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The podcast series "Where the Schools Went" tells the story of how Hurricane Katrina became a catalyst for one of the most significant education transformations in American history. The five-part series explores how New Orleans rebuilt a struggling system into a national model, told through the voices of students, teachers, and educators who made it happen.
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, it devastated a city and upended a public school system already facing challenges after decades of decline. What emerged in the aftermath was not just reconstruction but radical reimagination.
Where the Schools Went provides essential context about the system before Katrina. Crumbling buildings, declining academic performance, and erosion of public trust underscored the need for transformation.
The podcast captures these realities through personal stories that illuminate the challenges facing New Orleans schools before the storm.
Building Something Better
Where the Schools Went highlights remarkable resilience and innovation. Just days after the storm, New Orleans educators reunited with students in Houston—many living in the Astrodome—and opened a school that quickly became a thriving community for children who had lost nearly everything.
Listeners hear from students who found new opportunities, teachers who pioneered innovative approaches, and families who gained access to quality education options that hadn't existed before.
Where the Schools Went acknowledges that transformation of this scale generates complex perspectives. While many celebrate the turnaround and improved student outcomes, others raise important questions about community control and local identity. The five-episode series explores these competing narratives, helping listeners understand the full story of how New Orleans reimagined public education.
Through personal stories of loss, resilience, and renewal, the podcast documents how a city turned crisis into opportunity—and what that journey meant for the people who lived it.