Should failing schools be fixed or closed?
In Winter 2009, EdNext published “The Big U-Turn: How to bring schools from the brink of doom to stellar success,” by Bryan Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel. Then in Winter 2010, we published “The Turnaround Fallacy: Stop trying to fix failing schools. Close them and start fresh,” by Andy Smarick.
Last week, EdNext and the Fordham Institute brought the authors together for a debate: “School Turnarounds: Exciting and Felicitous or Expensive and Futile?”
Andres Alonso (CEO of the Baltimore City Public Schools) and Emily Lawson (Founder and CEO of DC Prep, a network of charter schools) also spoke at the event.
