The Fallout of Education Reform in Newark

When Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010 to announce his $100 million gift to the Newark, New Jersey, public schools, viewers — including the community the gift was meant to help — were both stunned and exhilarated. Could this act of generosity be the key to pull this school district, which had long been under state control, out of distress? Would New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and the city of Newark come together to enact true reform? These questions intrigued Dale Russakoff, longtime journalist for the Washington Post, who had long been drawn to Newark and its story.

"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. "The where-do-you-go-from-here questions are everywhere in Newark."

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, Russakoff looks at the troubled education reform story of Newark and reflects on what can be learned from its failure to provide system-wide reform.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.