Citing the unacceptable chaos and disorganization as schools in New Orleans opened in late August, the AFT-affiliated United Teachers of New Orleans has called for a centralized body to handle essential services for schools in the parish—including the hiring of teachers and school employees. The union has called for a coordinated system for enrolling students, hiring employees, ensuring textbook distribution and furnishing schools with chairs and desks.

Although there were school system problems before Hurricane Katrina, UTNO president Brenda Mitchell noted that at least there was one location where the public could go for information. Given the massive problems evident now at nearly every school, causing delays and uncertainty, Mitchell said there should be an easily accessible location for:

• Teacher hiring. The state says that there aren't enough teachers available and that they will fill the shortfall with substitute teachers. However, the state terminated virtually all of the city's certified teachers and other school staff. "These experienced teachers should be at the top of the list for any of the systems that are looking for quality teachers," Mitchell said.

• Furnishing schools with desks, textbooks and other essential school resources. Families should be able to find out if schools in a particular school system are prepared with the proper equipment and supplies to start school.

• School construction and maintenance issues. Schools currently are in various states of disrepair and it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine which schools are safe and ready to open.

"The confusion facing public education in New Orleans at the start of the new school year is deeply troubling," said Mitchell. "After months of promises that the new New Orleans school system will be a model for the country, the state is debuting an utterly chaotic and dysfunctional system."

Mitchell added that she is not surprised at the disorder, however. "This is what happens when a few people get the idea that they know how to start a large school system from scratch and then try to do it on their own, without involving teachers, without involving parents, and without involving the community," Mitchell said. "Now there are four school systems with four separate sets of problems, and families have no idea what to do or where to turn," Mitchell said.

UTNO's proposals are prompted by widespread concern that many, if not most, schools in New Orleans are unprepared for the opening of schools. A report in the Aug. 6 Times-Picayune described the situation as a "nightmare," with only half the teachers needed in the Recovery School District hired before students report on Sept. 7.

Meanwhile, scores of AFT and AFL-CIO volunteers from around the country traveled to New Orleans in late August to help UNTO in its rebuilding efforts and to reach out to members in the parish.

AFT members from California to New York gathered in the city Aug. 23 to fan out into neighborhoods to talk to UTNO members and assure them that the union was continuing to fight for their interests and for the needs of students in New Orleans.

In just four days the AFT and AFL-CIO volunteers conducted 3,000 house calls to UTNO members, reports AFT staffer Ann Mitchell, who helped coordinate the effort with UTNO president Brenda Mitchell.

August 28, 2006