The Prize Audiobook By Dale Russakoff cover art

The Prize

Who's in Charge of America's Schools?

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The Prize

By: Dale Russakoff
Narrated by: Pete Cross
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When Mark Zuckerberg announced in front of a cheering Oprah audience his $100 million pledge to transform the Newark Schools - and to solve the education crisis in every city in America - it looked like a huge win for then-mayor Cory Booker and governor Chris Christie. But their plans soon ran into a constituency not so easily moved - Newark's key education players, fiercely protective of their billion-dollar-per-annum system. It's a prize that, for generations, has enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark's students.

Expert journalist Dale Russakoff delivers a story of high ideals and hubris, good intentions and greed, celebrity and street smarts - as reformers face off against entrenched unions, skeptical parents, and bewildered students.

©2015 Dale Russakoff (P)2015 Dreamscape Media, LLC Americas Career Success Decision-Making & Problem Solving Education Politics & Government Public Policy Social Social Policy Sociology State & Local United States Career Student Social justice

Critic reviews

One of The Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2015 ( Publishers Weekly)
" The Prize may well be on of the most important books on education to come along in years." ( The New York Times)
All stars
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No bad guys in this story just completely diverging agendas for fixing a school system everyone agreed was broken. This divergence causes them still to be broken some $100+million later.

A solid piece of reporting that attempts to explain how more money doesn't usually fix the sort of problems you find in a city long in decline.

A primer on how the road to hell is paved with good intentions

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What made the experience of listening to The Prize the most enjoyable?

Book was highly recommended by a person who makes large donations. The writer provides what appears to be an even-handed explanation of what went wrong and what the lessons learned should be. My big take away was the politicians and the investors spent too little time listening and collaborating with the community. Finally, school districts are major employers and purchasers of contracts in a city. US schools have a racial history that was ignored. I hadn't thought about the economics and zero sum impact of charter schools. Essentially, the charters drained the public schools of teacher and student talent and the best resources.

What other book might you compare The Prize to and why?

Matt Taibi's The Divide

Which scene was your favorite?

Not Appropropriate

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The Prize made me sad and discouraged.

I was sorry to see the promising teachers deciding they had no choice but to move to the charter schools for decent work environment.

Any additional comments?

While the politicians and celebrities used the Zuckerberg gift to advance their personal careers and agenda, very little was accomplished for the children. I highly recommend the Prize for those who wonder why such a great gift was squandered.

Well-researched - Provides Good Answers

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A tale of government bureaucracy, top down planning, and misaligned unions. Good read on why education in America fails, especially in poorer inner cities.

Pros: book does an excellent job detailing the inner workings and politics of education in America, specifically public education.

Cons: book casts individuals as heroes and villains at times. This narrative undermines the arguments implicit in the book on how education fails due to the complex cast of competing interests involved.

Narration: narrator has a steady, calm voice and was a good choice for the book.

Good story on why education in America struggles

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For any teacher or administrator now serving in a public school....this is a must read. Just what does happen when Charter schools come in. This New Hersey experience tells one story

Good Information

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