As a new school year begins, school districts will face various issues that will impact teachers and students nationwide. Before the school year even begins, many school districts wonder when they should begin the academic year. Many schools start the year before Labor Day while others wait until after the holiday. Critics argue that starting the school year in July or August cuts into professional development time for teachers and forces students to end their summer jobs earlier than needed.
First-year teachers and veteran educators alike, meanwhile, have to deal with the issue of classroom discipline. Rookie educators are well aware of the unruly reputation of US classrooms. They say a source of their nerves on the first day of school is whether they can establish authority with their students. “Students may have an initial wall they set up," explains Spanish teacher Javier Moreno "They'll be testing me. I just need to make sure I'm prepared to take those tests."
Issues such as start dates and classroom discipline might be pale in comparison to the challenges facing teachers and students starting the new school year in storm–ravaged New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina hit the city in August 2005 damaging or destroying schools and other buildings. The impact of the storm forced students and teachers to begin or continue the school year in other parts of the country.
A year later the landscape of public education in New Orleans has changed. Approximately 60% of New Orleans’ schools are now charter schools. Many teachers have retired or relocated. Although there have been many changes since the storm, educators say they are eager to prove that New Orleans’ schools can shine in the national spotlight, especially after decades of challenges that took place before the storm.
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