My research how parents and communities construct social meaning through their schools, and how these choices have a macro impact on school segregation. My research has focused on the multiple framings and contested meanings of a distinctive pedagogy like Montessori, both in the US and globally, or how parents navigate school choice in Singapore and Germany.
This meaning can be constructed around historical memory in relation to nation-building and community-building, and I’ve researched how this operates both in Italy with relation to frescoes and priceless art and in India around Gandhi’s assassination and Partition.
A third mode of examining the social meaning of schools is through research examining parents and students working toward school integration and broader social integration/racial justice. Spencer-funded research with Molly Makris and Elise Castillo examines New York City school integration activists during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a future project examines parental activists supporting local public schools in several global cities.
BOOKS
Mira Debs, Diverse Families, Desirable Schools: Public Montessori in the Era of School Choice. Harvard Education Press, 2019.
Co-editor, Handbook of Montessori Education, Bloomsbury, UK, 2023.
PUBLIC WRITING
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“The huge problem with education ‘pandemic pods’ suddenly cropping up.” Washington Post, (with JPB Gerald) July 22, 2020.
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“Some No Excuses Charter Schools Say They are Changing. Are they? Can They?” Washington Post Answer Sheet, (with Joanne Golann and Chris Torres) August 29, 2019.
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“The harsh discipline of no-excuses charter schools: is it worth the promise?” Ed Week, June 2, 2019, (with Joanne Golann).
Mira Debs, August 3, 2019. “Global Adaptation: Montessori in India.” Harvard Education Press Blog.
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Debs, Mira, September 23, 2018, “Jeff Bezos and the Trap of the Charitable-Industrial Complex.” New York Times.
SELECT MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND MENTIONS
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Allison Roda and Molly Makris, April 3, 2023, “For Happiness Parents, It’s not all About the Academics.” The 74.
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Alexandre Piquard, September 17, 2022, “L’élève sera le client: aux Etats-Unis, l’école selon Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg et Elon Musk,” Le Monde.
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Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider, 2021, “Kids as Customers,” Have you Heard Podcast.
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Angel Au-Yeung, October 4, 2020, “Why Some Locals are Skeptical about Jeff Bezos’ free preschools near Seattle.” Forbes.
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Jay Matthews, August 2, 2019 “No Excuses make no excuses for updating their approach.” Washington Post.
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Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider, May 2, 2019, “Different Strokes for Different Folks?” Have you Heard podcast.
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Matt Barnum, April 30, 2019, “What does Montessori mean in the age of school choice? Researcher Mira Debs explains.” Chalkbeat.
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Nora Fleming, April 28, 2019, “A Public School Makes the Case for Montessori for All.” Edutopia.
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Emily Langhorne, March 27, 2019 “The Montessori Comeback.” Forbes.
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Goldstein, Dana Sept. 21, 2018 “Jeff Bezos Cites a Big Number, but Few Details, in Plan for Low-Income Montessori Preschools.” New York Times.
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Meckler, Laura, Nov. 5, 2018 “Montessori, long a favorite for wealthy families, struggles to expand its reach.” Washington Post.
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Stacy Khadaroo, 2018. “More than ‘beautiful words’: How one school fights to keep racial equity.” Christian Science Monitor.
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Michele Molnar. 2018. “Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Announces $2 Billion Philanthropic Fund for Preschools, Homeless Families.” Ed Week Market Brief.
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Sarah Sparks, 2016. “In Charter School Era, Montessori Model Flourishes.” Ed Week.