In a new opinion piece titled “In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?,” Nikole Hannah‑Jones—founder of the 1619 Project and 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner—shares a personal account of her daughter Najya’s struggles in New York City public schools. Hannah‑Jones, a senior writer for The New York Times Magazine, recounts how she once championed the idea that children should attend their neighborhood schools and that school‑choice options were unacceptable.
From idealism to hard‑won reality
Back in 2016, Hannah‑Jones observed that many middle‑class families in Bedford‑Stuyvesant, a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, were opting out of the local public school. She wrote that she “didn’t know any of our middle‑class neighbors, black or white, who sent their children to one of these schools.” Yet she herself enrolled Najya in the local elementary school, hoping her influence and progressive values could improve the institution.
Ten years later, Hannah‑Jones admits that the experiment fell short. She describes teachers as disengaged, discipline as lax, and academic standards as low. In middle school, unchecked homework and weak expectations left her daughter unprepared for state algebra tests. The principal, in tears, called the situation “the reality of a segregated system… by ability,” echoing Hannah‑Jones’s own criticism of school‑choice systems.
Progressive policies under scrutiny
The column highlights how New York City’s education policies—such as the removal of competitive benchmarks (“screens”) for middle‑school admissions under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and their continuation under Mayor Eric Adams—have limited parental ability to select higher‑performing schools. Teachers’ unions, according to Hannah‑Jones, have resisted reforms like gifted‑and‑talented programs and stricter discipline, keeping underperforming staff in place.
Hannah‑Jones also references the success of charter networks like Success Academy, which serve students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds but achieve markedly better test results. She argues that the lack of school‑choice options traps families in failing schools, contrary to her earlier stance that children should remain in their local institutions.
Broader implications for education reform
The piece serves as a cautionary tale for progressive education advocates. It suggests that policies opposing school‑choice and limiting accountability can inadvertently harm the very students they aim to help. While Hannah‑Jones blames systemic racism for many of the challenges, she also acknowledges that “bad educational practices”—such as tolerating disruptive behavior and failing to hold teachers accountable—play a significant role.
For parents seeking the best educational environment for their children, the article underscores the importance of having genuine options, high expectations, and the ability to hold schools to rigorous standards. It also calls attention to the need for policymakers to reconsider reforms that restrict school‑choice mechanisms and weaken disciplinary tools.
What this means for families
Families across the nation can take Hannah‑Jones’s experience as a reminder to evaluate local school performance critically and to explore alternatives—whether charter schools, magnet programs, or private options—when public schools fall short. The debate over school‑choice versus neighborhood schooling continues to shape education policy, and this personal narrative adds a powerful voice to the conversation.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
