Mental health experts consider the return to school to be a critical step in the healing process for children and youth whose lives have been disrupted by disasters. Going to school helps these students find the structure, normalcy, and routine that is essential to their health and well-being. Federal law (The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance…

Schools are among the safest places in America, however, every year school children are affected by stressful events. Whether there is war in another country or death in the schoolyard, these events can interfere with learning and may have long-term effects on children and communities. "Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the Classroom" will…

The 27 institutions damaged by hurricanes Katrina or Rita--there were 14 in Mississippi, 12 in Louisiana and one in Alabama--estimate their combined physical damages at $1.4 billion. But rather than providing aid, the Louisiana Legislature was forced to call for $77 million in cuts in November, leading to a wrenching gut-check on many campuses.…

Dr. Keith Amos' undying support for his undergrad alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana, took an unusual turn last year in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Amos, who graduated from Harvard Medical School after earning his bachelor's from Xavier, also served as a mentor and advisor for Xavier students whose plans for applying to medical…

This chapter presents a hypothetical situation related to students who are displaced by Hurricane Katrina. It focuses on transition issues for the students as they are relocated to a new college for an undetermined length of time.

Nine months after Hurricane Katrina crippled the New Orleans school district, two distinct systems of public schools are slowly emerging in the city. The highly unusual arrangement is fraught with questions, from the small--What should we call it?--to the large--Will it work? Where there once was a traditionally governed district, there now is a…

It's a hot day in July. The author finds herself in a university classroom in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, listening as an Achenese elementary school teacher narrates a children's story. As the teacher breaks into song in the middle of the story, the 20 other teachers in the classroom join in. The author is awed by their talents and thinks about how…

State licensure laws in speech-language pathology and audiology vary from state to state. Natural disaster displacements as well as trends in job mobility have increased the need for licensees to be able to have more fluidity in practicing from 1 state to another. Additionally, literature reviews on the history of professional licensure…

In this article the author expresses her views concerning the pre- and post-Hurricane Katrina public educational trend in New Orleans. She observes that the segregation that existed before Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, due in part to migration to the suburbs and in part to the proliferation of private and parochial schools, has divided…

This article reports how Louisiana officials take hits amid strain to start schools. A year after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans, the state of Louisiana finds itself in the highly unusual position of essentially starting from scratch--and directly operating--a batch of public schools in the city. While much attention has focused on…

This article describes how librarians stepped up to the plate to rescue materials and meet the needs of thousands of uprooted evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, employing their unique skills and resources to put forth a humane and herculean effort. In Houston and Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Memphis; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and…

The changes in the New Orleans public school system are proceeding at break neck speed. There is currently a bill in the Louisiana State Senate which would allow the state to sell, lease, or give New Orleans school buildings to any institution that has operated schools for 25 years. This would be done with a no-bid process. The money would not go…

The purpose of this technical report is to provide timely documentation of many of the short-term effects of the movements of students that occurred as part of the displacement of storm victims. The report will help guide educators and policymakers in their ongoing responses to this disaster and preparations for future events. Focusing on the…

This brief addresses how to engage and mobilize young people in order to prepare them for when disaster strikes. Perhaps more importantly, this brief seeks to do so in sustainable ways to avoid desensitizing youth to the effects of disaster, and prevent wavering attention. There are two ways to serve students--help them when disaster strikes their…

People generally do not perceive New England to be tornado-prone. Yet, there is a long history of such storms in the six states going back to the late seventeenth century. Usually, New England tornadoes are small and short-lived; even so, some have caused many deaths and much property damage. There is a greater probability for a person to be…