Should Mayor de Blasio Unravel Bloomberg’s Reforms?
Photograph; Mayor Bill de Blasio and his new schools chancellor, Carmen Fariña, tour the Bronx School of Young Leaders. Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times Originally Published at The New York Times. January 15, 2014
One door closes and another opens. In every life change comes. We know not what form it will take or where it might lead us. We only understand that there are new beginnings. This is true for you and me; it is true for New York City. A new Mayor begs the question, might this be an opportunity for reflection or rejection? It is hard to imagine that we might see any good in what we were sure was an education anathema. But then there are those occasions…In quiet moments, we might acknowledge that we were once adamantly against what we now advocate for. A form of testing, a curriculum…and oh my, could it be that once a Mayor or his policies moved us? That is the dilemma. Change, of any sort is a challenge. It begins with conversation. Let us listen; a dialogue between, Education Historian, Diane Ravitch and Education and Public Policy Professor, Bruce Fuller, University of California, Berkeley.
DIANE RAVITCHDiane Ravitch, a historian of education, is the author of several books, including “The Great School Wars,” a history of the New York City public schools.
BRUCE FULLERBruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of the forthcoming “After the State and Market,”
Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasionamed Carmen Fariña schools chancellor. The appointment of this 40-year veteran of the New York City school system signals a“sharp departure from the education policies” of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who focused on test scores, closed low-performing schools and brought in charters.
By Bruce Fuller 12:08 PM
Is she what the city needs?
Mayor Bill de Blasio has tapped Carmen Fariña as schools chancellor. Choosing someone who has been critical of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to reform New York City schools suggests that many of the changes
