August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children.
Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history.
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August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children.
Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history.
This episode of Where the Schools Went examines one of the most explosive decisions in New Orleans’ post-Katrina story: the firing of every public school teacher in the city. The move devastated the city’s Black middle class and gutted one of the South’s most powerful teachers’ unions. What came next became a major source of contention. Some educators came back to rebuild their schools from scratch. Others never returned. Into that void stepped a group of idealistic newcomers – many young, many white, mostly from far away. Together, they transformed the city’s classrooms and ignited lasting debates over experience, identity, and what makes a great teacher.
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Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with The 74 and MeidasTouch.
Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org or follow us on X and Instagram at @thebranchmedia.
Where the Schools Went
August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children.
Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history.
