2015 marks the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of Néw Orleans and destroyed many public schools. This was the event that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan memorably called “the best thing” that ever happened to the schools of Néw Orleans.

So now it is time for a research conference about 10 years of education “reform” in Néw Orleans, which will be hosted by a new research group, funded by the pro-charter Arnold Foundation.

Mercedes Schneider, researcher and teacher in Louisiana, describes the conference here, as well as the origins of the all-charter Recovery School District. The media like to portray the Nola reforms as a great success. Schneider says the claims of a “miracle district” are false. Thus, one would expect the conference to feature strong voices on both sides of the issue, to debate the evidence.

Unfortunately, the best-informed local critics were not invited to speak. The strongest academic critic of the reform narrative—Kristen Buras–was not invited to speak. Buras published a scholarly study of the reforms earlier this year. She wrote it from the perspective of the “grassroots,” the students, communities, teachers, and local traditions. She started her in-depth analysis of the reforms in 2005. She was invited to sit in the audience.

This is Schneider at her best, drawing links among the players and assessing the overall significance of the event.