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.
Race issues get special attention in the news on Martin Luther
King Jr. Day or during Black History Month. But race plays a role
in every story journalists cover: where people live and work, who
their friends and neighbors are, and — especially — what schools
they attend.
On the spectacular blue-skied morning of 9/11/2001, I was a staff
writer for U.S News & World Report attending a not particularly
exciting press conference a few blocks from the White House.
Suddenly, someone burst into the room and announced “Our nation
is under attack.” We all rushed outside, where thousands of
office workers were milling in the streets because the government
and all transportation had just been shut down. Warnings of a
plane heading toward the White House (and, thus, us) sparked
through the crowd like an electric arc.
Two federal programs intended to steer college students toward public service jobs like teaching in high-poverty schools instead became mired in missteps, as recipients found their grants wrongly converted into high-interest loans. Cory Turner of NPR’s education team spent 18 months looking at problems with the TEACH Grant program.
From the exterior, Muchin College Prep doesn’t look much like a
high school. It’s located in an unremarkable office building in
downtown Chicago, where an elevator carries visitors to the
seventh-floor campus. There, the walls are festooned with college
banners, classrooms are bustling with discussions and group work,
and football helmets rest on top of a long row of lockers.
A leading student debt researcher, the CEO of the nation’s
biggest income share agreement company, and a veteran education
reporter discuss the biggest concerns, misconceptions and stories
to pursue when it comes to the country’s student loan debt
crisis.
When journalist Pete Keeley watched the critically acclaimed
10-part documentary “America to Me,” he was struck by how little
the school at the center of the story had changed since he
attended it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has reported
more than 2,500 hospitalizations related to vaping usage in 2019.
Of the people hospitalized, 54 percent were age 24 or
younger.
Getting a good-paying job with just a high school diploma is
nearly impossible today. In response, schools across the country
are increasingly reassessing what it means to not only graduate
students, but prepare them for a more competitive career
field.
Those were two key takeaways from the opening session of a
recent Education Writers Association seminar in Chicago.
To succeed in college, many students need support and services far beyond tuition assistance. That’s the big takeaway from The Tennessean’s investigation of the state’s Promise Program, which seeks to smooth the road to community college for new high school graduates. EWA Reporting Fellows Jason Gonzales and Adam Tamburin found that while there was a statistically significant increase in community college enrollment since the program’s inception in 2015, students still struggle with outside factors like a lack of preparedness for the rigors of college classes or needing to work to support themselves and their families.
In a joint investigation, ProPublica Illinois’ Jodi Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards of The Chicago Tribune teamed up to investigate the use of seclusion rooms in Illinois’ public schools. In the process, they discovered that seclusion — billed as a humane way to control misbehaving students — was misused, overused and ended up being disproportionately inflicted on students with disabilities.
The results from high-profile assessments issued this fall — both
national (NAEP) and international (PISA) — show troubling
academic outcomes for U.S. students. Drawing far less attention,
however, are important findings from other exams, including a
lack of practical literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills
among many Americans ages 16 to 65.
How to Write About Race Beyond Martin Luther King Jr. Day
These resources will help you address race responsibly in your coverage
Race issues get special attention in the news on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or during Black History Month. But race plays a role in every story journalists cover: where people live and work, who their friends and neighbors are, and — especially — what schools they attend.
Covering Education Amid Threats of War or Terrorism
Veteran education journalists offer suggestions on working through national security threats
On the spectacular blue-skied morning of 9/11/2001, I was a staff writer for U.S News & World Report attending a not particularly exciting press conference a few blocks from the White House. Suddenly, someone burst into the room and announced “Our nation is under attack.” We all rushed outside, where thousands of office workers were milling in the streets because the government and all transportation had just been shut down. Warnings of a plane heading toward the White House (and, thus, us) sparked through the crowd like an electric arc.
Teachers Fight for Student Loan Debt Relief
NPR investigation finds thousands of borrowers wrongly denied federal forgiveness
(EWA Radio: Episode 217)
Two federal programs intended to steer college students toward public service jobs like teaching in high-poverty schools instead became mired in missteps, as recipients found their grants wrongly converted into high-interest loans. Cory Turner of NPR’s education team spent 18 months looking at problems with the TEACH Grant program.
Three Takeaways From Chicago’s Largest Charter School Network
At Noble campuses, it's 'college prep from the moment you walk in the door'
From the exterior, Muchin College Prep doesn’t look much like a high school. It’s located in an unremarkable office building in downtown Chicago, where an elevator carries visitors to the seventh-floor campus. There, the walls are festooned with college banners, classrooms are bustling with discussions and group work, and football helmets rest on top of a long row of lockers.
EWA Tip Sheet: Covering the Student Loan Debt Crisis
A leading student debt researcher, the CEO of the nation’s biggest income share agreement company, and a veteran education reporter discuss the biggest concerns, misconceptions and stories to pursue when it comes to the country’s student loan debt crisis.
What’s Ahead on the Education Beat in 2020?
From school safety to the youth vote, it's going to be a busy year
As the calendar turns to a new year (and a new decade, at least according to some), plenty of education issues from 2019 will be tagging along.
Documentary Shows How Even Progressive Schools Can Lack Equity
'America to Me' filmmakers discuss how they gained students', school's trust
When journalist Pete Keeley watched the critically acclaimed 10-part documentary “America to Me,” he was struck by how little the school at the center of the story had changed since he attended it.
Word on the Beat: Vaping
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 2,500 hospitalizations related to vaping usage in 2019. Of the people hospitalized, 54 percent were age 24 or younger.
How Schools Are Responding to the ‘Collapse’ of the High School Economy
Schools help students prepare intentional postsecondary plans
Getting a good-paying job with just a high school diploma is nearly impossible today. In response, schools across the country are increasingly reassessing what it means to not only graduate students, but prepare them for a more competitive career field.
Those were two key takeaways from the opening session of a recent Education Writers Association seminar in Chicago.
The Hidden Costs of ‘Free’ College
Tennessee’s Promise Program opens access to community colleges but students still struggle
(EWA Radio: Episode 190)
To succeed in college, many students need support and services far beyond tuition assistance. That’s the big takeaway from The Tennessean’s investigation of the state’s Promise Program, which seeks to smooth the road to community college for new high school graduates. EWA Reporting Fellows Jason Gonzales and Adam Tamburin found that while there was a statistically significant increase in community college enrollment since the program’s inception in 2015, students still struggle with outside factors like a lack of preparedness for the rigors of college classes or needing to work to support themselves and their families.
‘Terrified’: Illinois Education Reporters Find Massive Misuse of Student Seclusion
Reporters from ProPublica Illinois and The Chicago Tribune newsrooms team up to investigate into misuses of student seclusion brings swift action from lawmakers
(EWA Radio: Episode 224)
In a joint investigation, ProPublica Illinois’ Jodi Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards of The Chicago Tribune teamed up to investigate the use of seclusion rooms in Illinois’ public schools. In the process, they discovered that seclusion — billed as a humane way to control misbehaving students — was misused, overused and ended up being disproportionately inflicted on students with disabilities.
Beyond NAEP and PISA: Many U.S. Adults Lack Practical Skills, New Tests Show
Students also struggle with digital, information literacy
The results from high-profile assessments issued this fall — both national (NAEP) and international (PISA) — show troubling academic outcomes for U.S. students. Drawing far less attention, however, are important findings from other exams, including a lack of practical literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills among many Americans ages 16 to 65.