Charter School City: What the End of Traditional Public Schools in New Orleans Means for American Education

In the wake of the tragedy and destruction that came with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, public schools in New Orleans became part of an almost unthinkable experiment—eliminating the traditional public education system and completely replacing it with charter schools and school choice. Fifteen years later, the results have been remarkable, and the complex lessons learned should alter the way we think about American education.

New Orleans became the first US city ever to adopt a school system b...