Returning to the Gulf-- New Orleans' School System Still in Shambles

Two years.  That's about how long I've been at my current job.  It's a significant amount of time.  I can think back to how much I've learned in two years.  How many changes I've seen in Seattle.  How many people I've met.  How many events I've attended.  Two years ago Seattle Works was just an email I signed up for.  Now I consider myself one of Seattle Works' biggest fans. 

Two years.  We're quickly approaching the two year anniversary of what has been deemed the biggest natural disaster in the history of our nation.

In January of this year, twelve (practically) strangers boarded a red-eye to Biloxi.  We hung drywall, killed mold, picked up debris, hung drywall, insulated and mudded.  We bonded.  We had an amazing experience.  None of us really knew what to expect.  An overwhelming response was how much our week of volunteering effected us.  The change it made in us seemed to usurp the work we had done.  We became twelve passionate advocates for the state of the Gulf Coast.

I'd thought about going back on my own.  Maybe volunteering through http://www.handsongulfcoast.org/ again?  So when I found out that Seattle Works was sending another team to the Gulf Coast, I couldn't sign up fast enough.  The more I read, the more it felt like it was the right thing to do. 

We'll be in New Orleans - where the flooding damage from the levees breaking opens up a lot of discussion.  We'll be volunteering through a different organization, on different types of projects.

Spencer Paschal, Volunteer Coordinator at Katrina Corps tells us: "Currently, the school system of New Orleans is in shambles.  Last academic year, only 22 public schools and 17 charter schools were open, out of a total of 128 total.  Students were packed 60-70 per classroom, or put into converted FEMA trailers.  Over 1600 students were not able to go to school last year, simply due to not enough schools being open.  Our goal this summer has been to help Recovery School District (they oversee about half of the New Orleans public schools) in their goal to open 25 schools before the school year begins."

I brought this up to my friend who is a third grade teacher in the Auburn School District.  Her appropriate response was, "That can't be true." 

Not that she disbelieved me, but that there is no way our government would allow class sizes to reach these sizes.  My reply to her was, "I don't know, but I'll tell you what it's like when I get back."

Our trip to Biloxi was a very personal experience.  We were in people's homes, sifting through their personal belongings.  The impact felt immediate and present.

This trip to New Orleans will likely provide some broader perspectives. 

I've been to enough Seattle Works events to know that education is something our generation believes is a priority.  Patrick Kelley, who went to Biloxi and is a Seattle Works alumni board member, is even taking the next step of running for the School Board.

I'm curious to see how an issue that is so important to us manifests itself on this trip.  When we see the schools and learn more about the slow process of rebuilding... what will we take from this experience. 

I don't know, but I'm sure this will be revealed in the time we spend down there.

~ Noelle Smithhart

Comments

[mr. piccolo]

NOELLE, WHAT MOST AMERICANS DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION IN NEW ORLEANS IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN DO NOT ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MOST KIDS IN N.O. ATTEND EITHER PRIVATE OR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS A RESULT OF THE FRENCH WHO FOUNDED THE CITY AND ESTABLISHED CATHOLIC EDUCATION LONG BEFORE PUBLIC.

[Noelle]

Mr. Piccolo,

I'm curious what the statistics are. My family in the south all attended private schools as well - many who can afford to, choose private education. I think there are many social and economical reasons for this.

Even so, in my opinion, that doesn't take the pressure off of the public school system.

It isn't my area of expertise, but I believe in the importance of education for all - even those who cannot afford private schools.

[Stacey]

Noelle, I agree with your comment on Mr. Piccolo's comment. Why is it that only people who can afford to pay for school get access to a decent education? That doesn't seem fair.

I went to Catholic school, too, in Oakland, CA. My parents paid the money (money they didn't really have) to send me to private school after watching my older brother get a lousy education the local public school. I'm sure kids get sent to Catholic schools in the south for this same reason, regardless of who founded the city.

[TByrne]

The information about students attending private school in New Orleans is very interesting and a good point to be known. Regardless of that, there are still only 22 public schools and around 20 charter schools open out of about 130 public schools before Katrina hit. Those numbers are really sad and say something about how the public school system is valued. Many students who attend those schools do not have the means to attend private school and some last year were sent away at the door of a public school because there weren't enough resources. This is a good example of how much help is still needed along the Gulf Coast.

[Brian]

Check out this report prepared by the Boston Consulting Group: "The State of Public Education in New Orleans" - http://www.stateofnolaschools.org/NO_FINAL.pdf

It's a bit lengthy, but a good read if you're interested in the subject.

[Patrick Kelley]

Thanks for (re)starting this blog about the Gulf Coast, Noelle! I really, REALLY wish I could be going back with you, and not because of a vested interest as a school board candidate in this area. What you and the rest of your team are doing should be the focus, and not any kind of socio-political debate on public v. private education.

All of us who went to Biloxi in January have said it over and over again: an entire region of our country is in need and will be for years to come. Many of the areas still look like Katrina and Rita came ashore last week instead of two years ago. As we heard while we were down there, "it is not our job to finish the work. But still, we are not allowed to avoid it."

Glad you are going back, glad more people are joining you, wish I was going with you, and looking forward to the next opportunity (as should we all)!