Trouble the Water

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS FILM!

Thanks to James' sister, Kathy, we went to the New Orleans preview screening of Trouble the Water at NOCCA last weekend. We had no idea what to expect - we only assumed that the film was about Hurricane Katrina, and Kathy seldom leads us astray, so we went. We were surprised to see the crowds of people lined up, and the red carpet laid out in anticipation of the arrival of the filmmakers and stars, Kimberly Rivers Roberts and Scott Roberts, directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (past films include Bowling for Columbine and Farenheit 9/11), and producer Danny Glover (co-producer Joselyn Barnes, did not attend).

It was an overwhelming experience to sit in the theater and watch this film with Katrina survivors. Trouble the Water shows what other documentaries have not about the storm and the recovery since; yet, it isn't hopeless and you cannot take your eyes away. Kim Roberts is the filmmaker and the star, and she is amazing. When she isn't on-screen, you are waiting for her to come back. She isn't an actress, she was a drug dealer in the 9th ward of New Orleans, who bought a video camera for $20 a week before the storm. She had no idea what she would use it for, until the morning before the storm, when watching the weather, and hearing stories from her neighborhood, she decided that if Katrina was going to be what everyone projected, then she was going to get it on film. The storm and the experience changed her, and essentially, you watch it happen.

We were lucky to meet her afterward. She is a real person, with real concerns, and real tragedy in her life, and she is determined to overcome poverty and to bring New Orleans with her. She is a powerhouse. She has agreed to speak at James' school to talk about her life and her transformation, and to, hopefully, encourage kids to stay on track.


Go to the website - read about this film - Go to the film - Tell your friends to go!

Sundance Awards: Mine

by Peter Travers, ROLLINGSTONE.COM, January 27, 2008

". . . this indelible portrait of New Orleans before, during and after Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of a force of nature named Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband Scott Roberts. Gifted filmmkers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal stick it to our absent government and in Kim - who raps her feelings in a voice that demands and deserves a record contract - they have found a human face to put on a national tragedy. Superb in every department."

Sundance: A Star Is Born

by Peter Travers, ROLLINGSTONE.COM, January 25, 2008

. . . the behind-the-camera artistry is handled by the extraordinary team of Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. Trouble the Water is a documentary that will pin you to your seat. It's an account of Hurricane Katrina from the inside.

The best of Sundance

by Andrew O’Hehir, SALON, January 25, 2008

“The romping, stomping, electrified-house vibe at the premiere of this New Orleans documentary was one thing…a transformative story about passion, resilience and heroism among the poorest residents of America’s most downtrodden city.”

Capdau Elementary

Last Wednesday, James started teaching 6th and 7th grade Science at Capdau. He leaves for work every morning at 6:30, because he has hall duty as the students arrive for breakfast. His classes start at 8:00am. He has two 6th grade classes and one 7th grade. On the first day of class, he was surprised to find that he was also teaching reading for the first hour of the day to his homeroom (also 6th grade). Luckily, he is resourceful and had stacks of science-related short stories that we had collected before leaving Gainesville, so he hands those out each morning. He has approximately 22 students in each class and the classes are 90 minutes long.

The first day, he wanted to start a simple exercise that would lead to another exercise for each of his classes, so he handed out rulers and asked them to mark an inch on their paper. He waited for a minute, and when they seemed to not be finishing up quickly enough, he began walking around the room to see what was going on. He was shocked to look at each students' idea of what an inch was. Some had a cm, some had 6 inches, some 3, etc. He wasn't sure if they were joking around, or if they really didn't know. After some questions and some very confused student responses, he confirmed that the kids didn't know what an inch was.

The lessons that he had planned up to this point, are much too advanced. So, he is back-tracking. Assessing students' knowledge and trying to give them a base to move forward from.

Also, on the first day, he had students complete an info worksheet - their 411, so he could get contact information, learn about them, and assess their reading and writing skills. Only one of the over 60+ students listed a father as the major caregiver, and only a few more listed an adult male living in the home. The majority loved experiments but none could spell the word correctly - spellings ranged from espimens to esparimints. The students were to list their favorite personal trait and one thing they wish they could change. "Hair" and "everything" were popular favorites. The answers for what they might change, were more varied - "nothing - I'm perfect", "I have a big head", or "My feet are giant" "people say I talk too much". The one that resonates most is "The color of my skin."

Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Prior to my arrival in New Orleans, I submitted an application to Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I applied with the idea that this would be my fall-back plan, since I hadn't received my Praxis scores (required test scores to teach in certain states) and wasn't confident that the teaching thing was going to happen. Over the following weeks of my move and my teachNOLA training, I went through a series of interviews and was offered a job as Program Manager in the Maternal and Child Public Health Leadership Training program (it's a mouthful, I know ). I attempted to work out a deferment with teachNOLA, because the position is grant-funded and, if the grant is not re-newed, will end in fall 2010. After much discussion, it was determined that I could not defer and that my choice was to either continue with teachNOLA or resign. The Tulane opportunity was one that I wasn't willing to pass up at this point in my life, so I accepted.

The program is exciting and the challenges are many; the job offers opportunities for me to teach and travel, and to do significant community outreach. A major focus will be enhancing the program in order to reapply for the next funding cycle of the grant - 2010 - 2015. I'm currently in the process of designing a public school component in which Master's and PhD students will visit science classes to teach about their professions and possibly mentor students. My envisioned focus is to lead students of NOLA public schools toward careers in public health and master's training at Tulane.

Many students I taught over the summer felt like they wanted to go to college but had no idea which college or what they might study or how to begin to figure those things out. How exciting would it be for them to have a mentor who helps guide them toward that goal with the possibility of a master's degree and a meaningful career at the end!

Random events - not in order

James wanted me to be certain to inform you that we have not been all work and no play up to this point in our lives in NOLA. Some highlights that I have missed that he feels should be added are some of our fun adventures around town and around Louisiana & Mississippi. Photos may follow later if I can ever figure out how to get them off of my phone and onto the computer.

• Running of the Bulls in the French Quarter - We dressed in white with red sashes and dashed to meet the crowd; however, parking was a bit more difficult than anticipated, and the bulls and the runners left about 5 minutes ahead of us. We caught them at the end, they were already drinking and posing for photo opportunities. So, I guess our event could be called "Running after the bulls."
  
• Blueberry picking in southern Mississippi - After chasing the bulls, we decided not to join in the 8:30am drink-a-thon that was bound to ensue in the quarter, and instead, went to Mississippi to pick blueberries with our friend, Amber, and her friend, Ann. The drive was supposed to take an hour, but was closer to two, so we arrived in the mid-day heat. We still picked lots of berries - They were fabulously tasty!
• Weekend retreat to Avery Island -Our friend, Dan, is related to the family famous for Tabasco Sauce. This doesn't mean that he has lots of money, but does mean that he gets access to a private mansion on the island. Once a year, he and his wife, Catherine, invite friends to come for a weekend of food, swimming, and fun. We were lucky to be on this year's invitation list. We took our bikes and did some exploring, we swam in the blue hole (aka the pooh hole, because it is not really blue), we had a seafood boil and a wine and cheese tasting. We also met lots of nice folks who are New Orleanians, and may be joining a supper club as a result .
• White Linen Night is a gallery night in the Warehouse District. Joined by friends from teachNOLA, we wore our finest linen and wandered from the Ogden Museum of Southern Art to the Contemporary Art Center and to a few other galleries. We also happened upon a political rally for a D.A. hopeful.
  
• Satchmo Summer Music Festival - In honor of Louis Armstrong. We only made it to the final afternoon, but the music was fantastic. Kermit Ruffins was incredible and we were introduced to some other musicians.
  

Our room is decorated with graphs and various Algebra-related vocabulary that we made during class. Everyone is eating Hot Fries (the favorite of the 'fabulous prizes').

Much has happened since the last day two weeks ago - I've actually started a job at Tulane, but I have to point out that this summer was a fabulous experience for me. I discovered that I absolutely love teaching and I became immediately invested in each of my students. I also learned that Algebra is not as intimidating as I imagined it to be. Thanks to the advice of Kirk McDonald, I learned that you can get students to teach for you by simply standing in the back of the room and asking one or two students who are competent to do the work on the board. Other students will get invested and it gives you as a teacher time to figure out the answer... Brilliant!

Also, I was able to effectively use my loud, teacher voice on several occasions, and was quite pleased with the results. I attempted a variety of teaching techniques and discovered that I'm really hands-on and active in the classroom. I move around - a lot - and I talk to the kids and ask them questions - a lot. So much so, that I think I often slowed the lesson down, but I really enjoyed learning about what they respond to and what they completely ignore. For instance, they had no idea that there was an education reform happening in New Orleans, and weren't that interested in reading about it in the newspaper that I brought in; however, they did know exactly where the horoscopes and obituaries were in the paper and crowded around to read those.

Other notes:

• My chalkboard handwriting is insane. Really big and wacky at some points and so small you can't read it other times. I tried to work on that, but I can't say that I showed much improvement.
• I love grading papers. I write lots of notes to the students when I grade.
  
• I'd rather grade papers than create a lesson plan (that could be a problem)

Favorite student comments/ conversations:

• Dang, Ms. A, you are really asserting your time management authority on us today.
• A million dollars? I don't want to make a million dollars. I just want a nice little job that brings in say about $20 an hour, so I can live without the stress of all that extra cash.
• That boy be tweak'n? Nah, he ain't high. That's just how he acts.
  
• Ms. B, why you keep poke'n me - can't you let a guy get some sleep in this place?
  

Punk'd

So, after 5 weeks of teaching Algebra in Summer School, I was standing at the board on my last day. My students were playing Ultimate Algebra and were divided up into 4 teams competing against each other for fabulous prizes (Hot Fries, Laffy Taffy, and Life Savers). They were doing fantastically well. Teams 1 and 4 were neck and neck, and were trying to knock each other out of the running. Team 3 wasn't far behind and Team 2 had completely lost interest, but were talking quietly amongst themselves, so I didn't mind. My co-teacher, Ms. A, was front and center along with me, scanning the crowd to look for the hands that went up first after I wrote the problem on the board. Ms. H (the lead teacher) was hanging out at her desk flipping through a magazine. A good time was had by all... when suddenly...

Deion flew out of his seat screaming and essentially jumping from desk to desk with Kenneth in close pursuit. I watched them fly across the room and into the hall. I looked to Ms. H who dropped her magazine and hopped out of her seat. "Go get them, Ms. B!" She demanded. My first response (in my mind, of course) - was "You're crazy - I'm teaching - YOU go get them." I took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall - they were running around the corner toward the cafeteria. I was frustrated, but wanted to gain order in the classroom. I turned and realized Ms. A had joined me - I told her to go after them and I would return and try to continue the lesson.

I walked back in the classroom only to be met by a frantic Ms. H. "I thought you were going after them! YOU HAVE TO GO GET THEM!" I am pretty freaked out by her reaction. "What's going on - what is happening with them?" I had noticed her talking with them earlier and wondered if there was something personal going on that I didn't know about. They were friends, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't turn on each other. I also didn't understand why she wanted me to go after them, but I went back into the hall - only to followed by two more students - Andrew and Thurnell. This really upset me. Number one rule in a classroom emergency is to keep your students calm and in one place.

"What are you doing in the hall?" I demanded. "Get back in the class now!" Andrew said, "We've got to go get them, Ms. B! They really need us." Thurnell was on the other side of me and at this point he grabbed my arm and pulled. I looked at him, shocked to be grabbed by a student. I pulled my arm away and said "What is going on? You should know it is not appropriate for you to grab a teacher. Now get back in the classroom - I will deal with this." I started leading them back to the class when one of my best students, Tiffany, ran out into the hall and tried to get me to go after Kenneth and Deion too. At this point, I was done. "GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOM!" I hear myself yell and essentially coral the students back into the classroom. As I enter the door, I am greeted by students cheering, "Happy Last Day Ms. B!" They proceeded to hand me a card and cookies and asked if I was surprised. I stood with my mouth open while they laughed and talked about the look on my face. A few minutes later an equally shocked Ms. A was escorted into the classroom - where they again clapped and shouted in our honor.

I looked at the card, but I couldn't really see it. There was a note from each of the students. Thanking me for teaching them Algebra, thanking me for spending time with them this summer, and reminding me that banana laffy taffy should be avoided at all costs.

The students loved it - I'd say Ms. A and I were pleased at best, but definitely traumatized on a small scale by the experience. Thurnell and Andrew came up to me later and asked if they could hug me goodbye. Andrew's final words to me were, "Man, Ms. B, you are tough. You weren't going to let us leave, were you?" Thurnell agreed, "Ms. B don't play."

James' new school

James' new school, Capdau, (pronounced cap-doe) is a University of New Orleans Charter School. James is a member of his school's 'Beautification Committee'. He and other members have selected new paint colors for the various rooms and hallways, discussed planting of a school garden, and made other steps forward in enhancing the school.

He is one of three male teachers at his school. One is the gym teacher and the other is the art and drama teacher. There are other males on staff, but they aren't teachers.

School starts on August 13, which is next Wednesday. He has a meet and greet with students and parents this week.

Yesterday's dilemma at Capdau was that there are currently 8 middle school teachers and only 6 classrooms for said teachers. His principal spent the day scrambling to 'find' two more rooms. Apparently, some space was recently reallocated for administrative purposes - ie. a nice new teacher's lounge and a gigantic office for the vice-principal.

James will be teaching 6th & 7th grade science. His partner teacher is responsible for 7th and 8th grade. She somehow believes that the purchase of a 'science' cart will solve any problems that might be affiliated with the absence of a classroom. She convinced the principal to let her purchase such a cart as soon as possible. James imagines himself, sporting his goggles, lab-coat with pocket protector, walking up and down the third floor hall, pushing the squeaky, science cart, shouting out to students as they pass, 'Anyone want to learn some science? Follow me to cafeteria!'

Whirlwind

This is me after a knock-down blow-out boxing match at Tulane with James. Guess who won?

In Gainesville today, finishing my work at the International Center and moving final things. So, more photos for your viewing pleasure as I clean off my desktop.

It is not uncommon to find people digging in New Orleans. Looking for old bottles and other treasures.

Scenery and today's news

Rooftop view of our neighborhood and downtown.

Some photos you might enjoy and a newspaper article about the teachNOLA program.

Ms. Borat

Students like to play with your name to see what makes you cringe. My co-teacher's name is Adjewseski. She gets a variety of takes on her name. From "A-boogie" to "Angie-ASS-ky". She hates them both and it is obvious. She tries to enforce "Ms. A," but the students like to mess with her.

I felt really proud that you can't really do a lot to the name Barrett. Some say barrette, as in the thing that holds your hair, some say burnette, which doesn't mean much to anyone. My Pre-Calculus teacher in high school used to hand my papers back and say "Grin and barrett." Still not really painful.

Last week, Gregriana, raised her hand and said, "Ms. Borat, I need your help." I paused, hoping no one else heard, looked her straight in the eyes with my most intimidating stare and said, "I answer to Ms. Barrett only." She actually squirmed and repeated my name correctly.

She is pretty feisty though, so after a day of Ms. Barrett, she decided she liked "Ms. B" better. So in our class, our names are "Ms. A" and "Ms. B." I'm okay with that. I definitely don't want to be Ms. Borat.

Blah

Today - teaching to a class that was 1/3 absent, 1/3 high, and 1/3 asleep (whether their eyes were closed or open - they were sleeping).

I felt my mouth moving - I heard words come out - I knew I was present in the room; however, I did not feel in control of any part of the experience. Iwas an on-looker in a Ferris Bueller movie and I was the teacher that every student wanted to escape. Book in one hand chalk in the other - I looked into a sea of blank faces.

Blah Blah Blah, I said, looking around. Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Excellent.....

Karell

Karell sat in the far right corner of the front row during my first day of Algebra I. For the first hour of class he was relatively quiet, attentive, and seemed genuinely interested in doing his work.

Jenny (another teachNOLA fellow) and I sat in the back of the room – charged with the responsibility of simply observing for the first week. We’ve been told that classroom order is established in the first week of class; if the teacher doesn’t gain control in that week, then they will, most likely, not gain it that year. After observing Karell and his classmates, it is my opinion that you do not have a week - you have exactly an hour – that’s it.

Ms. H (we’ll call my lead teacher) started the lesson with confidence and ease – she established three classroom rules:

1. Don’t talk while I’m talking
2. No foul language
3. No cell phones or Ipods

She presented a 20-minute lesson and then assigned a worksheet for students to complete – allowing them another 20 minutes. I was initially impressed with students’ attention to the subject and their willingness to participate. Ms. H calmly walked up and down the rows answering questions. She would address exposed cell phones by wagging her index finger back and forth and saying “Not allowed – put it away.” She acknowledged the occasional inappropriate word by looking up, finding the source, and, again, wagging the finger, while saying “language.” I wondered for a moment if teaching high school was easier than I anticipated.

Karell needed help with the worksheet and asked for it – after receiving some instruction, he returned to work. But quickly had another question. Jenny and I wanted to help but were advised, again, not to on the first day. Karell began to disrupt a student in the back of the room by saying – “We didn’t learn this at my school. I’m just stupid anyway.” They went back to work for a couple more minutes, but were not as attentive and Karell sat staring into space for long periods of time. He raised his hand repeatedly, but received little attention from Ms. H.

After many students completed the worksheet, Ms. H returned to the board to review the answers. By then, some of the students had clearly lost interest and started talking. Ms. H whipped around and said, “Shuuuuuuuushhhh!” and went back to the board.

We were in class for only an hour and a half that first day - the class is scheduled to last three and a half hours…. By the end of the class, Karell was rapping and his classmate was keeping the beat on his desk. He called Ms. H every name in the book and Ms. H would use either “Language!” “Karell!” or “Shush!” Never actually addressing the misbehavior. The classroom volume was agonizing by the time the lunch bell rang and students fled from the room. Ms. H was amazingly unaffected by it all and described the day as, “Not that bad.”

Day 2 – Karell came in red-eyed and obviously stoned. He slept for the first two hours of class, as did 7 other students. She did not wake them and seemed to enjoy the reprieve. The others worked quietly and accomplished a lot in the beginning. Karell began to stir at about 10:00am and immediately asked to go to the bathroom – he was gone for half an hour. He returned full force – singing, yelling, throwing out insults to Ms. H., standing up - walking around, involving other students.

Close to the end of the day, Ms. H strolled by my chair and whispered. “Karell is out.”

“Do you mean for the day?” I asked. To which she replied, “No, I’m having him removed. It’s summer – they only get one chance.”

Day 3 – Karell came by class and dropped off his book – left the classroom for about a half hour and then strolled back into class smiling while Ms. H was at the board. She turned to him and pointed to the door, “Get your things and leave.”

Over the next hour, Karell hung around outside of the door – he kept looking in – not smiling or joking – just looking in – like he was confused or lost. Ms. H walked to my chair and said she needed a favor, “ I need you to get security and have Karell removed from the grounds. He is disturbing my class.”

Because I’m learning and Karell is not my student, I had to comply. I was the one who talked with the principal – and watched as security chased him as he ran down the hall – he kept looking at me and I felt like I had failed him. I asked the security officer to work out another solution – told him that Karell just needed help – a second chance. He told me there are no second chances in summer school.

I wonder if there are second chances at all for kids like Karell.

I wonder if he has ever even been given a first chance.

School Update

Every day the Times-Picayune has been featuring different articles on the efforts to reform education in the city. It has been interesting to read about the programs we are involved in and the successes and failures of past teachers. Big changes were in the news today when the state decided to lay-off teachers who did not meet certification requirements or had other problems in their jobs. The state is looking to programs like teachNOLA, TGNO, and Teach for America to fill the positions that the new vacancies create. This was definitely a topic of conversation while in class today. Every day brings a better understanding of the layers in this system. Our focus remains on learning to teach.

Tomorrow is my first day in the classroom. Wish me luck!

Genteel Sunday brunch

James and I were driving around town yesterday looking for furniture to scavenge and happened upon brunch at Mandina's - James' favorite New Orleans restaurant. The meal was stupendous! Trout, soft shell crab, an amazing salad and bread pudding soaked in rum sauce for dessert. We are eating well here. As we were savoring our fine food and the the atmosphere we heard yelling from a nearby table, "We're the drunkest table in the place!" To which we turned around and confirmed that the person yelling did appear to be accompanying the drunkest people in the place. It was, in fact, noon on Sunday. No harm - no foul. Nothing stopped moving, no one asked her to be quiet. Most people did not even seem to notice. The woman continued her conversation and we continued ours. This is New Orleans after all.

Blog comments + cajun danc'n

I think I've enabled comments for the blog. Feel free to give it a try and see if something happens. I'm a bit blog-challenged and I have very limited computer access at the moment, so I'll check back as soon as I am able. So, it looks like all you have to do is select the little envelope at the bottom of the post and that takes you to the comment area.

Good luck! I can't wait to hear from you!!

P.S. I had my first cajun-dance encounter a couple of days ago. I tried to act like I didn't want to dance, but I think the laughing and clapping gave me away. For those of you who have seen me dance (this is Heather writing) I have kind of a free-form, solo kind of approach. In other words, I don't know how to follow.

The dance was quite the spectacle according to the ladies I was with. They weren't sure if I was a rag-doll or a hyena (pretty much I was limp but laughing the entire time, I couldn't keep my feet on the ground). But they sure thought I was having a good time. At the end, my partner said, "that made me dizzy." Sure enough! I didn't ask him to pick me up off the ground and swing me in circles repeatedly. That was his idea.

I told James that we have to do some serious practicing before I go anywhere they play cajun music again. Apparently there are free lessons at Tipitinas once a week. We're signing up!

Ms. Cab-driver

So, I met a cab-driver today who is becoming a teacher. She had some really amazing thoughts about New Orleans and the people here.

When she first arrived to NOLA from up north 6 years ago, she was on a call in which a woman was trying to coerce her grandfather out of the house into the car. "It costs too much money." He kept yelling from the doorway. The granddaughter prodded and pleaded, but couldn't get the guy off the porch. After 10 minutes, the cabbie told the customer that she had to move along, but she'd come back when the old guy was ready to go. The granddaughter, replied, "No ma'am, he's ready and he's going." She proceeded to drag him out to the car. He hesitated by the door and said,"This will only be my third time in one of these motorized vehicles." Shocked, the driver asked him how he managed that, to which he replied, "I've never needed to go anywhere more than a mile from my home." He was 80 years old.

This is why the cabbie wants to be a teacher. Because she wants the kids of NOLA to have an experience that is bigger than the blocks that surround their house. She wants them to know that drug dealers and rappers aren't the only people who can get ahead in the world, and that having a good life doesn't necessarily equate to loads of cash and material things. She doesn't want them to think that the only options are to live poor or to "hustle." She's seen too many of the hustlers....in her neighborhood, in her cab, in the streets when she has dropped people off or picked them up.

She knows New Orleans like the back of her hand. She quit driving about a year ago - she needed a change. She gets the 7 year itch, she said, and needs to try something new. So, she started to pursue teaching. It was a long, slow process and she almost gave up. She was ready to go back to the cab when a teaching job popped up. She misses driving - she feels separated from the town, from what is happening. She used to know everything that was going on and now she is removed from it. Without the cab, she has no personal transporation and though she knows all of the bus routes, it just doesn't feel the same.

Her life is different now - carless and on a new path, possibly a more reckless one - she'll be a teacher, like me. Or, maybe, hopefully, I'll be a teacher like she is.

Aaacckkkkk!!!!!!

What I did this weekend -
Packed. Wrapped up work at UF(at least momentarily. Packed and cleaned. Spent time with my sister, Jennifer, & my nieces, Kayla & Kendall, who popped in from North Carolina on a whim! Had a lot of playground time. Visited Poe Springs & had a picnic. Packed and cleaned some more. Rented a car (twice - it's a long story - I won't get into it). Met with our new tenant/ roommate to show him the ropes. Talked with James several times to discuss the countless things that needed tending. Packed and cleaned. Still packing and cleaning - will it ever end?

What James did this weekend -
Went to a fish fry at our new neighbors place. Went fishing in the gulf with some new friends (he said he was really tired afterwards, because he had to get up at 3:00am - I was probably only mildly sympathetic). Studied and did homework(still can't believe that James is back in school -neither can he.) Listened to me melt down at least once or twice about whatever freaked me out at that moment....

My plan is to leave tomorrow - early. My program starts Thursday. We are hoping to be able to move into our temporary new place tomorrow - pending some painting and other odd jobs that need completing by our landlords. I need somewhere to unload the rental!

The Big Easy

We visited New Orleans earlier this year (this was our third visit since Katrina). Much of the city has been restored, but a large portion remains in shambles. Entire housing projects, which provided homes for thousands of people, are being leveled. New, low-income housing is being built, but not as many units and they are not available for the same price and progress is slow.

Piles of debris can be found along any number of houses on any given street. All debris is considered hazardous and can only be removed by HAZMAT workers.

Statistics show that the city lost as much as 75% of its tree cover as a result of Katrina.

The entire school system is being revamped, due in part to the hurricane, but not entirely. The school system was failing prior to the storm. A public education overview can be found here: http://www.teachnola.org/ar/publiceducation.html

There is still so much work to be done.

Tow truck

580 miles and two tanks of very expensive gas later - James arrived in NOLA with the jeep in tow. The journey was long and slow, but largely uneventful.

After a long fruitful life in North Carolina, Florida, and the Bahamas, the Old Jeep is ready for her retirement in the Big Easy.

Monday, Monday

On next Monday, James is heading to New Orleans with a truck packed full of clothes, food, schoolbooks, two computers and my Jeep Cherokee in tow behind. These are the things he determined necessary for his move. Clothes because he needs to look like a teacher; food (& lots of it) because his greatest fear in life is arriving in a place with no grocery stores; school books and computers because we are pretty sure that the conditions that we will be met with are less than adequate; my jeep, because she has 205,000 + miles, no air conditioning, and I really, really, really want her to keep on driving once we get there.

When I make my trip the following week, I'll be driving a rented mini-van and hauling my items of primary importance; also clothes, plants & seeds, more books, a lamp or two and whatever James calls to tell me he forgot.

We are each entering an alternative teacher training program. James will be in Teach Greater New Orleans and I will be a teachNOLA fellow. We'll go through a pretty intense training program this summer, do some summer school teaching, and hopefully, teach full-time in the fall. After one year, we'll be certified to be teachers.

If your question is - Why? I guess my answer would have to be - Why not?

We are childless, petless, and we have a nice man named Deng, pronounced "Dang!" renting the Florida house. So, no need to stay in one place for too long.

New Orleans schools were declining well before Katrina wiped out much of the city. The storm and the devastation actually forced the state and the public school system to recreate itself. From what we are learning, the process has been slow and painful, but it is happening.

We want to be a part of re-building a place that we love and value. We also want to be teachers.Plus, it's New Orleans. It is unlike any other city in this country - and we want the opportunity to be a part of what it has to offer - all of it.