Kotkin to Chicago: Look to New Orleans for School Reforms
by Michael Wille Joel Kotkin, an author and futurist, recently spoke at the Institute on what Illinois might look like in 2050. He had a number of insights on different areas of public policy, including a commentary on the reforms that have affected New Orleans’ public school system. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in...
by Michael Wille
Joel Kotkin, an author and futurist, recently spoke at the Institute on what Illinois might look like in 2050. He had a number of insights on different areas of public policy, including a commentary on the reforms that have affected New Orleans’ public school system. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city has had what some are calling a revolution in education policy. In this three and a half minute video on the future of Illinois, Kotkin notes that the New Orleans school system has gone almost completely charter, and this change has helped bring back the middle class to the city.
Today, 71% of students attend independent charter schools, and they are making great strides in achievement. A WSJ article recently reported:
“The results are encouraging. Five years ago, 23% of children scored at or above ‘basic’ on state tests; now 48% do. Before Katrina, 62% attended failing schools; less than a fifth do today. The gap between city kids and the rest of the state is narrowing.”
Graduation rates have dramatically risen over the last five years:
“In the RSD [Recovery School District], the number of seniors who made it to graduation rose from 50 percent in 2007 to about 90 percent in 2010.”
The Recovery School District in New Orleans has encouraged the innovation and experimentation led by the new charter schools. Longer school days, performance pay, and better uses of technology have become new attempts at changing the system. Without a burdensome collective bargaining contract, the schools are able to try different approaches to educating their students, reward teachers who perform well, and fire those who do not measure up.
Back in Chicago, Mayor Emanuel has been an advocate for charter schools as well as changing the way traditional public schools operate. Despite efforts to prevent changes and while working with the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, nine elementary schools voted to extend the school day an additional 90 minutes. Previously, these schools had the shortest day measured by instructional time for metropolitan schools in the nation.
However, these changes are not enough. City officials, politicians, and union members should all look to the grand experiment that is currently in play in New Orleans. When schools are forced to compete to retain students in their programs, they must continually improve their product and find new ways to produce. If not, they will lose customers. Giving parents more options as to who will educate their children helps schools specialize their methods and hone in on what works best for their students. In fact, Kotkin explains that a number of parents he knows in the city that would usually send their children to private schools are now sending them to the independent charter schools. He goes on further to say that something radical has to happen in Chicago for a true transformation to occur. If New Orleans can turn around their school system and put it on the path to a successful future even after a natural devastation such as Hurricane Katrina and in only six short years, then Chicago can find a way to implement reforms and prepare their students for what lies ahead as well.