Washington, D.C. — Today, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) announced that Richard Kahlenberg will join the organization as the Director of Housing Policy and Director of the American Identity Project, a new initiative that examines what can be done to counter growing anti-democratic impulses on the far left and far right.
Kahlenberg is a leading expert on education and housing policy — and is specifically known for his work on how housing policies inhibit educational opportunities. He’s the author or editor of 18 books with his most recent award-winning release last year titled “Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don’t See.”
“I am thrilled to join PPI and have greatly admired its work advancing innovative and pragmatic ideas that have broad appeal with working-class and middle-class Americans,” said Richard Kahlenberg. “I’m eager to build on PPI’s long history of emphasizing what we have in common as Americans to develop ideas around how to teach the next generation what makes America different.“
“Rick Kahlenberg is a prolific writer and thinker who has enriched national debates around school choice and integration, civic education, affirmative action, and other knotty issues. His admiration for ‘tough liberals’ like RFK and Al Shanker makes him a perfect fit with PPI. He will lead our work on inclusive zoning and affordable housing as well as educating children in the shared ideals that define America’s national identity,” said Will Marshall, PPI President.
The American Identity Project will explore what it means to be an American in today’s highly polarized country and what public schools should be doing to teach a shared American identity that inculcates a deep and healthy sense of reflective patriotism. Kahlenberg, a seasoned researcher and writer on education and civil rights issues and a biographer of the late teacher union leader Albert Shanker, will lead the project and work with policymakers at all levels of government to help shape civics standards. The project will work to create a new approach that fosters appreciation for the American system of liberal democracy by teaching students the importance of free and fair elections and freedom of thought.
Additionally at PPI, Kahlenberg will lead the organization’s work on housing policy. In the United States, housing has become unaffordable for so many low-income families and working Americans — which leads to unequal educational opportunities and political and racial polarization. Kahlenberg will work with federal, state, and local officials and members of key stakeholder groups to examine lessons from successful zoning reform efforts at the state and local levels and find comprehensive solutions to this growing crisis.
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.
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Media Contact: Amelia Fox – afox@ppionline.org
