Hector "the H is silent" Linares

Three African lion cubs have been born at the New Orleans zoo, a first for Audubon The cubs won't be available for viewing for a few more weeks as they stay with their mother in a private habitat.

Might be time to renew my Audubon Zoo pass for the first time in a few years #nolasky

Back to school: How and when to ask for a special education evaluation | The Lens If parents notice their child struggling academically or facing more discipline in school, it may be time for a special education evaluation. Roughly 15% of students in Louisiana have special educatio...

How and when to ask for a special education evaluation in New Orleans

thelensnola.org/2025/10/06/b...

Back to school: How and when to ask for a special education evaluation | The Lens If parents notice their child struggling academically or facing more discipline in school, it may be time for a special education evaluation. Roughly 15% of students in Louisiana have special educatio...

Back to school: How and when to ask for a special education evaluation

If parents notice their child struggling academically or facing more discipline in school, it may be time for a special education evaluation. Roughly 15% of La. students have special ed plans.

thelensnola.org/2025/10/06/b...

The Final Pilgrimage of Chema Tojeira Hundreds gathered at Central American University over a four-day wake to commemorate the life of Father Chema Tojeira, a prominent figure in El Salvador for his decadeslong fight against impunity sinc...

Hundreds gathered at Central American University over a four-day wake to commemorate the life of Father Chema Tojeira. He was buried alongside Ignacio Ellacuría and their other Jesuit companions assassinated by the Salvadoran Army in 1989. #efPhoto beta.elfaro.net/en/ef-photo-...

A "bald" blue jay in the process of molting

Apparently this bluejay is just molting and not horribly ill as I originally thought #birds 🪶

White regret on a front lawn

An egret on my lawn striking the same pose as the egret on the door decoration #birds 🪶

I honestly wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in publishing this article so I am incredibly grateful to the editors at the Gonzaga Journal of International Law.

Supreme Court blocks creation of religious charter school in Oklahoma The court was deadlocked 4-4, which meant a state Supreme Court ruling that declared the school violated the constitutional separation of church and state remained in place.

BREAKING NEWS: The Supreme Court justices deadlock 4-4, effectively blocking the creation of the nation's first religious charter school in Oklahoma.

Louisiana schools would face new restrictions on restraining and secluding students under bill A disability rights attorney told Louisiana lawmakers that the bill, if passed, would be "one of the strongest" laws of its kind in the nation.

Louisiana's new law aims to boost protections for special-ed students by mandating classroom cameras and restricting seclusion room use. Backed unanimously by the House Education Committee, it seeks to enhance the experience for kids with disabilities.
#LAedu

KIPP and NOLA Public Schools argue over special education of a kindergartener | The Lens Parents said that their young child was too sick to go to school. But the school disagreed, and so the child received no services last year, then started this year with no services. It’s still unclear...

“In my opinion, homebound services is another area that is ripe for centralization, to avoid exactly the type of finger-pointing back and forth happening in the KIPP case, which happens after a student has been denied services for an extended period of time,” Linares said.

Experience the vibrant #Feria #Gastronómica in #Juayúa, #El#Salvador, every weekend! This open-air food festival transforms the town's central plaza into a culinary haven, offering a variety of traditional Salvadoran dishes.

#Foodie
#Turismo #Travel #Viaje #Adventure #Wanderlust

Louisiana sent kids to adult jail that violated scores of regulations, reports say • Louisiana Illuminator The state moved young people to the Jackson Parish Jail who has been sent to a temporary center at Angola that a judge ordered closed.

NEW from @theappeal.org: Louisiana sent kids to an adult jail that violated scores of regulations, reports say lailluminator.com/2025/04/30/j...

SCOTUS could make it even harder to sue for disability discrimination The court will decide if students need to prove bad faith—which is notoriously hard.

For some background on the Supreme Court case A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, I wrote about the case for @motherjones.com in February. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Louisiana Student Self- Advocacy Training Survey This training is designed for students 14 and up. If you have a child between the ages of 12 - 13 who would like to take the training, please fill out the form and we will contact you. Email learningc...

Attention COPAA Community in Greater New Orleans!
COPAA & Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans are excited about the upcoming FREE Louisiana Student Self-Advocacy Training for students aged 12 & older.
forms.gle/Jnpy4cnwbgg7...
Tag or comment below if interested.

Our kids deserve better: vote NO on 3 | The Lens "Accountability isn’t about punishment for punishment’s sake—it’s about helping someone take responsibility and change," says Saints standout Malcolm Jenkins, urging a "no" vote on Amendment 3. "It’s ...

"Accountability is about helping someone take responsibility and change. It’s about making sure they never go back down that same road again. And for kids, that only works when you treat them like kids."
thelensnola.org/2025/03/28/v...

Flyer Louisiana Student Self-Advocacy Training with COPAA and the Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans with three presenters.

Students of Greater New Orleans, COPAA, & Families Helping Families are excited to present the Louisiana Student Self-Advocacy Training for ages 14 & up Interested 12-13 year-olds can fill out our survey.

Register: forms.gle/Jnpy4cnwbgg7...
Questions? learningcenter@copaa.org

This morning I noticed that all up and down the W. Metairie canal there were groups of giant fish (carp?) rolling around churning up the water. Not sure if they were fighting, mating, or both but I had never seen that before. #nolasky

What to know about the 4 constitutional amendments on the March 29 ballot Here's what we know about each amendment and how various organizations and advocacy groups feel about them.

Vote No on Amendment 3!

"It's very sad, because we lose all of the benefits that youth advocates and youth justice reformers for decades have spent so much time on," [Linares] said.

#nolasky

Flyer Louisiana Student Self-Advocacy Training with COPAA and the Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans with three presenters.

Exciting Opportunity for Students of the Greater New Orleans
COPAA & Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans are hosting Louisiana Student Self-Advocacy Training for students 14 & older
If you're 12-13 & interested, fill out our survey!
forms.gle/Jnpy4cnwbgg7...

Thank you!

Thanks. Looks close, but their range doesn't extend down to Louisiana according to the internet

El Salvador wins 2025 Beach Soccer Championship Final El Salvador won the 2025 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship.

And qualified for FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025! #salvisky #azulplayera

Brown bird on feeder with light stripe coming from middle of eye.

Can I please get some help with identification? Birdbuddy AI says this is a mourning dove, which it clearly is not. House sparrow? #birds 🪶

El Salvador derrota a Estados Unidos en penales y avanza a la Final y al Mundial El Salvador avanzó a la final del Campeonato de Fútbol Playa de Concacaf 2025.

Arriba con la selección! #salvisky

Wet, disheveled blue jay on a yellow birdfeeder perch

The saddest, wettest bluejay came to the birdfeeder just after the big rainstorm ended #birds 🪶 #nolasky

Possum standing on red mulch next to a white brick wall

Possum! #possum

2,400-year-old puppets with 'dramatic facial expression' discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador These striking puppets suggest that Indigenous people in what is now El Salvador had rituals that were more connected to the rest of Central American culture than previously thought.

2,400-year-old figurines discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador.

She's a little shier than her mate, but I finally got a good video of our female cardinal #birds 🪶

Dirty rice in a styrofoam cup

Happy #MardiGras ! My tradition is to get up on MG day and make a delicious bowl of authentic gumbo #nolasky

20 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons held that youth must be treated differently, recognizing the science behind adolescence. Declaring the death penalty unconstitutional for children, the highest court of our land spoke to the potential of growth inherent in every single child. This landmark decision not only marks the start of a developmental jurisprudence, but it is also a testament to the collective action of the youth defense community refusing to accept the status quo. In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the death penalty for youth in Stanford v. Kentucky, proclaiming that it was “absurd” to consider maturity and that “socioscientific, ethicoscientific, or even purely scientific evidence is not an available weapon.” Nonetheless, the youth defense community persisted. What held greater power than the Supreme Court’s dismissal of adolescent development was the collective action of youth defenders who kept fighting. And 16 years later, the Supreme Court ruled, “as any parent knows and as the scientific and sociological studies . . . confirm, a lack of maturity and an underdeveloped sense of responsibility are found in youth more often than in adults and are more understandable among the young.” As we honor the legacy of the youth defense community who fought relentlessly for courts to recognize the developmental potential of youth, we find assurance in our collective power. Now more than ever, we hold on to the words of Mariame Kaba who taught us, “So, how do we make change happen? You, as an individual, are only a tiny pebble in a vast sea. We can personally make ripples, but it takes collective action to make waves.” In this moment where uncertainty breeds fear, we remember how our once radical imaginations became reality, and we can do it again. As we look toward a new horizon, one filled with wholeness and dignity, we are committed to making waves, together, until the day every young person is free to thrive.

Honoring the youth defense community today on the 20th anniversary of Roper v. Simmon #youthdefense #ropervsimmons #adolescentdevelopment #collectiveaction #collectivepower