This article presents an interview with Diane Ravitch. Ravitch replies to the following questions: (1) What does a good secondary education look like to you?; (2) What should the role of the federal government be?; (3) U.S. public schools regularly take a pounding in the media, but do you see strengths in our system? Were there ever good old days of education that we can draw from?; (4) In your latest book, you spend time covering what happened in the San Diego schools and in New York City when control was centralized and absolute. What should be learned from those examples about how to reform urban education?; (5) Is there a role for charter schools in public education?; (6) What influence is "philanthrocapitalism" having on the U.S. system? Is it in the best interest of education for policy to be influenced by foundations with deep pockets? Do you see any evidence that such foundations are learning and adjusting if their marketplace strategies are not succeeding?; and (7) What can school leaders do to keep their focus on teachers and students when policy seems to be thwarting their best efforts?