Alexander Russo's got a neat interview with one of the subjects of the book, on This Week in Education. Jessica Reid, whose decision to leave a charter school, Harlem Success Academy, is in many ways a turning point in the book and has been seized on by many reviewers, told Russo: "I am a very open and honest person, so I don’t mind sharing my story, especially if my story is part of a greater story that will hopefully play an important part in the struggle to fix education." (She also said a lot of her acquaintances don't realize it's her because the book uses her pre-married name.) Here's the link to the full interview:

http://scholasticadministrato...

Brill's book is a classic case of investigative journalism. He obviously has a point of view, and frankly that makes for a good read, especially for an otherwise pretty tough subject. But it's not as though there is no nuance. He reveals that in the course of his reporting he came to realize there are no easy answers and that working WITH the unions is the only real way to solve a lot of these problems. He also doesn't say that the teachers/unions ARE the problem but just symptomatic of a larger set of circumstances. But there's simply no denying after seeing all the evidence that the unions are the biggest obstacle to FIXING things. They aren't the only problem, and they may not even be the worst problem, but they are the most obstructionist when it comes to reform. That is the point of Brill's book, and he backs it up with a whole lot of good reporting. As for Winerip, I am continually astonished that the Times keeps him on the education beat. As a journalist I can say unequivocally that he is so clearly biased you can smell it like yesterday's fish wrapped in today's newsprint.