Mark Lucker

Greater New Orleans Area United States

English Teacher at Warren Easton Charter High School

I am now in my eighth year of teaching high school English here in New Orleans, helping to rebuild the worst public educational system in America. The ten-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina has passed, and while things are better, education wise, they are far from good. Everything is an ongoing struggle, as many of the issues that Katrina exposed to the rest of the country are still ingrained: poverty, crime, lack of opportunity for young people. Many of our students remain 2-4 years behind in reading level; poverty, unstable home environments and lack of familial support are still some of our most glaring, ongoing issues. Teaching here remains physically and mentally demanding, but a...