When I went back to Frantz, I was lucky that they had a position for me, and I became a 4th-grade teacher immediately. It was incredible because it was a transitional grade, and so I had a big responsibility from the beginning.
While working there, about 90% of the teachers that were there when I was a student were still there, and Ruby Bridges was there doing volunteer work. I enjoyed every one of the 32 years of my teaching career but the 14 years at Frantz were the best of my career. Everyone there embraced me, supported me, and mentored me, and I think that’s part of the reason why I was an incredible teacher.
What roles have you had in your education career?
I left Frantz when I was offered a position as a reading specialist for at-risk students. I cried when I left Frantz since I planned to stay there for 30 years and retire, but I did take the reading specialist job because it was in the same community.
After working as a reading specialist, I went to Thurgood Marshall middle school and continued that specialty. I was trained for ten weeks to become a reading facilitator. In short, my responsibility was to oversee and participate in the implementation of one of the two reading programs that the superintendent purchased for the school system. He purchased Direct Instruction and Success For All in the early 2000s. During this time, I also worked part-time at Carver as a reading instructor.
I held these positions until Katrina. Things shifted after the storm, and so in 2005, I was about to retire, but then I got a call from the acting superintendent at the time. He asked me to go to Warren Easton for 12th grade English instruction in British Literature for part of the year so that he could take the current teacher to work with him for the school board. So I sat in on his classes until it was my time to take over to observe and absorb as much as possible. I stayed at the school for the next 13 years. I held various administrative positions, a teacher’s coach/mentor, and chairperson for the 504 programs that addressed and supported students with ADD/ADHD. I then retired in 2019 after 32 years of work.
Why did you get involved in the CCS board, and what do you hope to accomplish?
I did not know that William Frantz was now the home of Akili Academy when I was asked to join the board. Once I was approached, I immediately did all my research. I learned that they do turnaround work for children and that a significant objective for them is to work with students who are at risk and support them and help them succeed academically. That’s the work that I enjoyed most as an educator.
Joining provided me an opportunity to continue serving children after retiring, and the cherry on top was that I got to go back to Frantz/Akili. I have always had a wonderful career journey, but it always comes back to Frantz. I knew I wanted to continue working with children, and then after meeting with CEO Kate Mehok, who was incredibly sincere and genuine about what she wanted to do for the children, I knew I had to get involved.