The Prize

Who's In Charge of America's Schools?

Dale Russakoff

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780547840512
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Educational Policy

This New York Times bestseller chronicles how Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Christie, and Cory Booker tried—and failed—to reform education in Newark, NJ.
 
In September of 2010, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg went on Oprah to announce a pledge of $100 million to transform the downtrodden schools of Newark, New Jersey. There by his side were the city's Democratic mayor, Cory Booker, and the state's Republican governor, Chris Christie. Together, they vowed to make Newark "a symbol of educational excellence for the whole nation." But this trio of power players had no idea what they were in for.
 
The tumultuous changes planned by reformers and their highly paid consultants spark a fiery grass-roots opposition stoked by local politicians and union leaders. At the center of the fight was Newark's billion-dollar-a-year education budget: a prize that, for generations, had enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark's children. In The Prize, Dale Russakoff presents a dramatic narrative encompassing the rise of celebrity politics, big philanthropy, extreme economic inequality, the charter school movement, and the struggles and triumphs of schools in one of the nation's poorest cities.
 
"One of the most important books on education to come along in years."— The New York Times

Index

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Abbot v. Burke (state supreme court ruling), 52, 135, 142, 232 n20

accountability: Anderson and, 122, 123; Booker and, 100, 102; business practices and, 125, 151; individual learning plan and, 122–23; needs of children and, 213; One Newark plan and, 204, 205; teachers’ contract and, 155–56, 162; test-based, and teacher effectiveness, 57–58, 154–55, 235 n154, 236 n193; See also teachers’ contract in Newark

Ackman, William, 34, 64, 66, 70, 159; See also Pershing Square Foundation

Adams, Diane, 140–41

Addonizio, Hugh (mayor of Newark), 18, 19, 217

Adubato, Stephen, Sr. (“Big Steve”), 93–94, 95, 99, 104

Allen, Herbert, 22, 24

American Federation of Teachers. See Weingarten, Randi

Anderson, Cami: accomplishments of, 127–29, 194–96; arrival of, 107–11, 112–16; breakdowns of system and, 214; budget crisis and, 137, 158, 188, 190–91; character of, 108, 117–20; charter school policy and, 117–22; Klein and, 107, 117–18, 120, 122, 125–26; leadership team of, 122–26; lingo and, 123–25; matching funds and, 158, 159; opening day project, 127–29; payment and bonuses for, 127; philanthropists and, 126, 194–96; Renew schools program and, 175–78, 179, 180, 181–90; teachers’ contract and, 156, 164

Anderson, Crystal, 62

Anderson, Parker, 116

Anderson, Sheila, 116–17

Anderson, Tariq, 145–46, 149

Annenberg Challenge (1993), 7

Arnold Foundation, Laura and John, 153, 157

Ashby, Harold, 19

Austin, Shareef, 62, 63

Avera, Alison, 126–27, 182

Avon Avenue School: compliance and, 48–50; poverty at, 42–44; Room 112 at, 36–54, 145–49; See also BRICK program; Fils Aime, Princess; Haygood, Charity; Lee, Dominique

B

Balz, Dan, 160

Baraka, Amiri (playwright), 14–15, 80, 90

Baraka, Amiri, Jr., 90, 96

Baraka, Ras (mayor of Newark), 209, 237 n206; goals of reform and, 93–94, 191–92; as politician, 93–96, 191–92, 206–8; as principal, 80–82, 83–84, 91–93

Bard High School Early College, 105–6

Barnes, Chaleeta, 182–85

Barth, Richard, 150

Baskerville-Robinson, Antoinette, 17

Belcher, Joanna (principal), 130, 131, 137–44

Bell, Charles, 122

Betebenner, Damian, 155

Beyah, Alif, 50–53, 165–74, 213–15

BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), 124

Bodnick, Marc, 22–23

Boo...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• The Pact
• Seduction in Sun Valley
• The View from Avon Avenue
• Engaging the Community
• The Rise of the Anti-Booker Candidacy
• Searching for Newark’s Superman
• Hi, I’m Cami
• District School, Charter School
• Transformational Change Meets the Political Sausage Factory
• Alif Rising
• The Leading Men Move On
• One Newark, Whose Newark?
• Conclusion: No Excuses
• Afterword
• Author’s Note
• Where the $200 Million Went
• Newark Schools by the Numbers
• Notes
• Index
• About the Author
• Connect with HMH
• Footnotes