November 2025
In The Stories Behind the Statistics: Why a Report on “Large Achievement Gains” in Charter Schools Harms New Orleans’ Black Students, Dr. Kristen Buras, director of the Urban South Grassroots Research Collective and one of the nation’s leading experts on New Orleans schools, takes a hard look at the data behind Tulane University’s glowing report on the city’s all-charter district.
Published by the National Center for Charter School Accountability, a project of the Network for Public Education, this groundbreaking report reveals how shifting metrics, selective reporting, and weak oversight have been used to prop up a false narrative of success — while Black students and families continue to pay the price.
This report challenges every assumption about the so-called “New Orleans miracle.” It’s a must-read for anyone who believes that public education should serve children, not the agenda of billionaire reformers.
Read Dr. Buras’ report here.