Reader: MAX Charter School was omitted from Top Gains list

Dear Editor,

I read with interest your news article “24 Area Schools Make Top Gains Rewards List” published on Wednesday, Jan. 16. I was very disappointed that you neglected to include The MAX Charter School in this distinguished list of schools.

Granted, The MAX is a Type II Charter School, but it is domiciled in Lafourche Parish on the Nicholls State University campus and should have been mentioned – if not actually included – with the other seven schools in Lafourche Parish. At least 53 of the MAX students are from Lafourche Parish, and 44 are from Terrebonne Parish. The rest come from the parishes of St. James, Assumption, St. Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and Livingston.

The MAX offers educational services for school children in grades 1-8 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or exhibit characteristics of dyslexia or a co-morbid learning difference related to dyslexia and as identified under Bulletin 1903. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or national origin.

Our unique students have definitely triumphed against the odds and truly deserve to be recognized for their academic achievements – especially when it comes to LEAP and iLEAP – since they must read and respond to the same criteria on LEAP/iLEAP tests as those students who do not possess language-processing difficulties.

I will assume that The MAX was simply overlooked in your article because it is a charter school but sincerely hope that this oversight will and can be corrected in a future article. It is important to the parents, to the school, to the teachers, and to the struggling students that their accomplishments and hard work also be recognized.

Carol “Boo” Broussard

Houma, La.