I would like to wish Paul Vallas and the Recovery School District of New Orleans all the luck in the world in creating a model school system for the 21st Century. New Orleans schools already had all the hurdles every big school district with a large population of low-income students before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the area. But the Recovery School District made a great hire in Vallas. He’s successfully managed districts in Chicago and Philadelphia, and now he has the tough assignment of helping to rebuild New Orleans, according to a recent E-School News article.

On a more personal note, I am proud of the way Reading A–Z has helped in the educational recovery from the two devastating hurricanes. Reading A–Z offered free and discounted subscriptions not only to New Orleans, but also to many districts that took in refugees across Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and other states. Free Reading A–Z books are a small step in a huge recovery, but it was the least we could do to help.