Dive Brief:

• Amplify CEO and former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has a new book, “Lessons of Hope: How to Fix Our Schools,” that is getting buzz due to a section that questions why education historian Diane Ravtich turned against the "education reform" movement.  
• In the book, Klein paints Ravitch's motivations as sour and vindictive, alleging that the "Reign of Error" author switched teams after he, while serving as NYC's ed chief, chose not to hire her long-time partner to run a principal training initiative.  
• Ravitch, who served as assistant secretary of education under the Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations, has becomes a popular voice in the movement against corporate education reform.  

Dive Insight:

What makes Ravitch's story so compelling is the fact that she once advocated for initiatives like No Child Left Behind and test-based accountability. Some see her change of direction as a form of credibility — that she advocated for one thing and then, through personal experience and evidence, decided to switch directions. For those with a penchant for gossip, Klein's allegation hurt that line of thinking. Were her books, her blog, and her articles all just a way to get back at Klein and the other education reformers?

We might never know the "real" reason why Ravitch decided to push back against the reform movement. Klein's decision to not hire Ravitch's partner may have peeved her, but that doesn't prove any direct correlation. At the end of the day, Ravitch's books, "Reign of Error" and "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," speak for themselves.