A leading education journalist, Wexler has been in the vanguard of Washington’s school reform movement for many years. Her book draws on her experience as both a reporter and a tutor in D.C.’s public schools, where she discovered that the fundamental flaw in the country’s education system is not lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, or lack of accountability, but the elementary schools’ focus on decontextualized reading comprehension “skills” rather than on actual knowledge. While many have overlooked this key component of education, Wexler spotlights the work of innovative educators who are finding new ways to help students acquire the knowledge and vocabulary they need to succeed.

Wexler will be in conversation with Elizabeth Green, co-founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Chalkbeat, a nonprofit education news organization, and author of Building a Better Teacher.