Students eat lunch at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward.
School & District Management Video

Videos: The Last Word on New Orleans’ Post-Katrina School System

August 19, 2015 1 min read
School & District Management Video

Videos: The Last Word on New Orleans’ Post-Katrina School System

August 19, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina—and all the upheaval and change that it wrought on every facet of life—parts of New Orleans are flourishing again.

No American city in recent years has had to climb back from near ruin. And no American city has had to rebuild its entire public school system.

A system that is still evolving. A system that is showing signs of progress. A system that is still divisive.

And a system whose architects promise will deliver a high-quality education for all of New Orleans’ children regardless of race and income.

Will it happen?

The last word goes to some of the people with the biggest stake in the answer.

Education Week wants to hear your “last word” on the evolution of public schooling in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Comment below or share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #NOLAlastword.

Lead Graphic: Students eat lunch at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. —Swikar Patel/Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Stop the Drop: Turn Communication Into an Enrollment Booster
Turn everyday communication with families into powerful PR that builds trust, boosts reputation, and drives enrollment.
Content provided by TalkingPoints
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Integrating and Interpreting MTSS Data: How Districts Are Designing Systems That Identify Student Needs
Discover practical ways to organize MTSS data that enable timely, confident MTSS decisions, ensuring every student is seen and supported.
Content provided by Panorama Education
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: AI Could Be Your Thought Partner
How can educators prepare young people for an AI-powered workplace? Join our discussion on using AI as a cognitive companion.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management ‘Band-Aid Virtual Learning’: How Some Schools Respond When ICE Comes to Town
Experts say leaders must weigh multiple factors before offering virtual learning amid ICE fears.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Teacher Tracy Byrd's computer sits open for virtual learning students who are too fearful to come to school.
A computer sits open Jan. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis for students learning virtually because they are too fearful to come to school. Districts nationwide weigh emergency virtual learning as immigration enforcement fuels fear and absenteeism.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion What a Conversation About My Marriage Taught Me About Running a School
As principals grow into the role, we must find the courage to ask hard questions about our leadership.
Ian Knox
4 min read
A figure looking in the mirror viewing their previous selves. Reflection of school career. School leaders, passage of time.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management How Remote Learning Has Changed the Traditional Snow Day
States and districts took very different approaches in weighing whether to move to online instruction.
4 min read
People cross a snow covered street in the aftermath of a winter storm in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.
Pedestrians cross the street in the aftermath of a winter storm in Philadelphia on Jan. 26. Online learning has allowed some school systems to move away from canceling school because of severe weather.
Matt Rourke/AP
School & District Management Five Snow Day Announcements That Broke the Internet (Almost)
Superintendents rapped, danced, and cheered for the home team's playoff success as they announced snow days.
Three different screenshots of videos from superintendents' creative announcements for a school snow day. Clockwise from left: Montgomery County Public Schools via YouTube, Terry J. Dade via X, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School via Facebook
Gone are the days of kids sitting in front of the TV waiting for their district's name to flash across the screen announcing a snow day. Here are some of our favorite announcements from superintendents who had fun with one of the most visible aspects of their job.
Clockwise from left: Montgomery County Public Schools via YouTube, Terry J. Dade via X, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School via Facebook