(Note: The following is the text of my testimony to the New York State Assembly's Education Committee on the question of mayoral control of New York City's schools.)

In 2003, beset by anger over school board corruption, the state of New York gave virtually complete control over New York City's public school system to the mayor in a six-year experiment. As the end of that experiment nears, the question of how to move forward moves to the forefront.

By the time I graduated from high school, I had attended schools in seven different school districts in five different states. I therefore have a rare opportunity not only to compare and contrast different approaches to the many aspects of how a school, and a school system, can be organized, but also how well each separate aspect works and how well they work together.  read more »