- May 9, 2012
- 341
- 105
More than 1,000 Louisianans lost their lives in Hurricane Katrina. Following this tragedy, the state embarked on a bold path of education reforms, which started just prior to Hurricane Katrina.
Today more than 96,000 students are enrolled in Louisiana school choice programs. The state has 134 charter schools educating more than 70,000 students. The 131 schools in the Louisiana Scholarship Program enable more than 7,600 low-income students to attend a private school of their choice.
A recent report by Tulane University’s Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives found that New Orleans’ schools improved remarkably over the past 10 years. In 2005, based on academic performance, only one other parish was worse than Orleans Parish. It is now outperforming 25 parishes.
“We’ve all been given better options. You now have an option of a better school,” said Tikisha Kelly, a parent whose child received a voucher to attend St. Benedict the Moor School in New Orleans.
“Parents are now empowered to select the school that meets the educational, emotional, and social needs of their children,” said Ann Duplessis, president of the Louisiana Federation for Children.
http://www.federationforchildren.org/10-years-katrina-louisianas-landscape-school-choice/