SOULS: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society CALL FOR PAPERS: Education in New Orleans: A Decade after Hurricane After Katrina Deadline: Please submit a 1-2 page abstract by March 1, 2015. For accepted articles, full and complete articles will have a submission deadline of June 1, 2015. To submit to this special issue: editorialmanager/souls/ This year marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the greater Gulf Coast and nation. While many aspects of daily life and community infrastructure were affected by the storm, the public education system in New Orleans was subject to historic changes. The takeover of New Orleans majority-black public schools by the state-run Recovery School District, firing of 7,500 veteran teachers and public school employees (mostly African American), and transformation of New Orleans into the nations first all-charter school district have been hailed by many as the remedy for a previously failing school district. Others contend such reform has been a profoundly destructive experiment on black school children. At this critical juncture, what does the evidence show? New Orleans style reform has been marketed as a model for other urban school districts throughout the United States. In light of this, the debate over public education in New Orleans is the epicenter of struggles for black rights in the 21st century. For this special issue, we seek contributions rooted in the robust history and culture of New Orleans African American community and ongoing struggles for equitable public schools, culturally relevant teaching, and self-determination. More specifically, we seek critical analyses of the effects of current reforms in New Orleans and their implications for black education throughout the Diaspora. While education is the central theme for this special issue, we also invite a critical and expanded look at issues that may intersect, including but not limited to health, housing, labor, poverty, incarceration, art, and the history of race, gender, and political organizing and activism. Contributions that draw connections between local, state, national, and global policy are welcome as well as those that draw connections to education reform in sister cities and nations, such as Haiti. For general questions please contact [email protected]
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:55:30 +0000