Kenneth J. Ducote, Ph.D., AICP, is Co-Director of the Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools. An educator and urban planner, he retired from the New Orleans Public Schools after 34 years as a teacher, school administrator and planning director. Since 2005, Ken served five years as school administrator and advisory board member for the Office of Catholic Schools and seven years as a consultant to local school districts and charter schools. He is a former Citywide Teacher of the Year, National School Plant Manager of the Year, and recipient of the Keller Award for Excellence in Government. He is also a past president of the International Society for Educational Planning. His mantra is, “Quality, equity, efficiency and integrity are rarely achieved without tenacity.”