Recently I chaired a televised panel discussion on the legacy of eliminating democratic local control over public education in Washington, DC and turning it over to the mayor and his/her chancellor. We looked at the National Academies report on the results of that major change, and found that the results were rather dismaying.

The other panelists were, in alphabetical order,

• Thomas Byrd, long time education and civil rights activist and host of We Act Radio Town Hall;
• Adell Cothorne, former DCPS principal and a current adjunct professor  (see here for a bit of background on her bravery);
• Elizabeth Davis, veteran and award-winning DCPS teacher, currently head of the Washington Teachers’ Union;
• Denisha Jones, assistant professor at Howard University’s school of education;
• Mary Levy, an independent analyst of education finance and policy.

The show aired several times on DC Channel 8, but you can…