President George W. Bush spoke at Warren Easton Charter School in New Orleans Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In a speech that focused on the city’s educational transformation, Bush praised charter schools and school choice.
“Isn’t it amazing? The storm nearly destroys New Orleans and yet New Orleans is the beacon for school reform,” Bush said. “Rather than just reopen the schools, you reorganized many into charter schools that are independently operated but publicly accountable for achieving high standards. … Administrators at these schools have the freedom to slice through red tape and the freedom to innovate. Parents at these schools have choices if dissatisfied, and the results at these schools have been extraordinary.”
In New Orleans, nine out of 10 public school students now attend charter schools. Every family has a say in where their child goes to school, thanks to open enrollment.
Charter schools are funded by the government, don’t charge tuition and have to be open to all students. If there’s not enough space, lotteries determine who gets in to these schools. Charter schools have more flexibility than traditional public schools, so they’ve been able to adapt quickly to the challenges of post-Katrina New Orleans.
Bush also praised the efforts of teachers in the recovery. “At a time when it would have been easy to walk away from the wreckage, the educators here today thought of the children who would be left behind,” Bush said. “You understood that bringing New Orleans back to life requires getting students back to school. Even though some of the educators had lost almost everything you owned, you let nothing stand in your way.”
Before Katrina, two-thirds of students were enrolled in a failing school, a determination made by the state through a combination of standardized test scores, graduation rates and other factors. Now, only seven percent are. The city’s graduation rate is way up, and average ACT scores are close to the statewide average.
President Obama also spoke in New Orleans on Thursday and praised its educational process but failed to credit school choice or charter schools. “Before the storm, New Orleans public schools were largely broken, leaving generations of low-income kids without a decent education,” Obama said. “Today, thanks to parents and educators, school leaders, nonprofits, we’re seeing real gains in achievement with new schools, more resources to retain and develop great teachers and principals.” After listing off stats showing improvement, he added “We still have a long way to go but that is real progress.”
Bush was president when Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005.
