Category Archives: Education

Why Jon Alter Needs To Do More Homework on Charters

First, let’s savor the irony: Two former (private) school chums duke it out over charter schools. Last Monday, Jonathan Alter published an article in the Daily Beast that was at least partly a response to my New York Times OpEd, … Continue reading

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More on New Orleans Charter Schools: The Graduation and College-for-All Myths

Since publishing my OpEd in the New York Times last Sunday, several other articles and research projects have shed much-needed light, during this week marking the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, on the kids who are falling between the cracks … Continue reading

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The Myth of the New Orleans School Makeover Revisited

Last Sunday, The New York Times ran my OpEd “The Myth of the New Orleans School Makeover” in which I acknowledge some of the accomplishments of the city’s education reforms, but also cautioned that the charter revolution is not all … Continue reading

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First God Made Idiots…

“First God Made Idiots. That was for Practice. Then he made School Boards.” –Mark Twain Thus ends a new moving tribute, narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, the renowned Shakespearean actor, in support of Rafe Esquith, who has been called the … Continue reading

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More Students and Readers Defend Rafe Esquith

A few days ago I posted an interview with one of Rafe Esquith’s former students, a recent graduate of New York University, who explained the many ways that Esquith, who was once described as “the greatest teacher in America,” and … Continue reading

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