Hope and Frustration for School Reconstruction in NoLa, Four Years On

by Mike Smith · 2009-08-30 12:05:00 UTC
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Four years ago this weekend Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, and put a severe dent in a lot of kids' education. Four years on, new charter schools are excelling, with one of the new Harvard trained teachers explaining that "kids are starting to see college more as a reality, a real option." An increasing number of enrolled students are getting better grades and 32 new schools are either being built or rebuilt; the first new school to be built since Katrina opened this week. But dozens of schools remain unopened, with the school district having to argue with FEMA to get them reopened, or knocked down. Sarah Karr sees the Katrina recovery paradox reflected in New Orlean's schools, but is optimistic:

One tattered sign offered the high schoolers this advice: "Don't let the rain stop you, or even slow you down."

[Photo credit: Paul Baker]

Mike Smith is associate editor at Change.org.
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