Vantage Point: The challenge is to learn from adversity 

Dr. Kerry Clegg

In California, this has been a difficult year for the education community, but it pales in comparison to the adversity that has struck the Gulf Coast states ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. With an estimated 400,000 displaced students and destroyed schools in Louisiana and Mississippi, education could have come to an abrupt end but for the fast action and generosity of the systems in Texas and other neighboring states. They quickly offered to take displaced students and teachers into their systems and many other states have followed suit. They have offered emergency credentials to potential teachers to accommodate the additional students in their local schools, and in general have offered rapid and much-needed stabilization to the lives of Katrina victims. It is amazing how bureaucratic red tape can be cut when there is a desperate need and a will on the part of government.

However, there are lessons to be learned from Katrina. It was very disconcerting to see the pictures of hundreds of New Orleans school buses neatly parked and submerged to their roofs in flood waters. Questions from the media, like “Why weren’t these buses pressed into service to help evacuate the poor in New Orleans?” underscore the importance of well-written and well-coordinated disaster plans that take into account every contingency and the failure of bureaucracies that don’t communicate well.

In view of the shortcomings of the Katrina relief effort, every school district in California should review and update its school safety and disaster plans and consider community evacuation efforts and needs. While the likelihood of a flooding event similar to New Orleans is remote in California, a catastrophic earthquake is not and could result in even greater devastation. The protection of our children and staff is paramount, and the use of school transportation equipment for evacuation efforts should be considered.

Eventually, a renewed respect for disaster relief and preparedness will be a positive result of Hurricane Katrina. I am proud to say that CSBA staff have generously contributed to the Katrina relief efforts and that CSBA has matched their contributions. I congratulate their efforts. Every citizen in California needs to continue to help as much as possible to bring the Gulf Coast communities back to life and prosperity – because you never know when we may need similar help and support.