Post-Katrina, New Orleans Rescues a Drowning Public School System

Before Hurricane Katrina, the public school system in New Orleans was notoriously corrupt and under-performing. The state deemed a staggering 64 percent of the city's schools to be "academically unacceptable" in 2005, and even earlier this year the pre-Katrina school board president, Ellenese Brooks-Simms, was sentenced to prison for accepting bribes in return for her support of an algebra software program.

Now, five years after Katrina devastated the city, the previously failing public schools in New Orleans are in the midst of some radical improvements, making Orleans Parish a model for struggling school districts around the nation. In November 2005, the state instituted an experimental Recovery School District, by which the Louisiana legislature took 107 under-performing Orleans Parish public schools under its control and turned them into charter schools. Now, over 75 percent of New Orleans students are in charter schools -- the highest percentage in nation.

Paul Vallas, the outgoing superintendent of the Recovery School District, told Newsweek the city "used Katrina as an opportunity to build -- not rebuild, but build -- a new school system," which he described as "overwhelmingly publicly funded, predominantly privately run."

As a result, the quality of public schools in New Orleans has improved significantly. The new hybrid model, whereby charter schools outnumber traditional public schools two to one, has resulted in a new-found emphasis on innovation. Schools have seen gains on standardized testing scores across the board, the average graduation rate for seniors has gone up from 79 percent in 2005 to 90 percent today, and the percentage of schools deemed "academically unacceptable" has dropped from 64 to 42 percent.

Shannon Jones, executive director of the Cowen Institute for Public Education Issues at Tulane, said that although New Orleans public schools still have a long way to go, she thinks the experimental new system is a drastic improvement.

"A significant amount of changes have been made since the storm," she told HuffPost. "Community engagement and student achievement is up, parental involvement is on the rise, and the new schools are completely open-admission. Kids can now go to any school in the city that they choose, whereas before, you had to go to school based on your neighborhood. It's a real free market that isn't being done elsewhere."

While some have speculated that the improvement in student performance in New Olreans reflects a demographic shift since Katrina, a recent Cowen Institute report suggests that the years after Katrina have seen little change overall in the ethnicity and socioeconomic status of public school students. The vast majority of students -- over 90 percent -- are still African American, compared to 61 percent of the whole city's population, and a slightly higher percentage of students are now eligible for free or reduced lunch based on financial need.

One demographic shift that may have had an effect on the schools is the influx of new teachers. Before Katrina, about 40 percent of public school teachers in New Orleans were veteran teachers, with 20 or more years of experience. But in 2005, the Orleans Parish School Board fired nearly all of its teachers, and many charter schools decided to hire newer teachers with alternative certifications through programs like Teach for America and TeachNOLA.

With a slew of new, optimistic teachers, longer schooldays, better technologies and a state-wide commitment to the improvement of public schools, Jones says the only major downside to the new system is sustainability.

"We're spending more money per child than we actually receive from the state," she said. "We had a large influx of federal money to get schools back open, but now that funding cliff is starting to take effect. How do you sustain these reform efforts after the funds dry up and you just have regular per people state and local money? Do you continue to have a Pre-K? A low student teacher ratio? Extra things they may have offered before, they may not be able to do those anymore."

Fortunately, FEMA announced Wednesday that it will award the Orleans Parish School Board $1.8 billion to help refurbish buildings damaged during Katrina and build state of the art educational facilities for the public school system.

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) had a lukewarm response to the announcement, in light of the five-year lag time.

"While we would have liked to have received the money sooner, it was worth the wait," she said.

Comments

[libwingoflibwing]

04:28 PM on 08/29/2010

This is the propaganda of the "reform" movement. Don't believe it. Check out the facts instead:

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/08/disaster-capitalism-collects-from-fema.html

and part two at:

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/08/disaster-capitalism-collects-from-fema_27.html

[HBHB]

02:31 PM on 08/28/2010

It's gonna be a sad day when people finally realize how terrible Charter Schools are. Too bad it probably wont happen until they completely take over.

[Dameocrat]

02:41 PM on 08/28/2010

They won't take over everything. Ironically rural conservative america is less charter school friendly than urban and southern america. This is probably because their are fewer class and ethnic differences and social segregation is minimal. In the south and many cities parents leave poor districts because those districts have poorly funded schools. It is a death spiral. After they leave the schools become even more poorly funded. Charter school just reshuffle the deck. They don't change the cards. This is a problem of class and racial segregation. The charters exacerbate this problem. This problem would be better answered by guaranteeing the top percentiles of all high schools full ride scholarships college. That way there would be no incentive for the aspirational middle class to leave certain schools, and neighborhoods. The tax base would remain high and the schools wouldn't be starved of involved parents and good students. It is also a problem of income inequality. If we weren't so unequal in terms of wages our school system class segregation would probably take care of itself without incentives. Unfortunately our president only represents a change in rhetoric, rather than systemic change.

[Hallucinocynic]

11:59 AM on 08/29/2010

Charter schools can be found in 39 states and DC. There are dozens of charter schools in Minnesota (and certainly not just in M'plis or St. Paul), Wisconsin, New Mexico, Georgia (not just Atlanta), New York (a LOT of schools at distance from NYC), CA (not just LA, SD or Bay Area)...

My question for you, Dameocrat, is how long have you been a salaried, or contracted, shill for the NEA? Because you hit every NEA talking point in your commentary.

Again, you DEFEND the status quo. That makes you an apologist for a FAILING system, while you attack an alternative that has had remarkable success in many, many places around the country - AND NOT SIMPLY IN URBAN AND SOUTHERN AMERICA.

Any dedicated educator is capable of, and willing to acknowledge successes where they occur. Union shills REFUSE to acknowledge those successes.

You should identify yourself for what you are: and employee of NEA.

[ghostpigeon]

02:13 PM on 08/28/2010

Two articles in two days by Laura sing the praises of Green capitalism and privatized education. These are hymns to Friedman economics in ground zero of Katrina and BP oil disaster, New Orleans - the very epitome of "disaster capitalism". Hurricane, economic collapse, and environmental disaster have turned New Orleans into one giant laboratory for social and medical studies as to their effects and I think it's a little more than ironic that the show "the Colony" is set in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. I've been wondering if that's, perhaps, part of an experiment too? What are they trying to tell us?

[Hallucinocynic]

12:06 PM on 08/29/2010

ALL charter schools are PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Without exception. Everywhere in the US. Everywhere. Need further elucidation?

THEY ARE NOT PRIVATE. THEY ARE NOT 'PRIVATIZED.' Students who are admitted DO NOT PAY TO ATTEND.

And linking the movement to Friedman economics is absurd.

I am beginning to find your, and Dameocrat's incessant defense of a traditional K-12 system totally burdened by inflexible bureaucracies that take up to two years to make curriculum or material changes totally hilarious. Keep patting yourselves on the back, and cheering each other on. You're like the Beck acolytes who did their kumbaya on the Mall yesterday.

Ooooh, those evil charter schools.

I hope you're not spending time with impressionable and suggestible young people.

[dcnola]

01:50 PM on 08/28/2010

While I am by no means an expert in education, I have worked on several volunteer projects at a number of new charter schools in New Orleans. While doing so, I have had the opportunity to meet various professionals, from teachers to administrators, working in our local charter system. I have also observed the variety of teaching styles and methods they use in teaching students. What becomes evident, across the board, is that the these schools are staffed with dedicated professionals, many of whom having advanced graduate degrees, who are focused on providing their students with the best education possible. These schools are providing lower income, and yes mostly black, students with the type of education that was once reserved only for the children of affluence who attend our cities selective private schools. Having lived in New Orleans prior to Katrina, the positive change in education brought by the charters is abundantly evident. It seems absolutely insane to me that their are some who attack the charter system with various unfounded scurrilous accusations, while calling for the administration of schools to be returned to the old system run by the Orleans Parish School Board. I suspect that the critics of the charter system, are primarily individuals who once, and hope to again, benefitted economically from the corrupt system administered by seemingly disinterested board members. The charter school system is most certainly one of the best things to happen to our city in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

[Dameocrat]

01:59 PM on 08/28/2010

If it is abundantly evident than evidence should be pretty easy to produce. There is a lot of high paid astroturfing from the corporations that sponsor these schools and hardly any evidence is forthcoming. In addition it has become obvious that even when you have a majority black/minority student body that it may only be the black middle class that is being served. So it is just another tier of segregation.

[Hallucinocynic]

01:09 PM on 08/28/2010

The term 'charter school' has been a lightning rod from the movement's inception. Those who are union representatives or union members - or even teachers that have been dismissed from charter schools - tend to be the most vociferous critics of the movement.

Charter schools are only representative of a nontraditional approach to providing substantive teaching for students [primarily] in economically disadvantaged areas. They are neither the end-all, be-all replacement for a damaged traditional K-12 landscape, nor are they the only viable alternative.

Moreover, the charter communities do a fairly stringent (some suggest TOO stringent) job of policing themselves. In fact, there is a lot of internal criticism surrounding quick trigger decisions to close down schools that fail to meet standards.

Some schools are collectives; some like the Edison or KIPP schools are run as businesses. In some cases, criticism of those programs is warranted - just as EVERYTHING under the sun can come under criticism.

But the PRIMARY purpose of charter schools is to provide educational opportunities for students that have not been served well in their traditional K-12 school. Those teachers and administrators who work in charters do so because they care about the product.

And, if charters compel traditional schools to improve, everybody wins.

[Dameocrat]

01:25 PM on 08/28/2010

what if they just cherry pick the best and abandon the rest! That is what has happened in Kansas City and most other places! The problem in America is not the schools themselves. It is class segregation and the charter schools do nothing to address that.

[BigHound1]

01:42 PM on 08/28/2010

Agreed. Cherry picking works to show how you're doing with the ones you keep but it doesn't address the ones that you did not educate. When we see the number of youth that are not being educated, I beg to accept that our education system is working effectively.

Charter Schools - A marketing tool that receives its value through appropriate funding, good teachers, highly motivated students, interested parents and good adminstration. Otherwise, its just another name for the same old game we come to know called education.

[Hallucinocynic]

03:00 PM on 08/28/2010

That very issue is being addressed. Part of the root problem are the testing standards and implementations that are the residue of NCLB. That sort of limited mentality (which applies specious standards to a myriad of educational AND governance approaches) must be eliminated.

Let's be honest - as I pointed out above - one very real GOAL of charter schools is to compel traditional K-12 to address their failings. It doesn't really matter if a successful student in incubated in traditional or charter programs, does it? The arguments against charter schools are generally based in performance standards, correct? Yet, when charter programs are successful, opponents elide that success from their arguments.

The fact remains, the great majority of charter schools exist in economically-disadvantaged communities where there is a minimal tax base to provide for competitive curriculum programming. That's indisputable. So, the notion that whites/Anglos are being favored over African Americans or Hispanics is patently absurd. I can make this observation on my participation with a variety of local and national charter programs across the country.

The charter program is NOT above criticism - many aspects are deserving of criticism. That's how improvement is achieved. In the meantime, large traditional school districts have been unable to make substantive improvements despite having large sums of tax money thrown at them.

[Akla]

12:53 PM on 08/28/2010

I want to see the numbers behind the percentages cited. They say it is still 90 percent african american. But of what number. I just read another report that showed nearly 30,000 students did not return to the New Orleans public school system, they are still out of state or out of town and not able to afford to move back because of no jobs, no place to live (low income housing) and no money to finance a move. How did this impact the scores? Seems as though the feds are pouring money into the system to prove charter schools or tfa people are better than licensed teachers, but traditional research, based on sound methods and data sets, have not found that to be true. Charters, at best, perform as well as public schools. We need facts, not hyperbole--for example--this story ran in a different publication a month or more back, same wording and same point of view-- yet the author did not provide a cite to the other work.

[Dunkleberger Karl]

12:43 PM on 08/28/2010

Once apon a time , New orleans had a school system, that had either 20 million dollars missing,and 7 peaple responsible,and unindited, or 7 million missing and 20 peaple responsible and unindited ! I responded to both acusations the same ! Take those responsible , place them in the caferteria have them take a seat ,faceing in the same direction, And Pronounce "Place your head apon your crossed arms, No peaking! And Know no one is leaving here , till someone confesses, till some one stands up and admittes some Knowledge,or some act that resulted in the loss of school Cash, school Money, or the Bank account that the money maybe found within! No One is leaving untill we have that confession, you may raise your hand to use the lavatory,Singular,and without exseption! But we will not leave here today without that connfession!

[dbmetzger]

12:35 PM on 08/28/2010

Katrina 5 Years Later: Daily Demolitions
The agency in charge of clearing blighted and abandoned properties from La. neighborhoods is still hard at work as the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrives. Jason Bronis looks at the effort to deal with the homes no one wants.
http://www.newslook.com/videos/244903-katrina-5-years-later-daily-demolitions?autoplay=true

[Dameocrat]

12:32 PM on 08/28/2010

Guess you have just turned off comments? Why put in the front page?

[Dameocrat]

12:11 PM on 08/28/2010

I think the charter school will turn out to be like most other bad privatization schemes, but Louisiana always subsidized Catholic Schools and allowed them to cherry pick children from the public schools so this is no different.

[AwShucks]

12:54 PM on 08/28/2010

Yes it is, it's a start toward better schools.

[Dameocrat]

01:18 PM on 08/28/2010

The charter schools started under Bush. The fact that Obama signs on doesn't make it suddenly a good idea!

[honestyandtruth]

12:22 AM on 08/29/2010

And you have a problem with the Catholic schools recieving partial reimbursement from the state for teaching children whos' parents pay taxes for public education. If the state were picking up the whole tab you might have a point. However? You must admit the current way we are handleing education, by way of the unions, is not functioning. Until we come up with a method of exciting parents and students as a path to a better life, and as a way to help their whole communities, we need alternatives.

[Retrofuturistic]

12:10 PM on 08/28/2010

Please don't always believe what you are reading. What this article relates is an example of Friedman economics--- using a crisis to "privatize" something that was formerly "public" and therefore subject to regulation or unionized. In this case it was schools, but in other cases it has been health care or armies.

Now the school system is no longer regulated. The teachers have "alternative" certification. This opens the door to something that becomes more religious and more dogmatic-- less "public", with less real history and real science and less academic freedom.

Research has shown that religious and charter school test scores are no better than the scores of public schools.

Think about what less regulation did to the financial system and apply that to schools and you will see what I mean. When the people don't get to regulate, someone else does. When something is "privatized", what that means is that its regulation is taken away from the people. The rules are suspended and now a private entity is making new ones.

Teacher unions and other unions have been demonized. but what else is going to stand up to corporate power EXCEPT a union?

[Hallucinocynic]

12:46 PM on 08/28/2010

Talk about demonizing... Have worked around the charter school community for six years - in CA, NM, TX, IL, NY, GA, OR and elsewhere. The statement that "Research has shown that religious and charter school test scores are no better than the scores of [']public['] schools" is NOT true. Please provide NON-union funded or conducted evidence to support that statement.

Charter schools are PUBLIC schools. The primary differences between a traditional K-12 and a charter are MANDATORY parental involvement and the removal of - at least - one layer of BUREAUCRATIC obstacles. Teachers do NOT have 'alternative' certification. And there are UNION-RUN charter schools in both Los Angeles and New York City. Having said that, the greatest obstacle to the expansion of charter schools is the NEA and its various state chapters. Why? Charter schools are OPEN SHOPS. Teachers don't HAVE to join the union, though they can if they wish. Union business reps do not want to LOSE THOSE DUES.

There is enough empiric evidence to shoot down the ridiculous claims of union-backed antagonists. Here's the primary difference - students in charter schools WANT to be there and the only current way they can matriculate to a charter school is through a lottery process simply because there aren't yet enough seats...

[Dameocrat]

01:28 PM on 08/28/2010

My sister is not in the union and she worked in nightmarish charter that didn't even provide desks for the children and had a 60 to 1 student teacher ratio! Bad charters in Minnesota don't get any over-site from the school boards either.

[Retrofuturistic]

01:59 PM on 08/28/2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_school

United States Department of Education study
In its Evaluation of the Public Charter Schools Program: Final Report released in 2003, the U.S. Department of Education found that, in the five case study states, charter schools were out-performed by traditional public schools in meeting state performance standards....

[edit] Center for Research on Education Outcomes
The most authoritative study of charter schools ... conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University in 2009. The report is the first detailed national assessment of charter schools. It analyzed 70% of the nation's students attending charter schools and compared the academic progress of those students with that of demographically matched students in nearby public schools. ...17% of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools; 46% showed no difference from public schools; and 37% were significantly worse than their traditional public school counterparts. The authors of the report considering this a "sobering" finding about the quality of charter schools in the U.S. Charter schools showed a significantly greater variation in quality as compared with the more standardized public schools with many falling below public school performances and a few exceeding them significantly.... While the obvious solution to the widely varying quality of charter schools would be to close those who perform below the level of public schools, this is hard to accomplish in practice as even a poor school has its supporters.[55]

[Womanvoter4Obama]

11:34 AM on 08/28/2010

Thumbs up and thank you to Huffington Post for putting this story on the front page as it deserves to be. That other thing taking place today is really nothing more than a show in self indulgence and adulation.

[AwShucks]

12:59 PM on 08/28/2010

Thank you for saying that about the disgraceful show going on in the nation's capital today.

[honestyandtruth]

12:43 AM on 08/29/2010

:(

[honestyandtruth]

12:47 AM on 08/29/2010

How is your statement even remotely relevant? Speaking of self-indulgent. I am curious, however to what is being said at that other thing that you are objecting too.

[Womanvoter4Obama]

01:40 AM on 08/29/2010

You know I really don't care what you think about my comments. It's a free country and I have a right to say that this made me happy. I'm not sorry you took the time out of your day to let me know how irrelevant my thought and comments are. By doing so you've shown your hand. It must have been revelvant enough for you to take what MUST be your precious time to respond to me. You have a relevant day trying to belittle others here with your craptastic attitude.

[Fremont Pathfinder]

11:26 AM on 08/28/2010

This is not true. New Orleans has a separate but unequal public school district called the Recovery School District. This way, semi-private charters can siphon off public funds and pay and treat their teachers like crap. This is why charters have such high staff turnover. In addition, kids may have high standardized test scores but lack writing skills or other more necessary skills.

Instead of strengthening the public schools they fired all the teachers because we know they are to blame for everything, and they created a two tier educational system where private corporations can benefit.

[Eric Mann]

11:09 AM on 08/28/2010

Did NO's schools need top to bottom re-forming? Yes. Its just luck that charter schools got the chance. ANY change would have been a change for the better. These charter schools are just soaking up the lucky break they got. Let's see what happens when the funding dries up.

[Thomas Chapman]

10:58 AM on 08/28/2010

Oh yeah, Charter schools will save the country. There is no way that charter schools will end up like the public schools they replaced. You know, unless they suck all the driven, smart kids out of the regular public schools, forcing those now failing public schools to shut down, at which point those students in the closed public school have to be shifted to the charter schools where a return to the status quo is inevitable. Oh, and what is that they say at the end? The funding is drying up and maintaining these standards in the charter schools is drying up money? Charter schools are just a terrible attempt at applying a market-based system to one that is not built to create profits. By creating choice, one fundamentally undermines the basis of education by taking the focus off of creating educated students and more on just producing a product. If the problem before was corruption, I don't see how Charter schools will change that.