Political Spin and Policy Research

 Jeffrey R. Henig is a professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as chair of the Department of Education Policy & Social Analysis. He is the author, coauthor, or co-editor of 11 books, including The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics and the Challenge of Urban Education and Building Civic Capacity: The Politics of Reforming Urban Schools, both of which were named—in 1999 and 2001, respectively—the best book written on urban politics by the Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. His 2008 book Spin Cycle: How Research Gets Used in Policy Debates: The Case of Charter Schools won the American Educational Research Association’s Outstanding Book Award. His most recent book, The End of Exceptionalism in American Education: The Changing Politics of School Reform, was published by Harvard Education Press in 2013.

In addition to his scholarly publications, Henig’s writing on contemporary policy issues aimed at more general audiences have appeared in Education Week, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The New York Times, and as guest posts on prominent education policy blogs. 

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