Who says it?

[notletrest]

I came across the passage:
"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual," says education writer Diane Ravitch. "Schools could be a counterbalance." Ravitch's latest book, Left Back, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools...
Dear teachers , please tell me who says the sentence in the second quotation marks, or is it quoted from the book and said by others and why.
Thank you!

[emsr2d2]

I came across the passage:
"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual," says education writer Diane Ravitch. "Schools could be a counterbalance." Ravitch's latest book, Left Back, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools...
Dear teachers , please tell me who says the sentence in the second quotation marks, or is it quoted from the book and said by others and why.
Thank you!

Diane Ravitch said both as far as I can tell. I don't think either sentence is an excerpt from the book. If I had to guess, I would say that she has written a book and, because she has a book for sale, she has been giving interviews. The two sentences are probably quotes from an interview or a press release.

[notletrest]

Diane Ravitch said both as far as I can tell. I don't think either sentence is an excerpt from the book. If I had to guess, I would say that she has written a book and, because she has a book for sale, she has been giving interviews. The two sentences are probably quotes from an interview or a press release.

Thank you,two, for help.
The purpose of my question lies in just before the second quotation marks whether we should use a comma or a full stop. According to what I have noticed about it, both commas and full stops can be used. In my question the author used a full stop, let me give a comma example here. “Tom, listen,” Jesses said, “I’ve come here on purpose.” (St.Reader)
Is my conclusion right?
Thanks!