NEW ORLEANS – On Wednesday, Olin Parker, a former executive at the Louisiana Department of Education, announced his candidacy for the Orleans Parish School Board, representing District 3. District 3 includes Lakeview and parts of Mid-City and Gentilly. The election will be held Nov.3.
“My experiences and my perspective—as a product of public schools, as a former public school teacher and education leader, and as a father of children enrolled in our local public schools—uniquely position me to serve on the School Board,” Parker said. “New Orleans deserves a leader and an advocate who has a deep understanding of the issues facing our school communities and who will propose solutions. It’s time we work together to ensure every child in our city has access to the effective, equitable education they deserve.”
Parker has dedicated his entire career to education, most recently overseeing school accountability as an executive director at the Louisiana Department of Education. Prior to serving at the state level, Parker was a classroom teacher in both traditional and charter public schools. In that role, he was named a Teacher of the Year. He is a third-generation educator.
Parker is also a parent of three children attending public schools in New Orleans and an active member of the Parent-Teacher Association.
Parker earned a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University. He was a two-time Chairperson of the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization; two-time Sr. Warden at St. Andrews’s Episcopal Church; co-founder of the early childhood center that became Hoffman College Prep; co-founder of the 18th Ward Sports Club Program; board member at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School; and 10-time Carrollton Boosters U8 soccer coach.