Who Owns O. Perry Walker High School?: A Case Study of Contested Ownership and Survival in the New Orleans Public Schools after Hurricane Katrina

This ethnographic case study examines O. Perry Walker, a New Orleans high school the state of Louisiana had previously labeled "failing," during its closure from August 29, 2005 until December 14, 2005, due to the evacuation of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. This unprecedented evacuation of a major city closed the school, making its reopening the battleground for diverse actors seeking to shape the future of the school and the school system. This research includes interviews with the stakeholders who worked to control, reopen and reform this urban school: teachers, school administrators, elected officials, the California National Guard and staff with a private "turnaround" company, Alvarez and Marsal. It concerns the management of schools facing multiple disasters. The conversion of Walker from a traditional public school to a charter school provides insights into so-called urban school reforms, including ownership, privatization and control of public schools for numerous contentious stakeholders.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

College of Urban and Public Affairs

Year

2006

Author dc:creator

• Simons-Jones, David Hamilton

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ward, Martha
• Alcazar, Alvaro
• Gladstone, David

• School control
• Urban school reform
• School renaissance

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/375

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1396