The Reckoning: Education and the Environment Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina

The Reckoning: Education and the Environment Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina

          The Loyola Law Review is proud to host its 2025 Symposium entitled, “The Reckoning: Education and the Environment Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina.” On March 28, 2025, we will explore the long-term effects of the storm on New Orleans’ public education system and the ecological consequences to the vulnerable populations in the Gulf Coast region. Our symposium will include attorneys, charter school representatives, teachers, policymakers, researchers, environmental activists, public officials, and community activists.

           During the first half of the day, we will analyze the effectiveness of the charter school system, highlight disparities in the system, and discuss strategies for improving public education as we advance. In the afternoon, we will examine how to mitigate the devastating effects of future natural disasters, protect vulnerable and Indigenous populations from environmental harm, and devise strategies for preserving the Gulf Coast Region. We will conclude with a keynote presentation from Senator Mary L. Landrieu regarding the challenges faced and lessons learned as public officials navigated the post-Katrina recovery.

Schedule:

8:30 AM - Registration with coffee, tea, & pastries

9:00 AM - Welcome

  • Ashley White, Candidate Development & Symposium Editor, Loyola Law Review

  • Madeleine Landrieu, Dean and Judge Adrian G. Duplantier Distinguished Professor of Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

9:10 AM - Panel 1 — The Charter School Experiment: Reflections on the Nation's Only Fully-Charter School System

  • Moderator: Robert Garda, Fanny Edith Winn Distinguished Professor of Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

  • Victor Jones, Senior Counsel, Legal Defense Fund

  • Douglas N. Harris, Director, Education Research Alliance for New Orleans

  • Patrick Dobard, Partner, City Fund

10:50 AM - Refreshments

11:00 AM - Panel 2 — Continued Vigilance: Strategies for Protecting Vulnerable Populations Within Educational Systems

  • Moderator: Hector A. Linares, Edward J. Womac, Jr. Endowed Clinic Professor and Director of Skills & Experiential Learning, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

  • Sarah Vandergriff Kelley, Legal and Policy Director, Louisiana Association ofPublic Charter Schools

  • Jennifer Coco, Senior Director of Strategy and Impact, Centerfor Learner Equity

  • Dr. Amanda Kruger Hill, EdD, Executive Director, Cowen Institute

12:30 PM - Lunch

1:30PM - Presentation — Coastal Land Loss and Environmental Challenges in Southeast Louisiana

Dr. Allison Plyer, MBA, ScD, Chief Demographer, The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana

1:40PM - Panel 3 — A Crash Course: Lessons Learned in Protecting the Gulf Coast & Vulnerable Populations After Natural Disasters

  • Moderator: Robert Verchick, Gauthier-St. Martin Eminent Scholar and Chair in Environmental Law, Loyola University New Orleans College ofLaw

  • Gregory Grandy, Coastal Resources Administrator, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Spring Gaines, Research and Policy Manager, Center for Planning Excellence

  • Chief Devon Parfait, Tribal Chief & Coastal Resilience Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund / Grand Caillou/ Dulac band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw

  • Asti Davis Robins, Director of Climate Justice, Power Coalitionfor Equity and Justice

3:20 PM - Break

3:30 PM - Keynote Address

  • Hon. Mary L. Landrieu, United States Senator, Louisiana (1997 - 2015)