Norman Fruchter, a principal associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, has been appointed to the New York City Panel for Educational Policy by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Fruchter was one of five new appointees named to the board, which is responsible for approving all major policy changes and spending decisions at the Department of Education. “I know a lot of parents feel this panel hasn’t always been on our side. Today we change that. We want real debate. We want a panel that really listens. The people we’ve brought together believe in the power of school communities to improve outcomes for our children,” de Blasio said in a statement. Fruchter works on policy and special projects for the Annenberg Institute’s Community Organizing and Engagement Division, which he previously directed. He recently completed the film Parent Power, Education Organizing in New York City, 1995-2010. Before coming to the Annenberg Institute, he founded and directed New York University’s Institute for Education and Social Policy.