In the wake of the tragedy and destruction that came with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, public schools in New Orleans became part of an almost unthinkable experiment—eliminating the traditional public education system and completely replacing it with charter schools and school choice. Fifteen years later, the results have been remarkable, and the complex lessons learned should alter the way we think about American education. New Orleans became the first US city ever to adopt a school system based on the principles of markets and economics. When the state took over all of the city’s public schools, it turned them over to non-profit charter school managers accountable under performance-based contracts. Students were no longer obligated to attend a specific school based upon their address, allowing families to act like consumers and choose schools in any neighborhood. The teacher union contract, tenure, and certification rules were eliminated, giving schools autonomy and control to hire and fire as they pleased. In Charter School City, Douglas N. Harris provides an inside look at how and why these reform decisions were made and offers many surprising findings from one of the most extensive and rigorous evaluations of a district school reform ever conducted. Through close examination of the results, Harris finds that this unprecedented experiment was a noteworthy success on almost every measurable student outcome. But, as Harris shows, New Orleans was uniquely situated for these reforms to work well and that this market-based reform still required some specific and active roles for government. Letting free markets rule on their own without government involvement will not generate the kinds of changes their advocates suggest. Combining the evidence from New Orleans with that from other cities, Harris draws out the broader lessons of this unprecedented reform effort. At a time when charter school debates are more based on ideology than data, this book is a powerful, evidence-based, and in-depth look at how we can rethink the roles for governments, markets, and nonprofit organizations in education to ensure that America’s schools fulfill their potential for all students.

In this incisive and insightful book, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano peels back the legal veneer and shows how politicians, judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats are trampling the U.S. Constitution in the name of law and order and fighting terrorism. Napolitano reveals how they: silence the First Amendment shoot holes in the Second break some laws to enforce others entrap citizens steal private property seize evidence without warrant imprison without charge kill without cause Pundits on the right, left, and center have praised Constitutional Chaos for its penetrating examination of our rights and liberties in the post-9/11 world. "Has the war on terrorism taken away some of your rights? In a non-ideological way, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano answers that crucial question. This book will open your eyes."-Bill O'Reilly "This book is a wake-up call for all who value personal freedom and limited government."-Rush Limbaugh "In all of the American media, Judge Napolitano is the most persistent, uncompromising guardian of both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. . ."-Nat Hentoff Judge Andrew P. Napolitano is Fox News Channel's senior judicial analyst, seen by millions on The Big Story with John Gibson, The O'Reilly Factor, Fox and Friends, and other shows. His articles and commentaries have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newark Star Ledger, and other national publications.

Historians have long viewed Louisiana as an anomaly in the American judicial system-an eccentric appendage at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The diverse Creole culture and civilian heritage of the state's legal system have led many scholars to conclude that it is an anachronism in American law unworthy of serious attention. Others embrace this tradition and revel in the minutiae of the Pelican State's unique civil law legacy. In From Chaos to Continuity, Mark F. Fernandez challenges both perspectives. Using the innovative methods of the New Louisiana Legal History, he offers the first comprehensive analysis of the role of the courts in the development of Louisiana's legal system and convincingly argues that the state is actually a representative model of American law and justice. Tracing the rise of Louisiana's system from its earliest colonial origins to its closure during Federal occupation in 1862, Fernandez describes the introduction of common law after American takeover of the colony; the chaotic combination of French, Spanish, and Anglo legal traditions; the evolution of that jurisdiction; the role of the courts-especially the state supreme court-in maintaining the mixture; and the judge's proper function in administering justice. According to Fernandez, the challenge of integrating two very different systems of law was not unique to Louisiana. Indeed, most antebellum southern states had legal systems that incorporated important traditional aspects of their colonial legal orders to varying degrees. From Chaos to Continuity liberates Louisiana's legal history from the quirky restraints of the past and allows scholars and students alike to see the state as an integral part of American legal history.

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