Diane Ravitch's "The Death and Life of the Great American School System" (2010) and "Reign of Error" (2013) represent a significant shift in the contemporary political dialogue on education reform. The once staunch supporter of national academic standards and market-based reforms, Ravitch reversed nearly every position she supported through her past scholarship and policy work. This article is an analysis of Diane Ravitch's work from historian of the American public education to policy reformer and the response she has received from her work.