The Atlanta-based Southern Education Foundation has released an independent report indicating that federal government funding and rebuilding in the Gulf after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is sorely lacking, as reported in a recent eSchool News article. Congressman James Clyburn from South Carolina has toured the area several times and says, "I have seen firsthand that the post-hurricane response to rebuilding the public education infrastructure in the Gulf Coast has been inadequate, and improvements must be made." In defense of the federal government’s response to the devastation, Hudson La Force, senior counselor to Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said, "Over the past two years, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $2 billion to K-12 and higher-education institutions impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These federal funds are intended to supplement significant other resources, such as private insurance and state funding."

The important thing we all must remember is the kids should have a safe environment to learn, and good teachers with the necessary resources to teach. $2 billion should go a long way to accomplishing this goal, but I fear too much of that money was likely misdirected, or caught up in bureaucratic red tape. Regardless, given the devastation, I think we all can agree that if the Gulf region needs more assistance, it should be provided.

We are proud of the quick response Learning A–Z had to the Gulf hurricanes, giving away hundreds of free subscriptions to Reading A–Z in areas impacted and in schools taking in displaced students. We were able to act quickly because our books, lessons, and other resources can be accessed online. We did it because it was the right thing to do, and because we believe no child should ever be without developmentally appropriate books to read.