"REBORN" chronicles the first official year of public school in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The centerpiece is the charter school movement’s effort to radically transform education for the city’s mostly African-American public school children, many of whom would still be attending some of the worst-performing schools in the nation. In post-Katrina New Orleans, principals and teachers are now readjusting to a wholly new educational model; likewise, families and communities are responding to the new responsibilities that come with finding their voices in the ways their children are educated.
During this crucial period, one question remains: How will stakeholders use their newfound power? Shot between July 2006 and June 2007, "REBORN" tracks the hopes and challenges of four public charter schools in New Orleans.
Introduction:
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Vice President for Communications, Center for American Progress
Featured Panelists:
Stephen Brown, Producer, "REBORN"; President, Mobile Digital Arts
Dr. Jo Ann Cason, Head of School for the Hyde Leadership Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
Kendra Seaman, Science teacher, science department chair, KIPP DC: KEY Academy in Washington, D.C.
Moderated by:
Cynthia Brown, Director of Education Policy, Center for American Progress