Hurricane Katrina dramatically altered the education landscape in New Orleans. The new AFT-United Teachers of New Orleans has taken a proactive stance to reinvigorate its ranks: The union has mounted an aggressive organizing campaign designed to empower its membership, and help city schools recover and gain new ground.

More than 70 percent of teachers in schools operated by the New Orleans Public Schools have joined the union, and increasing numbers of educators in the state-run Recovery School District are signing on as well. AFT-UTNO is working with city and school officials to regain a spirit of union-management cooperation.

The union and its allies believe the key to rebuilding the school system is to make teachers and school employees full partners in the process.

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