This week is filled with events marking the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Among them: a conference on the current state of Black New Orleans.
The three-day conference — hosted by the Urban League — kicked off with a town hall and panels focused on education.
As school officials, politicians and other local leaders reflected on education reform, there was a common refrain.
"This is a story of forward motion and courageous rebuilding. It is also not a story of perfection," says Marc Sternberg, K-12 Education Program Director for the Walton Family Foundation.
"There's progress to celebrate and improved academic outcomes. No one believes the work is finished," says John B. King, Jr., Delegated U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education.
There's been progress. Higher test scores. More students graduating and going to college. But as everyone is quick to point out, the work isn't done.
Louisiana Superintendent John White says it's notable that in the last decade, the rate for local kids reading at a basic level went from one third to two thirds.
"But it still means we've got a third of our kids who aren't even reading on a basic level," he says.
Many in attendance also wanted to analyze progress at the administrative level. State Senator Karen Carter-Peterson voted for RSD to take over most New Orleans public schools. She thinks its time for them to go back to the democratically elected school board.
"I know what I intended when I supported it," she says. "It was to help the school get into a position to then be governed again by the locals. It was never intended for it to be forever, in perpetuity."
Some leaders focused on practical needs, like better mental health support for students — both inside and outside school. Schools can only do so much, they said. The city needs to provide more services and opportunities for young people.
Support for education reporting on WWNO comes from Baptist Community Ministries and Entergy Corporation.
