William brangham speaks to dale russakoff about her new book, the prize, which chronicles the reform efforts. Newark unified school district has undergone a massive overhaul in the nine years since booker sat on a couch with facebook founder mark zuckerberg and thennew jersey gov. So began one of the nations most audacious exercises in education reform. The washington post reporter, who looked at the troubled education reform story of newark, n. It is also a strategy that is rooted in the citys past failures with school reform. However, as a reader it became clear that the folks in charge boosted their own careers and education reform was hopelessly myried in. A teacher and student at harriet tubman elementary school in newark, nj in 2011.
Outside newark, the public perception of the school reforms remains widely negative. Defenders argue that the donation fueled reforms that helped students. The prize tracks newark s last five punchdrunk years converting a promising opportunity into one of the roughest recent reform battles in american education. Whos in charge of americas schools by dale russakoff. The prize, a new book by dale russakoff, examines the pitfalls of. Class struggle cory booker helped turn round newarks.
Senator cory booker speaks out about newark school reform, equity, and mark zuckerbergs millions ahead of a possible run for the presidency their plan gets off to a rocky start, writes kotlowitz, as their moneyed backers exercise their ideological furor to. Pbs newshour in newark school reform efforts, gains come. Givewell staff assisted with this project as part of givewells general support for good ventures. The prize describes turbulent school board meetings that pitted black and latino parents and community leaders against white consultants and outside administrators, with their topdown management style. The prize may well be one of the most important books on education to come. It is a candid, wellresearched examination of the school reform effort in newark, new jersey that failed to live up to its hype. Zuckerberg gift to newark schools led to gains in english. The launching or expansion of new schools of choice became a matter of the most. A new book, by dale russakoff, examines the pitfalls of mark zuckerbergs generous philanthropic gift to newark public schools. Chris christie and facebook founder mark zuckerberg devised a plan to improve newark s failing schools. Chris christie r on the oprah winfrey show and famously promised to turn newark schools into a national model for school. Newark s passionate superintendent, cami anderson, describes her reform strategy as 16dimensional chess. The wheredoyougofromhere questions are everywhere in newark.
What the prize taught newark, and its author harvard. In recent years, zuckerberg has reconsidered his approach to reform in newark, saying he wants to go in the opposite direction by working more. The school reform movements focus on measurable results and businessstyle management is laudable. On other matters, the book presents a still stronger endorsement of reform. Jean anyon, a noted researcher who writes about the problems of one k8 school in newark during a recent school reform attempt, notes that most of the curriculum in that project came from the state department of education. Mark zuckerberg and cory booker remade newark schools their. The school was in one of the toughest sections of newark, the poverty and crime of the nearby felix fuld housing project a very real part of daily life. To a large degree, the bba school reform in newark is an experiment designed to challenge existing policy assumptions about what it takes to improve urban schools. Writing passionately from her experience of working for reform in the innercity schools of newark, new jersey, anyon dean, education, rutgers univ. Newark students protest budget cuts with daring new art. The project was idealistic and ambitious, and the cause was just. And mayor booker is going to be the point person, our lead guy in newark, in helping to develop this entirely new plan of how to reform the education system in newark and create a national model. In april 2014, dozens of clergy in newark warned christie that school reform was causing so much unnecessary instability that they were concerned about the level of public anger over.
In newark school reform efforts, gains come at a price five years ago, gov. When russakoff began reporting this book in 2010, fewer than 40 percent of the students in the third through eighth grades in newark, n. Most of the players corey booker, chris christie, newark school superintendent cami anderson come off poorly, more interested in headlines and public relations than real school reform. One of the biggest failures in zuckerbergs plan to reform newark schools.
Much of that is due to dale russakoff, a journalist, who wrote an influential and stinging portrayal of the. Cory bookers massive overhaul of the newark schools. Yet newark s reform effort yielded little, russakoff argues, because it was a relentlessly topdown effort, with grandstanding by both booker and christie and little consultation with parents. Are mark zuckerbergs facebook donations to newark schools. Harvard edcast interviews dale russakoff, author of the prize.
The melting of mark zuckerbergs donation to newark. Cory booker, chris christie, and mark zuckerberg had a plan to reform newark s schools. Only 40 percent of children were reading at grade level, and 53 percent of students would never graduate. Newark school reform shows mixed impact the journal. Author dale russakoff discusses new book on newark school reform. Five years ago, a cluster of superstars aligned for an unprecedented and ambitious reform of newark s longstruggling school system. In 2010, the state of new jersey used existing authorities to appoint cami anderson as superintendent of the newark school district. In this study, researchers evaluate the impacts of newark s education reform efforts, starting in the 20112012 school year. I witnessed this firsthand when a lunchtime trip was interrupted by gunfire between two cars at the nearby intersection of quitman street and muhammad ali boulevard. Bookers quest for school reform is a window into his strengths and weaknesses as a leader. A new study released through the national bureau of economic research looks at how students are faring in the aftermath of that overhaul, concluding.
The prize may well be one of the most important books on education to. A new york times bestseller mark zuckerberg, chris christie, and cory booker were ready to reform our failing schools. When russakoff began reporting this book in 2010, fewer than 40 percent of the students. The challenges and pitfalls of school reform the seattle. In one of the nations poorest cities the stage was set and plans were devised to save newark s school children. Anyon is now completing a book titled race, social class, and urban school reform. The growth of charters forces the hand of newarks school superintendent cami. In short, arguing that the book damns the education reformers agenda is to misread it. Journalist dale russakoff, a former washington post reporter who tracked the effort for years, used it as the basis of a widely admired 2015 book on the difficulties of school reform. Considerable sums of private and public funds have been.
It hammers home the positive attributes of charter schools in newark and the. Zuckerbergs failed donation to public schools business. It seems that yes and this includes the knowledge of information presented outside of the book, the newark school district needed support and reform and perhaps, in general, there are circumstances where outside, nonprofit alternative programs can provide more efficient educational services to communities like newark. It hammers home the positive attributes of charter schools in newark and the recalcitrance of the traditional school district. A new york times bestsellermark zuckerberg, chris christie, and cory booker were ready to reform our failing schools. Indeed, this episode is now so deeply carved into the mount rushmore of school reform failures that it rarely gets a second look. The prize takes a look at the situation as it unfolds from several perspectives it looks at things from the perspective of the philanthropists including mark zuckerberg, from public. The prize but implementing school reform was a bumpy process, according to russakoffs book. Its a monumental task with a huge number of stakeholders each with their own agenda. Schools represented all things reform according to ivy league educated newark mayor corey booker. Chris christie, facebook founder mark zuckerberg and former mayor cory booker launched an ambitious plan to remake. Author dale russakoff discusses new book on newark school.
In newark school reform efforts, gains come at a price. Anderson committed to a mixed insideoutside reform strategy, opening charter schools and closing poorly performing, underenrolled schools, while also trying to transform districtrun. The ugly reform mess in newark public schools by a top. Photo courtesy of the foundation for newark s future note. Whos in charge of americas schools russakoff, dale.
Improved english scores and no big change in math achievement. Newark you dont need to read dale russakoffs critically acclaimed new book the prize to know that newark s public schools are. Thats the bottom line offered in a working paper issued by the national bureau of economic research, which examined an education transformation project in newark public schools. This page describes a grant made by good ventures to support school reform in newark. This book takes a look at an attempt to reform the newark school district. It is a city with a tremendous amount of troubles and struggles, but it is such a metaphor for what has happened to urban america and why, says russakoff, who tells the story of newark school reform in her new book, the prize.