Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
CNN Column
On CNN, Princeton professor Julian E. Zelizer writes about Promise Neighborhoods and the Harlem Children’s Zone:
Promise Neighborhoods is one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to tackle the crisis of urban youth. Geoffrey Canada’s work should offer one area of policy where Democrats and Republicans can join to show to the world that the election of 2008 did indeed reflect a genuine desire to eliminate some of the roots of racial inequality that continue to shape our country.
2 comments on “CNN Column”
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Hi, I am reviewing your book “Whatever it Takes” in Dallas. One of the issues hindering low-performing public schools is that of underperforming teachers who are not forced out, and good teachers who are not given the salaries they need to live. I don’t recall that this issue is addressed in your book. How does Canada ensure that he gets and retains only the best teachers for his students?
thanks for your time, Bliss
Hi Bliss. Thanks for reviewing the book.
Because Promise Academy is a non-unionized charter school, it is easier for administrators to force out underperforming teachers than at a traditional public school. In fact, in the chapters in my book about the middle school, I report that there was quite a bit of staff turnover in the first few years.
I’m not positive about the salaries, but I believe that Promise Academy teachers are paid somewhat more than comparable New York City public-school teachers, though they often have to work extra hours.