Nikole Hannah‑Jones reflects on her school‑choice experiment as daughter reaches elite high school

Journalist Nikole Hannah‑Jones wrote about placing her daughter Najya in two low‑income Brooklyn public schools as a protest against racial inequities, describing daily struggles and gaps in math fundamentals that left her daughter lagging academically. She notes that despite the schools awarding high grades, her daughter entered an elite, test‑in high school after the experiment. Hannah‑Jones cites Brookings Institution research suggesting that higher per‑pupil spending—reported as $52,000—does not automatically produce better outcomes, and points to the Success Academy charter network as an example of a different model. She connects the experience to broader criticisms of her 1619 Project and argues that systemic inequality is amplified inside schools.