Designing the Return: Collaborative Innovation and Governance Reform in New Orleans’ School Unification

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Governing Innovation and System Change in an Era of Choice

Abstract

This study examines how a collaborative process led to the unification of New Orleans’ all-charter school system under local control through Act 91. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, most New Orleans schools became charter-operated, resulting in a decentralized system. A qualitative case study of documents addresses four aspects: collaborative leadership’s role in shaping Act 91; governance innovations from unification; the model’s performance during the COVID-19 crisis; and factors affecting its sustainability. Findings indicate that the co-designed Act 91 framework balanced charter autonomy with equity measures and enabled a resilient response to COVID-19. The study offers lessons for other cities aiming to unify autonomous schools through community-driven governance reform.

Authors

• Henderson Lewis Jr., Louisiana State University

• Veysel Altunel, Louisiana State University

• Stacy-Ann Campbell, Louisiana State University

• Nicholas Bijou, Einstein Charter School