Cara Fitzpatrick with Wesley Morris: The Death of Public School

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Cara Fitzpatrick joins us to discuss her new book, The Death of Public School, with fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner and New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris. 

This event will take place in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor, and online via Zoom.

America has relied on public schools for more than 100 years, but the system is increasingly under attack. With declining enrollment and diminished trust in public education, policies that steer tax dollars into private schools have grown rapidly. To understand how we got here, The Death of Public School argues, we must look back at the turbulent history of school choice. Cara Fitzpatrick uncovers the long journey of school choice, showing how it evolved from a segregationist tool in the South in the 1950s, to a policy embraced by advocates for educational equity in the North, to a conservative strategy for securing government funds for private schools in the twenty-first century.

At this event, Fitzpatrick will discuss her new book and more with fellow Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris.

To join the event in-person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join online | Whether you're attending in person on online, you must register with your email address.The Zoom link will be sent to you by email approximately one day before the event. You will need a device with audio and/or video and an internet/cellular connection to join.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Cara Fitzpatrick is an editor at Chalkbeat. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting in 2016 for a series about school segregation. She was a New Arizona fellow in 2019 at New America and a Spencer fellow at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2018. Fitzpatrick lives in New York City with her husband and children..

Wesley Morris is a critic-at-large at The New York Times and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, where he writes about popular culture and hosts the podcast “Still Processing” with J. Wortham. He’s written essays and reviews for Grantland and The Boston Globe, where he won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. In 2021, he was awarded a second Pulitzer in criticism for his writing at the Times.

GET THE BOOK

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

CONNECT WITH US

Sign up for our e-newsletters to stay up to date on upcoming events and Library offerings.

Please submit all press inquiries to Amy Geduldig at least 48 hours before the event: email amygeduldig@nypl.org.
 

SUPPORT THE LIBRARY

The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

All programs are subject to change or cancellation.

This program is co-sponsored by Chalkbeat New York and The New York Public Library's Center for Educators and Schools.

Chalkbeat New York is a nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of the most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. Want to stay in the know on the most important school news? Learn more about their daily email newsletter.

NYPL's Center for Educators and Schools is an initiative devoted to making all of the Library's collections and resources accessible to educators and their students.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).