This article reports how hundreds of fresh recruits, many of them new to K-12 teaching, were filling public school classrooms across New Orleans in Katrina's aftermath. The state-led Recovery School District (RSD), which now operates 34 New Orleans public schools, dramatically increased its teacher workforce for this academic year, having hired some 450 teachers. It faced sharp criticism in early 2007 for not having enough teachers, as well as questions about the quality of some teachers hired. As of the start of November, the RSD reported a small surplus of teachers, thanks to aggressive recruiting efforts, hiring incentives, and a student population that was smaller than predicted. RSD officials and some observers expressed confidence that a strong pool of educators has now joined the city's ranks, though many recruits were new to the field.