New Orleans, "The Big Easy" still recovering.

My trip to Louisiana has come to an end. I was fortunate enough to spend a week down in the "big easy." The teacher recruitment trip was a great eye opening experience for myself. I was able to see a vast array of school districts and network with other school administrators and personnel.

The biggest highlight of my trip was the visit I took down to the "ground zero" area of New Orleans also known as the lower 9th Ward. I decided to take the trip along with one of my colleagues from Rochester and another recruiter who was a school Principal from California.

It has been 19 months since Hurricane Katrina has hit and 18 months since Hurricane Rita followed. My initial reaction to what I seen was very grim. I couldn't believe that I was in a once vibrant neighborhood. I stood near the newly repaired levee and I could see loads of empty fields that were once occupied by houses.

I walked around the area in amazement. I was baffled that something so tragic could occur nearly 2 years ago and yet there was very little improvement in the status of the area.

I drove by school buildings that were damaged and still closed. I began to think as an educator the significant implications on the development of children in the New Orleans area. It will take generations to recover from this natural disaster. The amount of student disabilities and classifications I am sure will increase exponentially. I was amazed but not surprised to find out that there student enrollment had dropped by almost 75%. I hope that the city officials really look at rebuilding up the schools first so that they could be hubs for the community. New Orleans public schools were already classified as one worst in the nation. This would be the right opportunity to change that classification.

I recommend that everyone who has not seen New Orleans first hand to see the movie/ documentary by Spike Lee, When the Levees Broke. This movie is a four hour documentary on what occurred with eyewitness accounts and images. Like many movies I enjoy it makes you think against the norm on what occurred and the actions taking by those in power.

I could go on and on, on what I have seen in New Orleans and my thoughts in regards to it. Let me end it with this. Since my visit I have a deeper appreciation on the luxuries of life that I have. I have a deeper understanding on what life is really about, living.

Living life to its fullest, remembering that what matters most is living a life that matters for all physical and material belongs can be taken away at a moments notice and what will be remembered is what you have done with your life.

Please look at the photos and videos I have posted from my visit.

Thank you New Orleans!!
Anibal Soler, Jr.
www.anibalsoler.com

New Orleans Mar.30, 2007