The Battle for NOLA schools

It is my opinion that a large portion of New Orleans post-Katrina recovery revolves around the recovery of the public school system. Arguably, and sadly, it is probably one of the worst public school systems in the United States. However, the problems that New Orleans faces with respect to public education can be lesson learned around the country. To best publicly serve the nation, the Times-Picayune and other NOLA news agencies should (at the very least) publish monthly articles nationwide on the recovery of our public school systems encouraging others to learn from our pitfalls so that no public school system should ever sink to the lows that NOLA public schools did. Perhaps places such as D.C., which also has a struggling pubic school system, can learn from our problems as we most certainly can learn from theirs. Public attention needs to be raised at a national level to ensure that all parties benefit. After all, public schools are not reformed only at the school board level but need the support at the parental level.

As a side note:

What I find most disconcerting is the lack of respect and support from all over the country for public education at the state level. The very notion that states are cutting funding to public education as a means to solve state-level budgetary problems is a short-term solution at best. Not to mention the ramifications these short-term solutions will cause to public education will grow exponentially. While the battle for NOLA public schools has been an ongoing process, it is necessary to take this cause to a higher level. Let us make our own No Child Left Behind Act that would actually hold up to its name.

The Battle of D.C.'s High Schools in the New York times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/opinion/06thu4.html