SOSNOLA was conceived by public school parents immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf region in response to the realization that New Orleans needed a quality public school system in order to recover from this catastrophe. In conversations with citizens, we learned that parents needed access to schools, communities desired a strong role in decision making regarding public education, and that no one wanted to return to the poor quality of programs or facilities that existed before. 

SOSNOLA was created to help parents and neighborhood residents carry a message of urgency, equity and quality into the city's work to create better schools and vibrant communities, and to ensure citizens' aspirations for schools are implemented into policy and practice.