John Alford on Post-Katrina Charter Schools - Washington Post

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Last week 2007 Echoing Green Fellow John Alford was quoted by the Washington Post in an article on the rise of charter schools in post-Katrina New Orleans. Since the hurricane ended, charter school enrollment in New Orleans has grown from 2 percent of 67,000 public school students to 53 percent of 33,000 students according to the Post. John is just one of many like-minded individuals who has recognized the city’s tragedy as an opportunity for social change. He created NOLA 180 to remediate the city’s failing public school system, one of the worst in the nation, by converting struggling schools into what he hopes will be successful charters. "We will never have this chance again," he says, "and if it is successful, other cities should do it, too."

But not everyone believes that the schools can bring drastic changes for the city’s youth. Some even fear their selectivity may put a strain on regular public schools by abandoning those who need them most. Nevertheless, programs like KIPP and Teach For America remain hopeful and are strengthening their presence, and in an area which previously housed schools where “low expectations were the norm,” as John puts it, the influx may be just what the city needs for a full turn around.