The Prize - Paperback

by Dale Russakoff (Author)

"One of the most important books on education to come along in years." -- New York Times Book Review

Front Jacket

Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Christie, and Cory Booker were ready to reform our failing schools. They got an education.

When Mark Zuckerberg announced to a cheeringOprahaudience his $100 million pledge to transform the downtrodden schools of Newark, New Jersey, then mayor Cory Booker and Governor Chris Christie were beside him, vowing to help make Newark a symbol of educational excellence for the whole nation. But their plans soon ran into the city s seasoned education players, fierce protectors of their billion-dollar-a-year system. It s a prize that, for generations, has enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark s children.

Dale Russakoff delivers a riveting drama of our times, 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. As Cory Booker navigates between his status as rock star mayor on Oprah s stage and object of considerable distrust at home, thetumultuous changes planned by reformers and their highly paid consultants spark a fiery grassroots opposition stoked by local politicians and union leaders.The growth of charters forces the hand of Newark s school superintendent Cami Anderson, who closes, consolidates, or redesigns more than a third of the city s schools a scenario on the horizon for many urban districts across America.

Russakoff provides a close-up view of twenty-six-year-old Zuckerberg and his wife as they decide to give the immense sum of money to Newark and then experience an education of their own amid the fallout of the reforms. Most moving are Russakoff s portraits from inside classrooms, as homegrown teachers and principals battle heroically to reach students damaged by extreme poverty and violence.

The Prize is an absorbing portrait of a titanic struggle, indispensable for anyone who cares about the future of public education and the nation s children.

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Back Jacket

A New York Times Notable Book . A Best Book of the Year, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Publishers Weekly . A Best History Book of 2015, Amazon . Finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize

Impeccably researched . . . Russakoff pulls readers in with richly drawn real-world characters. Atlantic

Stunning . . . Russakoff s narrative is rich with details and anecdotes that showcase the quality of her writing and bring Newark to life. Chicago Tribune

When Mark Zuckerberg announced his $100 million pledge to transform the Newark schools and create an education model that could be applied to any city in the nation, it looked like a huge win for New Jersey politicians Cory Booker and Chris Christie. But their plan met the opposition of Newark s key education players, who were fiercely protective of their billion-dollar-a-year system a prize that, for generations, had enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark s students. With deeply drawn portraits of everyone from the philanthropists throwing millions at a haphazard plan, to the teachers fighting to reach students damaged by extreme poverty and violence, The Prize is a riveting account of the complexities and challenges that face all of America s failing schools.

Russakoff provides insights that should prove useful both to contemporary school reformers and to citizens hoping to understand their efforts. Washington Post

A moving and thought-provoking book . . . Invaluable. New York Times

Dale Russakoff spent twenty-eight years as a reporter for the Washington Post, covering politics, education, social policy, and other topics. The Prize, serialized in The New Yorker, is her first book. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
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Author Biography

DALE RUSSAKOFF spent twenty-eight years as a reporter for the Washington Post, covering politics, education, social policy, and other topics. The Prize, serialized in The New Yorker, is her first book.