New Orleans Day 3 (4/22)

You might wonder why the gap between describing Day 2 and Day 3 in New Orleans. The truth is that I am of two minds about New Orleans schools. We were taken on a tour of New Orleans schools in Day 3 to help us figure out how to write a brochure (well, to help the students write a brochure; my job was strictly formatting) that helps displaced New Orleanians get their kids back in school. I was left with a pretty optimistic picture of New Orleans schools, despite rumblings here and there that things weren't going well everywhere. When I got back, a New York Times story about New Orleans schools made the picture considerably murkier. And frankly, 38 years of southern racism indoctrination make it hard for my Indignation Meter to register some injustices as high as it ought to. I come from a deeply racist time, place, and people. I appreciated going to New Orleans with native Northeasterns, who instinctively spot racism and injustice that it's taken me two decades of intentional education to be able to spot.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So rather than try to describe what I saw, I've linked the pictures with some explanatory captions.

Here's what may not come through in the pictures and what's most relevant to this blog. The students (all Millennials in this group) were both fun and professional to work with. A lot of good lawyering went on during this day and Day 4. They were thinking about the client (Common Ground) and the client's clients (people who needed information about the school system). They asked good, insightful questions, and they didn't shy away from asking difficult, pointed questions -- but they did it respectfully and professionally. I saw nary a Millennial try to hog the spotlight or show off. It was purely a team effort. What was really impressive was how they could be daffy 20-somethings in the car (see first few photos) and switch immediately into professional mode when it was time to work. Enjoy the pictures!

P.S. We're about 50 shy of that 101 Classroom Uses for a Cellphone, so keep 'em comin'!