tonight, john tulenko of education week, which produces stories for the newshour, has our report. ♪ >er: as you can see, in parts of new orleans life seems to be getting back to normal ten years after katrina. but many folks are wondering about the public schools. for the last 10 years, they have been engaged in what some have called the most ambitious experiment ever in public education. and whether or not it's working depends on whom you ask. >> i do see improvement in the kids and in the schools. >> reporter: is it working? >> no. >> the charter school system has done tremendously well for the local kids here. >> it's working for those who have their money, their hand in the cookie jar. >> i think they are better than they were 10 years ago. >> reporter: 10 years ago, new orleans public schools were headed for rock bottom. fewer than a third of eighth graders could pass a reading test. and corruption was so deep the fbi had set up an office inside the school administration building. patrick dobard, who oversees the schools today, remembers how bad it was. >> orleans parish school b