Five Years Later...

On August 29, 2005, the lives of residents in the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region were forever changed when Hurricane Katrina made landfall and almost destroyed these areas. The international community watched as one of America's jewels was mostly underwater and the pathetic federal government response unfolded. Also, an ugly side of America was exposed for all to see...and even today, political rhetoric and disregard for the "little people" hinder significant progress. Nevertheless, progress has been made throughout New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. As the region commemorates and reflects on its Katrina recovery during its fifth anniversary today, while there is much to celebrate and be thankful for, there is still work to be done.

One area that has been improved greatly is the public education system in New Orleans. Prior to Katrina, New Orleans' school system was one of the most ridiculed and corrupted public school systems in the country. After Katrina, this same school system became a huge experimental breeding ground for education reform tactics. Five years later, the Recovery School District of New Orleans has received national accolades and praises for its student achievement gains and development of successful charter schools. While there are still challenges that must be addressed, the successful progress in this short period of time is short of remarkable. Education Week (and others) recounts the resurgence and current obstacles of New Orleans' school system. Even with the current drama with another major disaster, the BP oil spill, and the shocking failure of Louisiana becoming one of the Race To The Top grant funding finalists, the show goes on. Well, at least New Orleans' school system will be receiving some long overdue money from FEMA for Katrina-related damages to school buildings in that district.

Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster that hit American soil. The BP oil spill is the worst man-made disaster in American history. Both events affected the Gulf Coast region. Nevertheless, while this region has an overall poor showing in education ranking nationwide, you couldn't tell by the resilience and strength of the people there. May God continue to bless you all.

*This blog entry is dedicated to the over 1,800 people who perished during Hurricane Katrina, as well as the several thousands of people who are still displaced and struggling since the storm. As a Katrina survivor myself, I will always remembered the dead and the suffering, reflect on my own personal journey, and count my blessings as I continue on this journey called life.*