Civic Bulletin No. 25 February 2001

C C i CENTER FOR CIVIC INNOVATION A T T H E M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E School Choice and Government Reform: Pillars of an Urban Renaissance Councilman Cory A. Booker Cory Booker is a city councilman in Newark, New Jersey. This is an edited version of remarks he delivered at a Manhattan Institute luncheon in New York City on September 20, 2000.

Before I went overseas to study at Oxford, my inches higher.” Inevitably the children real- grandmother pulled me aside and said, “Boy, ize they can step on their tippy-toes. Some- just remember, you can learn more from a times a child is creative and steps on a chair. woman on the sixth floor of the projects than Then I leave them with the message that you you can ever learn from one of these fancy pro- can always do a little more. You can always fessors in one of these fancy universities.” do a little better. You can always reach three inches higher. And, in truth, I think I have learned my most valuable lessons from some of the humblest This time I said to the children, “All right. I want people I’ve met on my journey. One of these everybody on the count of three to raise your people is a young man named Robert. hands as high as you can.”

Robert was a young boy, about six years old, If anyone knows East Palo Alto, they know that who was involved in an after-school program I it is a tough town. These 12-year-olds, 11-year- worked on in East Palo Alto. Robert was one olds, and 10-year-olds looked at me like I was of the cutest kids you will ever see. He was a crazy. They said, “I don’t want to do that. That’s cross between Gary Coleman and Webster. stupid, man. Shoot, I can’t do that.”

On the last day of my summer project, I told Not being a great child psychologist, I re- this group of children, ages six to about 12, sorted to a very easy way of getting children that I wanted to leave them with a message. to do what you want them to do. I reached in I was going to do an exercise. The exercise I my pocket, and I pulled out $5. I intended to often do is to have the children stand up and bribe them. I said, “$5 to the kid that can raise raise their hands as high as they can. Then I his hand the highest.” Immediately the kids’ tell the children after they raise their hands hands shot up. They were comparing them- as high as they can, “Now, raise them three selves to each other.

M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 2 inches higher. You canalways doalittlebetter. You three canalwaysreach C I V I C B U L L E T I N ert, where are yougoing?” are where ert, himaround. Isaid,“Rob-behind andturned away.home orrunning himfrom Igrabbed nightmare inmymindthathewasrunning Ichased afterhimwiththis the program. her homeandpick himupandbringto diction such thatIwould oftenhave to togo ad- unfortunately, drug caughtinaterrible ily. Henever knewhisfather. Hismotherwas, toughfam- I knewRobert camefromareally aroundandranout. when heturned overfeated.” togo andtalktohim Iwas about thatIwould ever wantthis program tofeelde- thing,” thisisthelast child Ithought,“isthat in lookingdown. face inapout, “And thesad his crossed, thelot,withhisarms of youngest thelot, of young Robert there, theshortest asuddenIlooked tomy andIsaw left, All of triots I know because they really believetriots Iknow becausetheyreally in pa- thegreatest parents, infact,aretwo of My whoIwasorwhere I amfrom. forget because Ihave never two who parents letme blessedindividual. IfeelI amavery blessed Robertthe$5. I gave “Cory,He said, Iknow totheroof.” away toget I said,“Yes, Robert.” the highest,right?” you’d give $5tothechild thatcanraisehishand “Cory,wisdom thatbetrayed hisage, you said highest. Helooked back atmeandsaid,witha toseewhocouldraisehishandthe their arms and thenlooked over at theotherkidsstraining asecond hardRobert looked for at mereally far away fromKing’s dream.Truly, itwas aliv- Luther KingBoulevard inNewark. Itwas so streetIfoundironicallywas namedMartin The acommunity. but reallychange one person, my work, Icouldnotjusthelp inhopesthat worst street Icouldfindintheregionandbegin tomove ontothe I decidedthatwas going l’audace.” Audacity, audacity, always audacity. Like Patton says, “L’audace, l’audace,toujours audacity.great humilityandIwas readytotakealleged ona this Ihadenoughof fact before Igraduated, career, my in legal time Ireached theendof Butby aidprograms. ing indifferentthe legal as alawyer atNewHaven, ayoungmanwork- anon-profitand and eventually of asadirector tor, asamentor, asabigbrother, asacoach, in thebestway Iknewhow. Iworked asatu- So Irolledupmy sleeves andhumbledmyself whom muchisgiven, much isexpected. remembered whatmy To parentstoldme: he topursuemy education,I years oldandbegan sacrifices. tobe18 As ayoung man, when Igot dream have costsandmust comewithcertain But theyalsotoldmethatpromiseand promise. itsboldandgreat make true inthisnationto ahistoricalstruggle of part metobelievehose. Iam encouraged that They sat in,marched, andeven stoodbefore afire andtheirco-conspirators their peersincollege how soilred, about literally bled thatSouthern grandfather’s father, aslave who was born and mygreat- My parentsoftentellmestoriesabout dear itsdream. they believe initshope, andtheystillhold this country. believe They initspromiseand M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 3 The government a force that I had heard was for good in so as a force that, at many ways to see in I began many ways best, tolerated such circumstances at worst, and, was complicit and active in them. people in the wintertimepeople in to me be- complain go or without hot water cause they would days heat. This an urban nightmare. was in the midst ofIt was of all this, with working that I began to become verydifferent residents, political. The government I had heard was that a force for goodI began ways in so many to see that, best, tolerated as a force at in many ways complicit was worst, at circumstances and, such in them. So I beganand active get to involved in the political process. tenant leaders and other with several Together run would decided that we we a candi- people, unable to find date for City Hall. Eventually, or the somebody that had the fiscal resources of the ability to withstand the recriminations turned people their attention to me as their city, And I ran. candidate. so I ran for office was that in an environment cars on my I had windows smashed, I hostile. literature there person, had threats was to my spread about me throughout the city that I was a “tool of a CIA plant in that I was the Jews,” a KKK member—all won- I was that the city, My opponent literally things. derful, creative and I used to me in debates, refer to would as the “faggot about this, joke run- white boy ning against him.” “Is turn neighbor and wonder, I would to my there a sin in being either?” It is interesting to able were we all this hostility, with me that even a seat simply because we won to get elected. We I had senior citizens complain to me about hav- up 16 flightsing to walk of stairs with groceries I had intermittently. worked because elevators Worse, there was a slum on the corner. In fact, the corner. a slum on there was Worse, there was about three slums controlled different who pock- some very nefariousby individuals many millions ofeted many, fed- from dollars eral programs and put little into the building. a lot of than that, I started to have worse Even aggression the city be- and animosity towards doing nothing about one ofcause it was the boldest drug seen and nothing trades I had ever that so obvious that were about code violations homes and look at could walk into people’s you No one seemed to holes through their floors. be doing anything about it. Eventually I came into a situation where I had Eventually one of by life threatened my these drug dealers. far away was I realized that this environment that prom- from that dream and that hope and about so boldly as I parents still talked ise my growingwas up. In the short to un- I came there, time I was drugderstand that the dealers had an incred- ible trade that punctuated with horrific was scenes of the first month During violence. on that street, a shoot- there was that I lived found was bludgeoned A woman to death ing. on the street corner up one when I woke I constantlymorning. reminders whispered to myself and the streets down walk as I would five- yell out, “Five-oh, men would the young meant that a police of- which oh, five-oh,” ficer was approaching. ing nightmare. First and foremost, there was ing nightmare. pharmaceutical street that could trade on that It to shame. & Johnson and Johnson put Merck three shifts a day. 24 hours, was 4 tems last. We mustbeloyal andsys- tooutcomesfirstandbureaucracies C I V I C B U L L E T I N dian incomeisstillabout$9,500. are incredibleelitesinacitywheretheme- making over $200,000ayear. people These NewJersey, est paidpoliticianinthestateof well over sixfigures. mayorThe is thehigh- theCityCounciltable earn the peoplearound in additiontoherCityCounciljob. Mostof hasacountyjob well. Onecitycouncilperson Another citycouncilpersonisafreeholderas councilperson isalsoastateassemblyperson. Newark isalsoastatesenator. One thecityof jobs.government mayor The of people ontheCityCouncilheldtwo orthree the power incontrol.Infact,mostof of ban cities, Ifoundoutthereisanoligarchy Newark, asinmany ur- most, inthecityof places. different First andfore- a number of toseestemmedfrom problems Ibegan The stables. But,sadly, Iwas noHercules. we hadwalked intotheAugean we feltasif ways Inmany were confirmed. the government about my fears andconcerns andworries lot of intothecitya enough,whenIgot Interestingly and enterintothecity. took thetimetoknock 40,000doors on about City Councilwas tooversee while thebudget I foundoutthatournumber onejob asinthe when would totheclerk’s turn aideindisbelief hearings, I would where sitthrough budget whatsoever forofficials.no accountability I the otherproblem Isaw: therewas absolutely tostay inpower.necessary bringsmeto That centive. Itwas moreaboutdoing everything in- your jobdonewasgetting notthebiggest incentives CityHall, where actually pervading We alsosaw thattherewere incrediblyperverse in whichtaxpayers are constantlybeingasked similar toaprotectionracket dependency ture of own housingauthority. Hetalksabout“acul- for theCity Philadelphiacalled bookabout in agreat describesthehousing authority Buzz Bissinger the state, itisnotalone. you examineotherhousingauthoritiesaround if Housing Authority inNewark isnotorious. But inthecity. bureaucracies thelarger The one of Newark, controlledby theHousingAuthority, the high-risehousingprojectsincityof house. my From window Icanseethelastof my fromoutsideof Look aroundthecorner inmy badgovernment reality. examples of mentionedabove,housing projects andIseethe CityHall. Ihave now moved intothe side of out- but theyaretragicexampleswhenyou get CityHall, you lookatthemfrominsideof if funny examples are They badgovernment. of theseactionsprovide examples resultsof The your ownchoosing. tions of wealth fromtaxpayer topeopleandorganiza- amountsof ability todistributethegreatest they areeffective ornot.Finally, maintainthe whether of regardless andprojects programs protect inoffice. Next, and keeping yourself means having power, having electionworkers, you becausehaving subordinates underneath subordinates thenumber of Fourth, enlarge andauthority. resources moreand trol control,always hopingtocon- one’s sphereof your expand turf. change. Third, Second,resist itwas,First, meansnecessary, by every protect was reallytodothefollowingCouncil life things: City themainthemeof tofeelthat I began hearings.showed upforbudget nine only two orthreecouncilpeopleoutof eta fhe were writingabout my . Ifeltasif A Prayer M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 5 If we are ever going to break the cycle of poverty within inner we havecities, to focus on education. The paradigm, old paradigm was an entitlement race- large controlled in which big city mayors What that was really about was based machines. capturing big entitlements from the state and federal governments and divvying them up among their cronies or among the people within their organizations to protect and preserve their about distributing wealth. It was organizations. The new thinkers, paradigm is about quick people who are trying their govern- to make ments engines of economic opportunity and judge many jobs they can pro- how them not by can create they wealth much how vide but by efficiently services theyand how can deliver city. within their own cused, you startcused, you don’t to realize you often that and all-consuming bu- need these controlling reaucracies. What we really The for citizenship. C stands I dis- which need to start doing in inner cities, groups, and with tenant is em- cuss in churches by citizens empower But you citizens. powering not less. them, asking more from need to start our citizens asking more from We and startcitizens more responsible making our over them more control and authority and giving lives. their own that because I believe this is achievable. I believe there is a good of number in cities all mayors is a grow- I think there around America. In fact, ing Zeitgeist of in this nation who are mayors trying and in many ways ready to and working change to change the status quo—in a sense, the old paradigm. The second part of the ABCs of is B, politics a system in have now for bureaucracies last. We government to the where people are more loyal We than theybureaucracy are to the outcome. and bureaucra- outcomes first to be loyal must cies and systems last. If are outcomes-fo- you First we need accountability. I divide account- I divide need accountability. First we First ofability into three components. all, it can measure. you standards that means having It is most important conse- to actually have quences—real, tangible consequences—if those standards are not met. This reallywhat we leads me to consider need. I call it the ABCs ofgovernment. Ground floor: need if you what are going you to be effective, the kind ofespecially in changing culture that politics. in Newark have we This of endemic reality within the city is an has grown, popularity As my Newark. I have and more examples of situ- encountered more very A bigwig of- me. just astonish ations that ficial in the county of me with down Essex sat and encouraged about running me to think for in the next elec- county executive or for mayor 30 minutes of For tion cycle. the conversation, debate with I sat there and listened to this man himself and forth back about job is the which job has more pa- based upon which better job, tronage people under job has more and which It was not about what ideas you authority. not about to bring to the job; it was might have what kind of might you character or ethics bring to the position. to subsidize an elite groupto subsidize of in- monopolistic too often incompetent, stitutions that are above as their primary and have suc- accountability, and patronagecess employment mills for poli- ticians.” 6 options like schools, charter contractschoolsand,yes, vouchers. of viewinfavor tochangemy Being outcome-focusedstarted C I V I C B U L L E T I N I were able to get anincredible public/private toget I wereable fact, several other people alongthatblock and LutherKingBoulevard. In toMartin first got worked withinthesystemwhenI I doggedly and, yes,vouchers. schools,options like charter schools contract my viewinfavor tochange of cused started Isaw aroundme.realities Beingoutcome-fo- on publiceducation,simplybecauseofthe rethinkmytion, philosophy, myrethink views torethink my situa- ner cityNewark, Ibegan working inin- orfiveBut afterfour yearsof I firstheardaboutthem. when schools mademealittleuncomfortable schools public only.ported Even charter educating children.Isup- fashioned way of five yearsago, astrongadvocate fortheold- I have always been,upuntilmaybe fouror work. government good what makes theABCsof to thatsameguiseof bureaucracies thatnow existhave tobeheldup cation. Ibelieve thattheeducational withininnercities, weerty have tofocusonedu- pov- we tobreakthecycle areever of going If ends thatwe alldesire. ies, andthe donotnecessarily achieve thegoals we usedtothink worked, especiallyininnercit- that big bureaucracies andthebiggovernments slow. itisasocietywhere fastbeats stead, The asocietywherebigbeatssmall.In- no longer Friedman saysThomas thatthisis author The the private sectorandthepublicsector. both iswhereAmericaasawholegoing, This that thiswas awonderful were thing thatthey werehavingapennydrive.They I thought home andstoppedthem tolookattheflyers. flyers Isawschool. somechildren carrying neighborhood rightdown thestreetfroma summerIparked mymobile homeinthe This someschool supplies?” get somebooks?Canyou help me help meget inevitably, heorshealways says, “Canyou the teacher, you?” And canIdofor “What intoaclassroom,Iwillalways ask before Igo found somecreative ways But tohelpthem. week, talktoteachers, work withthem.I tospeakinonepublicschoolcosts. a Itry we includecapital $10,000, over $10,000if In Newark, percapita isabout expenditure examination. these excuses donotholdupunderfurther school systemwithoutenoughmoney. But itisthefamily,It istheirenvironment, itisa Excuses why areabundant. for arefailing they the 90thpercentile. city, upwards into have thatrange rates failure which wardinthe I represent isthepoorest schools, grade too many especially inthearea arts. Andagain, percent fail inthelanguage ers failmathproficiencytests, andnearly50 eighthgrad- to 45percent.Over 75percentof inpublichighschoolsisdown rate graduation Newark, you have The tofinditrepugnant. you theentireschoolsystemin lookat If children arestillfailing. comes towhatishappeningintheclassroom now openuntillateintheevening, but whenit may haveexist. They is ahealthcenterthat are happeningthere. But thefailure ratesstill ally acommunity It’s school. vibrant.Things Now withalocalschool. itisre- partnership M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 7 This is one of the biggest issues that has com- pelled me to start to re-examine how our pub- lic dollars are used for educating children. But more poignant examples are follow- the even ing: Many of mostly the poorest parents, especially during the summer single mothers, me and beg me to help approach months, that might scholarships them find available from failing public liberate their children decade-long public schools that have schools, records of I sit with parents and lis- failures. ten to their stories that the only hope for their and their families’ future is a goodchildren education for their child. They are convinced, because of great that evidence, their child system. cannot succeed in the public school This is a problem. The ABCs ofgovernment accountability with real consequences when standards are not met, ofwithout preference out- over bureaucracies and with citizencomes or children, empower- in the right now ment are not being achieved New Jersey. system in Newark, present [Parents] are[Parents] because of convinced, great evidence, that their school system. This is a child cannot succeed in the public problem. can see the discipline. You walk into classrooms walk You discipline. can see the some ofand can witness the people that live block,Martin on on my Boule- Luther King succeeding at rates much in the projects, vard, attended the they when were higher than they public schools. These There are not the only is a schools. is succeeding incredibly that charter school enrolled in 150 children But there are well. list is now ap- and the waiting that school, 1,000. proaching When you walk into these schools, you can feel you walk into these schools, When you You can sense the energy. You the difference. Another example is the Chad School, an Another example is the Chad School, The with about 300 students. Afrocentric school majority of the students come from the lowest cost and the average income families in the city, is $3,300. None ofper child the Chad students subsidy is about and the average full price, pay $2,100. The Chad School boasts that for the last 100 percent of years five its graduates go on to colleges. four-year I see also what is happening in other places I see also what is happening in has some of Newark in Newark. the best but happen to they in this country, schools One schools and charter schools. be private one ofexample is St. Benedict’s, the best in the region.schools people from fact, In the suburbs often try to send their kids into a because it has such the city to St. Benedict’s with for education.draw school It is a Catholic 530 students in grades to 12. The seven tu- $3,300, is about ition for the middle school is about $5,400. and the tuition for high school The is $3,200. subsidy per student average The aid. majority of the students are on financial majority succeeds and But the overwhelming goes colleges. on to four-year doing, and I was thinking that thinking doing, they and I was were plan- money for a field trip or to ning to use the When I looked the school. buy something for the flyer, that the proceeds closer at I saw the second halffrom of were that penny drive going and to be used to buy pencils and pens had to children Poor supplies. basic school go home and scrape together pennies for there is a $10,000 per supplies when school tell me that that Teachers people expenditure. reaches them so thatmoney they never can buy their supplies. 8 or otherinnovations ineducation. magnet schools, schools, charter Baptistschools, Jewish schools, bestequippedtodoso—public schools, attheschoolsthatare dren public dollarstoeducateourchil- Public educationistheuseof C I V I C B U L L E T I N aini we allow children out. if cation low thechildren tocomeinandkillpublicedu- we al- tobleedthe publicschools if are going nationalpoliticianssay thatwe ourlargest of institutions.force themintofailing Ihearsome that theycannotchoose. We asagovernment Americans mostvulnerable say tothepoorest, Wealthy peopleseem tohave thatchoice. We for theirchildren. cause theyhave thepower tochoose schools wealth have andresources. They vouchers be- like andYale. Stanford arepeoplewith Those those people. Infact,theydominated places with thosepeople. tocollege Iwent one of choices. upwiththosepeople. Iwas Igrew thathave peopleinthiscountry are There still holdontoit. believeAmerican dream.They init,andthey totake tohelptheirchildren achievegoing the up.towns whereIgrew know itis what They thansuburbansoccermomsareinthe formed theirchildren andare morein- education of ers.You willseethattheycaremoreaboutthe walk talktothesemoth- withmeandsimply anybodytocomeintomychallenge cityand it.I I always andIchallenge respondtothat, to make choices. ers whoaretoobusyornoteducatedenough moth- single choices.” always They tellstoriesof be responsibleformakingthesekindof ten hearpeoplesay, “Well, innercityparentscan’t Newark andelsewhere, Iof- within thecityof discussvouchers withpeople When Istart change as awhole—youworkingchange are against itcomesto Newark—indeed, when city of When itcomestoeducation inaplacelike the and were well financed. were were relentless, forces These organized, looking toprotect,firstandforemost,asystem. were They government. good not lookingfor mewere forces thatrose upagainst The 1998. my CityCouncilin for candidacy I declared when tothesamelessonthatIlearned I return mentation andmoreinnovations ineducation. as simplethat, we would have moreexperi- itwere If best plan,whohastheprogram. pletely ideological.Itisnotaboutwhohasthe Ultimately, over the battle isnotcom- education dollarsshouldgo. iswhere public That ish schools, orotherinnovations ineducation. schools, schools, charter Baptistschools, Jew- schools,equipped todoso—public magnet educate ourchildren attheschools thatarebest Public educationistheuseofpublicdollarsto their ZIPcode. building whereourchildren aresentbasedon funded publicly run, anteed spaceandapublicly define publiceducationnotasapubliclyguar- educationforourchildren. I systemof larger a of itispart itif it.ButIwillsupport favor of asawhole, thenIwillneverin education bein itisusedasaguisefordisinvesting a panacea.If vouchers isnot whole. implementationof The We toredefiningeducationasa needtoreturn children have there. togo Newark thattheir friends inthecentralward of totellmypublic education, buttheyaregoing people would never ever sendtheirchildreninto aswell.vouchers Butthese would beinfavor of Washington,in afailing D.C. publicschool he hischild was AlGorehassaidthatif I disagree. M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 9 We can make a change in these inner cities, and not just a three-in these inner cities, a change can make We to get to the roof. can find a way inch change. We fiti on a wall where another teenager where wall fiti on a shot was lay by dried flowers decaying and killed. Some a large rock that sits in the corner of the play- ground, another monument young to another away. has passed person who Cooper for a while her about to Ms. I talked came over and her daughter finally daughter, lifted her shirt me where to show and shyly had enteredthe bullet and exited her stomach. As I sat there and listened to to her and talked her determination to change in her commu- she mention that once did she was never nity, or that she had to get her going away to move daughter out of She talked this environment. to me about fighting. she had a clip- The to her, night that I spoke collecting petitions board in hand and she was to try to get in- more police presence because, the in deed, the drug involved dealers were that shooting are still dealing drugs outside of her The man who actually young did the window. an in- Her daughter, shooting is still at large. is still afraid to even lady, resilient young credible, outside ofwalk her house and face these men her so badly. in damaging involved who were girl who goesThere is a 15-year-old to a high school and who should get a medal just for school. up at that She attends a high showing where eight out ofschool the 10 people that graduate are deemed by from that high school the state as incompetent or as unable to read at their reading level. But the real inspira- This is the real tragedy. willingness tion in this story Cooper’s is Ms. Through this experience, I became acquainted The night Cooper. named Ms. with a woman into a set of I moved before projects called shot in a her daughter was Little Bricks, there are monuments In Little Bricks crossfire. to the dead—a sweatshirt tied around a pole shot, some graf- that was boy for a 14-year-old It has been a sobering summer. Events I have Events It has been a sobering summer. to my sent chills witnessed this summer have heard the gun- seen the shootings, I have bones. to thousands of talked shots, families this sum- listened to their stories of and mer, growing up in their neighborhoods. Moving into a mobile home this summer, fu- into a mobile home this summer, Moving I mentioned eled with that same audacity that friends and I would that my I believed before, drug around in the worst corners in the move city and try change. to make I had a lot of when success last summer I moved a tent in one into a housing project and set up of able I was the most violent housing projects. things in this community to do many positive presence there. a physical having just by We simply have to begin to explore change to explore to begin and simply have We to make it takes begin to do the hard work “Power says, Douglass Frederick As change. concedes nothing without force.” forces that benefit so much from the status quo from the status so much that benefit forces interested in experimentation that they are not They inter- are answers. or exploring different defending their their power, ested in defending defending bureaucracies, defending their turf, Thetheir patronage. reality is so true in New especially so true and where in Newark, Jersey, and pockets padded their so many people have protected the great deals they had going on quo. based upon the status 10 C I V I C B U L L E T I N justice everywhere. tiny, Injusticeanywhere to isathreat istrue. mutuality andtiedtoacommondes- work of that we areallcaughtinaninescapablenet- we ever have beenbefore.Truly whatKingsaid, we asasocietyaremore interconnectedthan question because isthemostimportant That will fightwithme?” ply lookedatme,andshesaid,“Cory, who writing.projects withherclipboard, Shesim- aloneinthe we Shesatthere mustask. question the projectswasmostimportant herlastquestionasIwasleaving I knowthat also madethatpledge. I swear, Americawillbe.” woman This has “America never was America tome. Butthis America Again,” anditsays,America Be Hughes wroteawonderful poemcalled“Let Langston to continuefighting. great The Telephone 212.599.7000 •[email protected] •www.manhattan-institute.org contacttheManhattanInstitute, 52VanderbiltFor additionalinformation, Avenue, New York, NY10017 way totheroof. toget and notjustathree-inch change. We canfinda that we intheseinnercities, canmakeachange we arewillingtojoinpeoplelike Ms. Cooper, if that we arewillingtostruggle, I believe that if theimpossible.” achievement of tifies tonothinglessthantheperpetual for ittes- inparticular, history andNegro tory humanhis- emboldened by thespectacleof we candemand. Andoneis, afterall, age,theimpossibleisleast asinevery age, asking you isimpossible. Butintoday’s day and NextTime The Fire lasttwowrote in1963.Inthevery of pages clude withaquotefromJames who Baldwin, existed foralongtimeininnercities. Icon- Ihave situations The mentionedabove have Whowillfightwithher? nate withinourhearts: As thiswoman fights, thisquestionmust reso- , hesays, “Iknow what I’m M A N H A T T A N I N S T I T U T E 11 OTES N , he says, “I know what I’m “I know he says, , I believe that ifI believe are willing to struggle, we that if Cooper, Ms. are willing to join people like we a change can make cities, in these inner that we can find a We change. and not just a three-inch to getway to the roof. The situations I have mentioned above have mentioned above The I have situations I con- forexisted long time in inner cities. a Baldwin, fromclude with a quote who James pages of the verywrote in 1963. In last two The Fire Next Time and day in today’s But is impossible. asking you age, as in every least age, the impossible is the after all, can demand. And one is, we the spectacle ofemboldened by his- human tory and Negro history in particular, it tes- for perpetualtifies to nothing less than the ofachievement the impossible.” As this woman fights, this question must reso- this question must fights, As this woman nate within our hearts: Who will fight with her? Would you prefer to receive this publication via e-mail? If so please supply us with your e-mail address by contacting us at [email protected] or 212-599-7000. Previous publications are also available.

Civic Reports 15 CAMPAIGN 2000 TAX PROPOSALS: EDMUND J. MCMAHON, JR. WHAT THEY MEAN FOR NEW YORKERS

14 THE EDUCATION FREEDOM INDEX JAY P. GREENE

13 STATE OF THE NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS JOSEPH P. VITERITTI

12 THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL CHOICE: AN EVALUATION OF THE CHARLOTTE JAY P. GREENE CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND PROGRAM

11 A SURVEY OF RESULTS FROM VOUCHER EXPERIMENTS: JAY P. GREENE WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE KNOW

10 DOES CHARTER SCHOOL COMPETITION PAUL TESKE AND MARK SCHNEIDER IMPROVE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Civic Bulletins 24 MAKING WELFARE-TO-WORK FLY PETER COVE

23 CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK: A NEW ERA AARON DARE

22 ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY: KEYS TO QUALITY EDUCATION JEB BUSH

21 NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDANCE OFFICES: RALPH NUNEZ A NEW MODEL FOR HELPING THE LESS FORTUNATE

20 WHY SCHOOL VOUCHERS CAN HELP INNER-CITY CHILDREN KURT SCHMOKE

19 TRANSFORMING AMERICAN EDUCATION LISA GRAHAM KEEGAN

18 TRANSFORMING AMERICA'S CITIES CLINT BOLICK

17 MAKING AMERICA'S CITIES GREAT PLACES TO LIVE RUDOLPH GIULIANI

Non-Profit M I Organization MANHATTAN INSTITUTE FOR POLCY RESEARCH US Postage 52 Vanderbilt Avenue • New York, NY 10017 PAID www.manhattan-institute.org Permit 04001 New York, NY