Speakout Columns
New Orleans teachers: devastation after the devastation
Jan 18, 2007 2:51 PM
In the past year and a half, the teachers of New Orleans have faced two terrible tragedies.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most deadly hurricanes ever in the history of the United States. The areas declared federal disaster zones covered 90,000 square miles. That’s an area almost as large as the United Kingdom.
All together, 1,836 people lost their lives.
The storm is estimated to have been responsible for more than $80 billion worth of damage. In New Orleans, evacuations were started just days before the storm was to touch down.
Katrina struck on the morning of Aug. 29, 2005, breaching levees in approximately 20 places, flooding 80 percent of the city. Winds reached a speed of 120 mph. The damage was massive.
Words can not illustrate how bad things were — and still are. Lives were destroyed. The immediate government help was poor and, sadly, it wasn’t until months later on Oct. 1 that a mere one-third of the city was reopened.
During all this devastation another tragedy befell our brothers and sisters of the United Teachers of New Orleans. I’d like to note that UTNO was a very proud union with a rich history, very similar to our own union. The state of Louisiana used this opportunity to take over most of the schools within the system under the new designation of a “recovery school district.”
There were no immediate plans to reopen the schools so that kids could learn. Educating children was not the focus for this reconfiguration. It was done to bust the union. In October 2005, the state of Louisiana officially announced the systemwide job termination of every teacher in New Orleans.
To add salt to the wounds, I heard from many teachers, that if they had more than 20 years of service they were offered a buyout at 40 percent of their salaries. Those who did not meet that criteria were left in the cold. Later, as schools slowly reopened, it was without union consultation. Veteran teachers were told they needed to take an employment examination. Along with this, salaries were substantially cut and benefits were greatly reduced.
This was perplexing!
How could the state do this to teachers on the heels of the tragedy that was Katrina? Where was the help and support that any kind person might expect?
This past summer, on Aug. 23, union activists from all over the country converged on New Orleans to assist the AFT with rebuilding the New Orleans teachers union. Six UFT activists volunteered including Susan Perez, Nanette Rosario-Sanchez, Hector Ruiz, Awilda Vargas, Lisa Wilson and me.
Our objective was to locate members so that we could start to build chapters in all of the new schools. What we saw was eye-opening. The devastation was unbelievable. So many houses were destroyed and it was quite obvious that they had been abandoned for nearly a year. The majority of New Orleans was still a ghost town.
Over the course of four days we went around the city, knocking on doors, trying to locate UTNO members. When we were lucky enough to find one, we usually heard heartbreaking stories of struggle. The common theme was always the same: a distinct lack of being treated with dignity.
When all was said and done, we had visited nearly 3,000 houses and FEMA trailers. Thankfully, we did meet several local educators who were ready to be active and get involved with the UTNO rebuilding efforts. Hopefully, the seeds were sewn.
Personally, I will never forget this experience. It was an emotional trip that taught me a lot about human spirit. It illustrated the importance of having a strong union. I witnessed how the national climate is so anti-union. After the tragedy that was Katrina, wolves were waiting at the door and they pounced and attacked, when instead the state and city government, as well as the Louisiana Department of Education, should have made it a priority to help educators return to their classrooms as quickly as possible for the sake of the children.
We must always remain vigilant, united in the strength of our membership. I have seen what our union leadership already knows: We must be ready for times of hardship. That is when the system will exploit, under the pretense of “this is what is for the best.”
Finally, I would also urge everyone to please make a donation to the UFT Relief Fund.
