About CANO

Community Academies of New Orleans (“CANO”) is a new charter school management organization created to bring together Esperanza Charter School, Foundation Prep Charter School, and Lafayette Academy Charter School with the ultimate goal of strengthening all three schools.  The nonprofit boards that governed Foundation Prep and Choice Foundation voted to establish this partnership in 2019 to benefit from the organizations’ shared values, similar programming, and strong leadership, and set operations of CANO to launch ahead of the 2020-2021 academic year.  

CANO’s vision is to build a system of exemplary schools, deeply influenced by our students, families, and communities, with graduates who are committed to being community advocates and leaders. Its mission is to cultivate schools that nurture students’ character and critical thinking ability in responsive learning environments, thereby equipping them to be impactful community leaders.  CANO will strive for high academic performance at all our schools while securing partnerships and programming that use community assets to support our schools and students.  In doing this, CANO brings a fresh, yet grounded, vision to the New Orleans charter landscape and forges a new path ahead for students, families, and communities alike. 

CANO’s Values are: 

• INTEGRITY. We always do the right thing. 
• TEAMWORK. We work and grow together. 
• PASSION. We love our students; our community; our work. 
• DIGNITY.  We value and respect every member of our community. 
• COURAGE. We approach challenges with optimism and confidence.