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The Louisiana Department of Education has recently announced that the number of graduates entering college between college each fall has increased 15 percent between 2012 and 2017. As stated on the website, “The results announced today follow the release of the statewide graduation results for the Class of 2017.
Those results showed a jump in the overall graduation rate, as well as in the rate at which students earn early-college credit or state-approved industry-valued career credentials, the number of graduates qualifying for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarship, and the number of seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.”
For more information on this exciting news for Louisiana, please click here.
Delish.Com is one of the best go to places to find quick, easy and delicious homemade recipes to cook anytime of the year. This chicken quesadilla recipe is one that is quick enough to cook on a week night as well as delicious enough to enjoy on a weekend. Be sure to check out this recipe for the only quesadilla recipe you’ll ever need.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. chicken breast, sliced into strips
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 medium flour tortillas
2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack
2 c. shredded Cheddar
1 avocado, sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Sour cream, for serving
Directions
In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and peppers, then season with salt and pepper and cook until tender. Remove vegetables from skillet.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil. Season chicken with chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, then add to skillet in a single layer. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sautéed vegetables.
In a clean skillet over medium heat, add a flour tortilla. Top with Monterey Jack, cheddar, cooked chicken mixture, avocado and green onions. Place another tortilla on top and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
In a recent article written by NOLA.com, which you can find here, a recent satellite picture is discussed showing the very evident eroding Louisiana coastline. “The blowup of southeastern Louisiana also provides clear evidence of the state’s rapidly-eroding coastline, as the image belies the traditional boot-tip shape seen in many published maps.”
The article states, “A NASA satellite image of the southern half of the United States taken Monday (April 30) shows that spring has sprung across the nation’s eastern forests. But when you clip out and blow up the part of the image that includes southeastern Louisiana, the loss of sediment-rich water from the still-high Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers also is very evident.”
On a positive note, the satellite image does reveal that spring has sprung in Louisiana with the deep green colors for foliage that has “bloomed out with warmer spring weather across the Piedmont region, a forested plateau between the Appalachian Mountains and lower elevations along the Atlantic coast.”
The New York Times has a special section on their website titles “36 hours”. In this section, they highlight the best adventures and places to visit in a single place in 36 hours. One that particularly stood out to us was this beautiful southern town not far from Louisiana, Memphis, Tn.
Memphis is well known for their barbecue, blue music and of course the home of Elvis so there is plenty to fill a weekend trip with if you decide to make a trip to Memphis but this article highlights the TOP things you can squeeze into your time there.
According to the Louisiana Department of Education, who is partnering with John Hopkins University, announced “the launch of the Louisiana High School Redesign Cohort, a network of 31 high schools across the state that will work together to rethink the core components of their high school design.”
“The redesign cohort, which involves alternative, charter and traditional public schools from both urban and rural school systems, will provide an opportunity for select high schools to collaborate with their peers and national experts on how to reimagine both school structure and services to boost positive student outcomes and prepare graduates for college and career.”
Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education will help guide the cohort. The School, through its Everyone Graduates Center and Talent Development Secondary initiative, has spent 22 years working with schools across the nation to focus their redesign plans on examining and rebuilding four key structures. Those structures, which are supported by extensive research, include:
Instructional quality. Schools must use the highest quality curricula available, and teachers must be trained on the implementation of this curricula. In addition, high schools need to develop the appropriate remediation structures to support students who are academically behind.
Postsecondary pathways. Schools must provide students with various avenues toward graduation, including Jump Start pathways, dual enrollment and IB, AP and/or CLEP offerings, in order to support the diverse needs of students.
Student supports. Students must have access to academic counseling that helps them plot their path to graduation and beyond. Students need support with college applications, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, job interviews and internship opportunities.
Organizing adults to maximize impact. Adults must be organized in a way that allows for them to have responsibility for a common set of students and must have time to collaborate and plan for the needs of those students.
For more information on this partnership and to read the full article, click here.
Nola.com is on the health kick with many of us this spring as we prepare for summer. They stated it best by saying “First comes the New Year’s resolution. Then comes the post-Mardi Gras resolution. That’s followed closely by the post-New Orleans Jazz Fest resolution. At least that’s how it works for me, as I navigate the first part of the year in the Crescent City.” The best part about this article is that it also reveals many healthy shopping tips. But if you are looking to keep it simple for your spring salad bowl dinners here is the recipe below.
Spring Bowl Serves 4
1 cup water
1/2 cup buckwheat groats (or other whole grains like millet, farro, brown rice or freekeh )
Salt
1/2 large or 1 small head lettuce, roughly chopped
4 small handfuls of any preferred greens (spinach, kale)
1-1/2 teaspoons neutral coconut oil
Handful of fresh sugar snap or snow peas, strings removed
1 bunch radishes, tops cut off and reserved. Thinly slice bulbs.
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas, thawed
12 asparagus spears, tough ends removed
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Large handful of pea shoots or other microgreens for garnish, optional
Handful of fresh cilantro, basil, and mint leaves for garnish, optional
Handful of raw chopped pistachios, optional
In medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the buckwheat and a pinch or two of salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and buckwheat is soft. (If using other grains, adjust the cooking method accordingly.)
Distribute lettuce and greens among individual bowls. Spoon cooked grains over greens.
Melt coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add sugar snaps and pinch of salt and cook until they are bright green, about 3 minutes. Add radish tops and green peas and stir until tops are wilted. Divide this mixture among bowls on top of the grains.
Add asparagus to the pan, season with another pinch of salt and some black pepper, and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Flip asparagus and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the spears are soft and bright green. Arrange on top of peas and radish greens.
