The Perceptions of New Orleans Educators on the Process of Rebuilding the New Orleans School System after Katrina

• Published in: Journal of education for students placed at risk Vol. 13; no. 2-3; pp. 212 - 237
• Main Authors: Beabout, Brian, Carr-Chellman, Alison A., Alkandari, Khaled A., Almeida, Luis C., Gursoy, Husra T., Ma, Ziyan, Modak, Rucha S., Pastore, Raymond S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis Group 07-10-2008; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Chaos theory; Education reform; Hurricanes; Perceptions; Public schools; Studies; New Orleans Louisiana; United States > US
• ISSN: 1082-4669; 1532-7671
• DOI: 10.1080/10824660802350185

This exploratory study seeks to understand the perceptions of New Orleans educators on the process of rebuilding the school system destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005. Interviews with 10 educators and extensive document analysis allowed for an exploration of the phenomenology of this unique case of school reform in response to a natural disaster. Using the theoretical framework of chaos theory, the data reveal that this instance of school reform is influenced heavily by the uncertainties of life in post-Katrina New Orleans and that the presence of both hope and pessimism for positive change indicate a slower, less dramatic change in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) than some had predicted.