Where the Schools Went

The Branch

August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children. Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    What Washed Away

    Years before the levees failed, New Orleans’ public schools were already in crisis. The corruption was so entrenched that the FBI even set up shop inside the district. The first episode of Where the Schools Went uncovers how decades of mismanagement and neglect turned New Orleans into a cautionary tale long before Hurricane Katrina ever made landfall, and how it set the stage for what would come after. We also follow a group of educators who fled to Houston in the aftermath of the storm and built a school for displaced students. And then we follow them – and their students – back to a city and school system struggling to rebuild. -- Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with The 74 and MeidasTouch. Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org or follow us on X and Instagram at @thebranchmedia.

    54 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Battle for Carver

    After the storm, New Orleans faced two urgent questions: Which schools would be rebuilt, and who would be trusted to run them? In the second episode of Where the Schools Went, we follow the story of George Washington Carver High School, a beloved anchor of New Orleans’ Ninth Ward that became ground zero for post-Katrina education fights. When the state handed the school’s future to a group of idealistic outsiders, protests erupted, students walked out, and a painful clash over culture and mission unfolded. But within Carver’s four walls, something beautiful began to grow. We trace that bumpy path and draw lessons that extend far beyond one school. -- Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with ⁠The 74⁠ and ⁠MeidasTouch⁠. Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at ⁠wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org⁠ or follow us on ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ at @thebranchmedia.

    48 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Teachers

    This episode of Where the Schools Went examines one of the most explosive decisions in New Orleans’ post-Katrina story: the firing of every public school teacher in the city. The move devastated the city’s Black middle class and gutted one of the South’s most powerful teachers’ unions. What came next became a major source of contention. Some educators came back to rebuild their schools from scratch. Others never returned. Into that void stepped a group of idealistic newcomers – many young, many white, mostly from far away. Together, they transformed the city’s classrooms and ignited lasting debates over experience, identity, and what makes a great teacher. -- Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with ⁠⁠The 74⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠MeidasTouch⁠⁠. Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at ⁠⁠wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ at @thebranchmedia.

    49 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    System Reboot

    After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans did something no other city had ever tried: it dismantled its entire school system. No school zones. No central offices. Even the local school board was sidelined In its place came a radical experiment in autonomy, where every school essentially ran on its own terms. But freedom had costs. Admissions were unfair. Students with disabilities often fell through the cracks. And parents were left confused about who was in charge. This episode of Where the Schools Went traces how New Orleans slowly stitched together something new: not by rebuilding the old system, but by deciding which parts were essential and trying to do those things uncommonly well. -- Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠The 74⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠MeidasTouch⁠⁠⁠. Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ at @thebranchmedia.

    50 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    20 Years Later

    Were the past 20 years of New Orleans reforms a success? In the final episode of Where the Schools Went, Ravi sits down with one of the foremost experts on the city’s schools, Doug Harris, to take a closer look at what the data really says. He then reconnects with educators and advocates we’ve heard from throughout this series, including Chris Stewart, Alexina Medley, Dana Peterson, and John White, to reflect on New Orleans’ legacy and what lessons the rest of the country can learn from the most radical education experiment in modern American history. -- Where the Schools Went is an original podcast from The Branch in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠The 74⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠MeidasTouch⁠⁠⁠⁠. Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠wheretheschoolswent@thebranchmedia.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ at @thebranchmedia.

    50 min

  6. 5 AUG

    Introducing 'Where the Schools Went'

    August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children. From The Branch in partnership with The 74 and MeidasTouch, Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history. The first episode drops next Tuesday, August 12!

    3 min

Trailer

About

August 2025 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina altered New Orleans forever. Much has been written about the storm’s destruction and the city’s long road to recovery. But tucked behind those headlines is another story. One that shaped the lives of thousands of children. Where the Schools Went is a five-part documentary series about what happened to the city’s schools after the levees broke, and how it led to the most radical education experiment in modern American history.

Information

More From The Branch

You Might Also Like