What Katrina Taught Us: Privatization Fails Our Kids

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans 20 years ago, the entire public school system was dismantled and replaced with charters. National headlines called it a revolution, but the reality for families has been far from a miracle. Teachers were fired, unions sidelined, and corporate-style operators were brought in to run schools. The results speak for themselves: Louisiana has one of the worst AP pass rates in the nation, and KIPP—the flagship charter chain—reports only 11% math proficiency and a shocking 2% AP success rate.

This failed experiment is a cautionary tale for San Francisco. The same privatizers who pushed the New Orleans model are here, pushing charters and funneling money to Teach for America instead of investing in public schools. We cannot let SFUSD repeat these mistakes. Our city needs a moratorium on new charter schools and an end to high-dollar TFA contracts. Families deserve strong, stable, fully funded public schools—not a privatization scheme dressed up as reform.

US News & World Report data

The Washington Post Celebrates The 20th Anniversary Of The New Orleans ‘Miracle’

By Gary Rubinstein | August 30th, 2025 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog