"The problems were so widespread that the FBI opened an office in the same building as the school board for the investigation."
August 13,2 007 - The United Teachers of New Orleans wants to get back into New Orleans schools. Their membership dropped when the Louisiana Department of Education created the Recovery School District by taking 107 underperforming schools from the stewardship of the Orleans Parish School Board. They've only reopened 39 schools.
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Reminders why the state took the schools away from the Orleans Parish school district.
Five years' investigation and 28 indictments in corruption probe.
Katrina had one good outcome
From PBS "NEW ORLEANS SCHOOLS BEFORE AND AFTER KATRINA" (Nov 1, 2005) -
Since 2002, there have been 24 indictments against school employees. $71 million in federal money was unaccounted for, and there were other problems. Academically, New Orleans was one of the worst public school systems in the country. 70 percent of the eighth graders were not proficient in math, 74 percent in English. Under pressure from the state because of the academic performance and in danger of going bankrupt, the school board acted. It hired a company that specializes in turning around failing organizations. They arrived in New Orleans in July."We had a person that has been on paid leave for 35 years. I joked with somebody. Do we send them, you know, like a silver anniversary card? Thank you for 35 years of non- service?"
The quote at the top is from the Heritage Foundation (Nov. 15, 2005) article on New Orleans schools.
FACT: One out of three sent their children to private schools before Katrina
FACT: 65 percent of New Orleans schools failed to meet the state’s performance standard, compared to 11 percent of schools statewide
FACT: 68 of 110 New Orleans public schools had been judged “academically unacceptable” based on student test scores.
