On Jan. 30, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan referred to Hurricane Katrina as “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans.”
After carelessly remarking that Hurricane Katrina was somehow good for public education in New Orleans, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan apologized both privately and publicly. The Secretary's apology was appropriate, as was his frank characterization of those comments as "dumb," according to Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan.
“Secretary Duncan did the right thing and to his credit, he did so rather quickly,” said Monaghan. “However, it is quite sad that some Louisiana education officials rushed to express their support for his comment. To those officials, we suggest that there is a reason why silence is so often considered golden."
Last week, Duncan told reporters that "I think the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina. That education system was a disaster, and it took Hurricane Katrina to wake up the community to say that we have to do better.”
Following Duncan’s remarks, Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas told reporters that he had “no problem” with the statement. State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, agreeing with Duncan but also signaling some awareness for its insensitivity, said, “I know it's a strong statement, but it's actually quite accurate. It was a pathetic system before the storm."
For his part, Duncan apologized privately to United Teachers of New Orleans President Larry Carter and publicly on two televised news programs, when he admitted "It was a dumb thing to say."
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, thousands of teachers and school employees had dedicated their energies to educating some of the poorest children in Louisiana under some of the most challenging conditions. After the storm, they were summarily fired. Monaghan said it was unnecessary for state officials to dishonor their sacrifices.
"The perceived 'silver linings' in such great tragedies generally seem to be touted by individuals who were either far away or well insulated from those tragedies," said Monaghan. “It should be enough to herald accomplishments without resurrecting bitter memories of great suffering and official neglect, both before and after the one of the greatest disasters in our nation’s history. The tragic past should not be used as a prop for an undetermined future."