Education reform in New Orleans is often cited as one of the brighter spots in the city’s uneven post– Hurricane Katrina recovery. New Orleans is an interesting case because of the speed and scope of the changes in its public education system, including the following: —State takeover of low-performing schools.In other district takeovers, states typically take control of the entire school district apparatus, including the central office. In New Orleans, the state of Louisiana took over individual schools based on their performance while leaving the local school board and its central office intact, albeit with far fewer schools