Message From EWA's Director

In an effort to update and clarify EWA's bylaws, the board of directors has approved an amendment to rename and redefine the association’s two main membership categories. Under the amendment, “active members” would become “journalist members” and “associate members” would be relabeled “advocate members.” The two categories would also be redefined to draw clearer and more relevant distinctions between the two types of membership. In addition, the board has approved an amendment allowing for greater flexibility in the board's make-up while still requiring that the board president be a working journalist. Now the board invites you—EWA’s membership—to vote on the proposed amendments. Please review the amendments and then cast your ballot.  

Caroline Hendrie

Slate of EWA Board Officers Announced

President Dale Mezzacappa has put forward a slate of officers to lead the EWA Board of Directors, starting at the close of the board's annual meeting in June.  
 
President: Stephanie Banchero, The Wall Street Journal
Vice President/Journalist: Scott Elliott, The Indianapolis Star
Vice President/Advocate: Kent Fischer, GMMB Associates
Secretary: Kathryn Baron, Thoughts on Public Education
Immediate Past President: Dale Mezzacappa, Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Additional candidates may be nominated by any three members in good standing. These nominations must be received by the nominating committee no later than May 10, 2011. Please e-mail nominations to Stephanie Cvetetic, Marketing and Development Coordinator, scvetetic@ewa.org

Hechinger Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations to the Bloomberg News team of Dan Golden, John Hechinger, and John Lauerman for winning the Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting!  EWA announced the Grand Prize Winners at its annual conference in New Orleans on April 9.

The project investigated how millions of low-income students face daunting debt and limited job prospects after being promised the American dream of a college education. In the investigative series, the team detailed how the for-profit higher education industry cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars by targeting low-income students who receive federal financial aid.

John Hechinger, the son of Fred M. Hechinger, for whom the prize is named, accepted the award on behalf of his colleagues.  He described his father’s pride in EWA, an organization the elder Hechinger helped form.

“My father was passionate about EWA because he believed that education reporting needed a strong advocate in every newsroom,” he said. “He would be so delighted to see the amazing work that all of you are doing today—examining teacher training and evaluation, drop-outs, school spending and so many other subjects.”