Archdiocese of New Orleans names first Black school superintendent

20th February 2017   ·   0 Comments

Last week, the Archdiocese of New Orleans selected its first Black superintendent to oversee Catholic schools in the New Orleans region.

Dr. RaeNell Billiot Houston, who has served as an associate superintendent for the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2012, will succeed Jan Daniel Lancaster, who will step down at the end of June.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond said the new superintendent brings to the position a wealth of professional knowledge, strong personal faith and “a vision and a desire to make our schools Christ-centered communities of diversity.”

Houston, who has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, has previously overseen standardized testing and worked on the school voucher and tuition donation rebate programs during her tenure as an assistant superintendent for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

She is a parishioner at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Marrero, La., where she attends Mass with her husband and daughter.

“I am very excited and feel very blessed with this opportunity to put my skills to work in service of the church, our school families and the broader community,” Houston said last week. “I am cognizant of the various challenges facing Catholic schools here in New Orleans and throughout the country, but trust that with God’s help and hard work, we can provide viable and sustainable strategies to make Catholic education accessible and desirable for families and educators.”

This article originally published in the February 20, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.