Recent years have brought us important books on education reform in New York City, New Orleans, and Washington, DC, among other places. But for pure storytelling potential, Newark might have them all beat.

Dale Russakoff’s new book, The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?, tells a gripping, and mostly depressing, tale of the reform efforts in woebegone Newark, complete with some of the most colorful characters in American public life today. Chris Christie. Cory Booker. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. Appointed schools superintendent Cami Anderson. And of course the teachers and students who are the true heroes of the book—and the victims of a school system—and a reform effort—gone badly astray.

In this episode of the podcast, Dale Russakoff talks with Mike Petrilli, the host of the Education Next Book Club, about the book, the lessons of Newark for reform nationwide, and where she thinks education needs to go next.

Additional episodes of the Education Next Book Club podcast can be found here.

– Education Next