Message From EWA's Director

While the focus these days has been on teacher performance – and how to measure it – there's an element of the equation that is getting far less attention: principals. Given their key role in managing and cultivating teacher talent, schools ignore the role of principals at their peril. And so do reporters.

But how do you recognize strong school leadership, and how do good principals become great?

We’ll tackle those questions, and provide you with a solid blueprint for localizing the issue for your readers, at our next EWA Webinar: Smarter Principals, Better Teachers, at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Oct. 24. The hour-long event will include presentations by four experts in this undercovered topic. Click here to learn more about them, or click here to register.

Best regards,

Caroline Hendrie

Fall 2011 Higher Ed Seminar - Apply Today!

Today is the deadline to apply for a subsidy to attend this year EWA Higher Education Seminar.

As the U.S. economy continues to struggle, signs suggest that long-term prosperity may require fundamental changes to our way of life. What will such transformations mean for America’s colleges and universities, forced to balance the demands to produce a better educated workforce against the stark realities of diminishing government funds? We'll consider possible solutions for this predicament at this year’s EWA Higher Ed Seminar Nov. 4-5 in Los Angeles on the UCLA campus. The agenda is available online here.

At this journalists-only gathering, we’ll examine whether and how the nation’s colleges and universities can produce the estimated 20 million more graduates needed by the year 2025 in order for the nation’s workforce to continue to succeed in the global economy.

Subsidies to attend the seminar are still available to those who apply today, Friday, Oct. 7. You can register for the seminar here. Apply now!

The event is made possible by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, sponsored by Pearson and hosted by UCLA.

2012 National Seminar

EWA's 65th National Seminar will take place May 17-19, 2012, in Philadelphia. An estimated 250 reporters, authors, producers, editors, researchers, bloggers, and others will gather for three days of in-depth discussions, site visits, newsmaker speeches, and interactive workshops on education and its coverage. Winners of the National Awards for Education Reporting will be honored at the event, and the winner of the contest's grand prize will be announced. EWA's flagship conference is being co-hosted by the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education and the American Educational Research Association. As ever, the event will be tailored to meet the unique needs and interests of journalists who cover education at all levels.

Stay tuned for agenda and registration details in the coming weeks. For sponsorship and advertisement opportunities, please contact Stephanie Cvetetic at scvetetic@ewa.org.

EdMedia Commons

EdMedia Commons is now open to all EWA members! This great new resource will be home to a wide range of content you won't be able to get anywhere else. If you want to connect with your colleagues across the country, workshop new story ideas, and interact with education experts and newsmakers, you need to be a part of EMC.

If you haven't signed up yet, click here to set up your account. It only takes a few seconds, and it's a free benefit of your EWA membership.

List Your Name in EWA's Freelance Database

Ed writers, are you currently freelancing, or looking to start? If you're seeking fresh job leads, be sure to include your name in EWA's Freelance Database! There's no charge to add your information, and it's an easy way to generate new freelance assignments. Click here to upload your information.