EWA's blog about education issues and topics from a journalist's perspective. The Educated Reporter is anchored by Emily Richmond with contributions from EWA staff and guests.
EWA’s blog about education issues and topics from a journalist’s
perspective. The Educated Reporter is anchored by Emily Richmond with contributions
from EWA staff and guests.
Conservatives around the country are protesting what they claim is the teaching of a formerly obscure legal theory – Critical Race Theory – to America’s schoolchildren and undergraduates. While of course CRT isn’t in the formal second or even eleventh grade curriculum, reporter Molly Minta of Mississippi Today and Open Campus asked herself: what are they afraid of?
Most school districts have returned to in-person learning, but enrollment numbers have taken a hit – and so have daily attendance rates. Chronic absenteeism – typically defined as missing at least 15 days of school – takes a heavy toll on students’ academic progress, and can also decrease a district’s state funding.
President Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, is marking his first year in office. And what a year it has been – not just for the federal agency but for schools, educators, students, and families.
School districts across the United States are investing millions
of dollars to build and invigorate tutoring programs with the
hope that the extra attention will help students rebound
academically after disruptions caused by the pandemic.
How many days of instruction have students really lost amid the pandemic, and what’s the impact? How are districts tracking and reporting COVID-19 infection rates among students and staff? Who’s making sure the services districts invest in to help struggling students recover academically are high quality and grounded in research?
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accepted the John Dewey Award
from the United Federation of Teachers in 1964, he spoke of
education being a
battleground in the freedom struggle.
“It was not fortuitous that education became embroiled in this
conflict,” King said. “Education is one of the vital tools the
Negro needs in order to advance. And yet it has been denied him
by devises of segregation and manipulations with quality.”
Annie Ma landed her first full-time staff reporting job – as an
education reporter at the
Charlotte Observer – in June 2019. Just four weeks later, a
story broke that would lead her into an investigation that won
her and another reporter finalist honors in that year’s
EWA Awards program.
This will be a momentous year for higher education – as colleges attempt to recover from COVID shutdowns, student loan bills come due again, and big changes come to admissions offices. What will college look like this year? How are institutions planning to spend billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds? And how bad a hit are overall enrollment numbers going to take in the third year of the pandemic?
The fractured state of the child care industry has become
especially clear during the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of
child care centers have closed permanently, and many more are
struggling to find workers and survive economically.
Many of the issues facing these centers are related to the
complexities of funding and lack of public investment in child
care. It is expensive to provide, unaffordable for many families,
and child care workers make such meager wages that many live in
poverty, something that has led to an exodus of early educators
during the pandemic.
Supporting our talented journalist members is one of the best
parts of my job here at the Education Writers Association.
Many of them have written insightful, well-researched and, yes,
educational blog posts over the course of the year. And several
took time from full-time reporting jobs to write these resources
– all with the purpose of helping their fellow journalists do
their jobs.
For those traveling this holiday season, the right playlist is
essential to helping those hum-drum miles slip away. And even if
you’re staying home, there’s no better time to catch up on the
top EWA Radio episodes of 2021.
From teachers’ unions to school board battles to tracking what
really happened to students amid the pandemic, this year’s
podcast guests covered just about all the bases. Some of the
nation’s top education reporters explain how they got the big
stories, and also provide tips for other journalists looking to
follow their leads.
Shopping for the education writer in your life this holiday
season? Any reporter can tell you which is the best seat in the
school board meeting room: It’s the one near the only working
wall outlet. While
this popular version of a portable battery pack will set
you back about $50, it’s reliable, durable, and speedy. (No, EWA
does not do paid product endorsements. I actually use
this.) It also has the benefit of being cable free if your
gift recipient uses a compatible smartphone.
Inside a Critical Race Theory Class
What are University of Mississippi law school students really learning in the state's only dedicated class on CRT? (EWA Radio Episode 288)
Conservatives around the country are protesting what they claim is the teaching of a formerly obscure legal theory – Critical Race Theory – to America’s schoolchildren and undergraduates. While of course CRT isn’t in the formal second or even eleventh grade curriculum, reporter Molly Minta of Mississippi Today and Open Campus asked herself: what are they afraid of?
Schools Are Open. But Where Are the Students?
From Maine to Washington State, chronic absenteeism rates amid COVID-19 have reached record highs Why? And how are schools responding? (EWA Radio Episode 287)
Most school districts have returned to in-person learning, but enrollment numbers have taken a hit – and so have daily attendance rates. Chronic absenteeism – typically defined as missing at least 15 days of school – takes a heavy toll on students’ academic progress, and can also decrease a district’s state funding.
Miguel Cardona’s First Year
Tenure of U.S. secretary of education marked by persistence of pandemic, mountain of COVID relief aid, political shift in Washington
(EWA Radio Episode 286)
President Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, is marking his first year in office. And what a year it has been – not just for the federal agency but for schools, educators, students, and families.
How to Cover the Varied World of Tutoring
Will tutoring help students weather the pandemic?
School districts across the United States are investing millions of dollars to build and invigorate tutoring programs with the hope that the extra attention will help students rebound academically after disruptions caused by the pandemic.
P-12 Education’s Big Stories to Follow in 2022
(EWA Radio Episode 285)
How many days of instruction have students really lost amid the pandemic, and what’s the impact? How are districts tracking and reporting COVID-19 infection rates among students and staff? Who’s making sure the services districts invest in to help struggling students recover academically are high quality and grounded in research?
Martin Luther King Jr. Said, ‘Education is a Battleground.’ Reflecting on His Words
King’s remarks on education continue to be relevant in 21st century America.
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accepted the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers in 1964, he spoke of education being a battleground in the freedom struggle.
“It was not fortuitous that education became embroiled in this conflict,” King said. “Education is one of the vital tools the Negro needs in order to advance. And yet it has been denied him by devises of segregation and manipulations with quality.”
Member Spotlight: How a Newbie Education Reporter Landed a Big Investigation
"Race shapes everything we write" says 2019 EWA Awards Investigative Finalist Annie Ma
Annie Ma landed her first full-time staff reporting job – as an education reporter at the Charlotte Observer – in June 2019. Just four weeks later, a story broke that would lead her into an investigation that won her and another reporter finalist honors in that year’s EWA Awards program.
New Year, New Higher Ed Stories
From continued COVID-19 fallout to federal higher ed policy shifts, it’s a big year ahead for colleges and universities (EWA Radio Episode 284)
This will be a momentous year for higher education – as colleges attempt to recover from COVID shutdowns, student loan bills come due again, and big changes come to admissions offices. What will college look like this year? How are institutions planning to spend billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds? And how bad a hit are overall enrollment numbers going to take in the third year of the pandemic?
How to Cover the Complex World of Child Care Funding
Learn about how child care programs braid funding together—and still struggle to survive.
The fractured state of the child care industry has become especially clear during the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of child care centers have closed permanently, and many more are struggling to find workers and survive economically.
Many of the issues facing these centers are related to the complexities of funding and lack of public investment in child care. It is expensive to provide, unaffordable for many families, and child care workers make such meager wages that many live in poverty, something that has led to an exodus of early educators during the pandemic.
Top 10 Most-Read EWA Blogs of 2021
Journalist members wrote practical resources to help their fellow reporters all year long.
Supporting our talented journalist members is one of the best parts of my job here at the Education Writers Association.
Many of them have written insightful, well-researched and, yes, educational blog posts over the course of the year. And several took time from full-time reporting jobs to write these resources – all with the purpose of helping their fellow journalists do their jobs.
From Pandemic Impact to School Board Battlegrounds: 21’s Top EWA Radio Episodes
2021’s Most Popular EWA Radio Episodes
For those traveling this holiday season, the right playlist is essential to helping those hum-drum miles slip away. And even if you’re staying home, there’s no better time to catch up on the top EWA Radio episodes of 2021.
From teachers’ unions to school board battles to tracking what really happened to students amid the pandemic, this year’s podcast guests covered just about all the bases. Some of the nation’s top education reporters explain how they got the big stories, and also provide tips for other journalists looking to follow their leads.
These New Education Books Make Perfect Gifts. (Trust Us.)
What we’re giving the education reporters (and education enthusiasts) on our list this year
Shopping for the education writer in your life this holiday season? Any reporter can tell you which is the best seat in the school board meeting room: It’s the one near the only working wall outlet. While this popular version of a portable battery pack will set you back about $50, it’s reliable, durable, and speedy. (No, EWA does not do paid product endorsements. I actually use this.) It also has the benefit of being cable free if your gift recipient uses a compatible smartphone.