District Management
District Management
How are the policies for America’s local school districts set? Who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of those policies? What happens when control over public schools shifts from a school board to the mayor?
Questions about the governance, leadership and management of local school districts are often at the heart of conversations about how to improve U.S. public education, whether through incremental change or sweeping reform. This Topics section focuses on the lines of authority over public school systems, including the superintendents and other leaders entrusted with running them.
The U.S. has more than 13,000 local public school districts, and in most of them a local school board — with its members elected, appointed, or a combination of both — governs the decisions that affect the schools.
Superintendents
The most significant decision for virtually every school board is the hiring of a superintendent to carry out the board’s policies and operate the district. Pressure on those executives can be intense. Responsibility for meeting districtwide challenges flows through the central office, and the superintendent is typically held accountable for successes — or failures.
Superintendents typically have a central office management team of deputies assigned to specific areas such as technology, finance and operations, community and government relations, and human resources. An increasingly popular position is a chief academic officer, who oversees programs related specifically to student achievement.
Superintendent searches — the hiring process for district leadership — are typically considered “open” or “closed” processes. In an open search, the names of applicants are public knowledge. With a closed search, the more common practice, a school board typically hires an outside firm to vet the first round of applicants and then make recommendations for a list of finalists.
Some people contend that closed searches are the best way to attract highly qualified candidates who don’t want to jeopardize their current employment through an open search process. But some critics argue that grand-scale superintendent searches work against in-house applicants, who can also be strong candidates.
Smaller districts, particularly in rural areas, may struggle to find qualified candidates for their top executive positions. In some cases, school boards have opted to hire part-time superintendents.
Most of the nation’s school districts are run by career educators, but not all. Some schools chiefs come from other fields, such as business, government, the military, finance and law. One well-known effort to attract and train such nontraditional leaders is the Broad Superintendents Academy, a corporate-style training program. Started in 2002, the academy’s graduates have run many of the nation’s largest urban school systems.
School Boards
More than 95 percent of school board members are elected, typically in low-spending, nonpartisan races. School board elections typically draw significantly less general interest — and, along with it, voters — than other public offices. In many districts, incumbents are unchallenged for re-election, and open seats might have only one or two candidates.
Compensation for school board members varies widely. In some smaller districts, trustees receive only a small stipend to cover incidental expenses. In larger districts, it can be a full-time job with trustees earning in the mid-five figures. But even in some of the biggest urban districts, school board members’ compensation is relatively low compared to the scope of their fiscal responsibilities.
A district’s operating budget is typically derived primarily from local and state tax revenues, supplemented by federal funding. Everything from large-scale textbook purchases to negotiated labor contracts typically require school board approval and are voted on during public meetings.
School boards can go into “closed sessions,” which allow for private conversations among members and district staff, when discussing certain personnel matters or circumstances in which a student’s privacy must be protected. But generally the business of the board is conducted during open meetings using a “consent agenda” published in advance to give the public a chance to weigh in.
The relationship between school boards and superintendents is crucial. In recent years, there’s been a trend toward “policy governance,” an approach to district management in which the school board functions as a board of directors with the superintendent as chief executive. The board sets expectations for districtwide performance but leaves decisions about how to achieve those goals — i.e., which programs or services to implement — up to the superintendent. In other districts, the superintendent and the central office staff are still expected to seek board approval on all major decisions.
Mayoral and State Control
Governance by independently elected school boards emerged as the norm more than a century ago, as a means of distancing education from politics. In the 1990s, a push for mayoral control of school systems emerged in response to perceptions of widespread dysfunction that stemmed in part from poor relations between superintendents and school boards.
An early example of mayoral control in a major urban district was in 1991 when Massachusetts Gov. William Weld signed a bill handing control of the Boston Public Schools to the city’s mayor and a seven-person appointed school board. Since then, several midsize and large school systems have adopted some form of mayoral or state control. They include Chicago, Cleveland, the District of Columbia and New York City. Whether a district stays under mayoral control also varies, in accordance both with the performance of the schools and the politics of the city.
Proponents argue that by placing accountability for schools squarely with a city’s top elected official, mayoral control is conducive to carrying out reforms needed to improve student performance. Opponents, including many teachers’ unions and school board members, say the model has a sketchy track record and leaves parents, teachers and community groups with inadequate opportunities to engage in the decision-making process.
When entire school systems are judged to be failing, states sometimes step in and wrest control from local authorities. Since 1989, nearly 30 states have adopted policies that allow them to take over local school districts. Such has been the case in Philadelphia, Detroit, Oakland, Calif., and at least seven school districts in Mississippi.
Much like experiments with mayoral control, takeover results have been mixed. Some have made great strides, while others still grapple with problems related to central office administration, fiscal management and student achievement.
What’s Next for School Policing in Minneapolis
Issues of race and justice have roiled the Minneapolis school district for months. As the district’s chief of accountability, research, and equity, Eric Moore has been immersed in much of that debate.
In March, when the coronavirus pandemic shut down Minneapolis schools, the district found itself facing a profound digital divide: 70 percent of the district’s African-American students did not have a computer they could use for remote learning.
73rd EWA National Seminar
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat.
This multi-day conference is designed to give participants the skills, understanding, and inspiration to improve their coverage of education at all levels. It also will deliver a lengthy list of story ideas. We will offer numerous sessions on important education issues, as well as on journalism skills.
Mayor’s Advisers Say D.C. Schools Shouldn’t Fully Reopen Without Vaccine or Cure
Students in the nation’s capital should not return to full, in-person learning until there is a reliable vaccine or cure for the novel coronavirus, according to recommendations released Thursday by a group of advisers appointed by D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.
Too Expensive to Re-Open Schools? Some Superintendents Say It Is
Kathy Granger has a difficult puzzle to solve. As superintendent of the Mountain Empire Unified School District in southeastern San Diego County, she’s forging ahead with plans to re-open school buildings this fall, with a staggering and expensive mix of new health and safety precautions because of COVID-19.
One of Buffalo’s Highest-Performing Public Schools Faces Closure. Here’s Why.
One of Buffalo’s highest-performing public schools faces closure following a vote by the New York State Board of Regents last week. WBFO’s education reporter Kyle Mackie reports on how Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School got caught in pandemic politics and the great debate about charter schools.
School Superintendents Dismiss White House, Will Follow Leaked CDC Guidance on Reopening Schools
School district superintendents – those responsible for making decisions about how and when to reopen schools – are planning to follow detailed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was shelved by the White House last month instead of the official guidance published Thursday.
Education officials have been clamoring for more thorough direction from the Trump administration as to how and when they can safely reopen schools, but the long-awaited CDC guidance published to its web site last night – a one-page decision tree – left them underwhelmed.
High School Seniors Protest Plan For Large Graduation Ceremonies in Alabama Next Week
Jeanarry Hernandez, one of 17 valedictorians in the senior class at Hoover High, says she will sit out her own graduation ceremony, a gathering of 650 seniors now planned for next week.
The seniors are heading to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on May 21, and each can invite four family members to watch. The crowd will be asked to maintain distance. And every senior will be issued a mask.
REPORT: New Chiefs for Change/Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy Report Provides Expert Analysis of Research, Offers Recommendations for Reopening K-12 Schools
Chiefs for Change and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy today released a report that outlines relevant research and provides key recommendations for reopening K-12 schools when public health officials deem it is safe to do so.
Read the full report here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is Determined to Open Chicago Public Schools This Fall
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday she is determined to reopen Chicago Public Schools on time this fall, but do it safely, perhaps by using “alternate days, kind of a platoon” system to limit the numbers of students and teachers in schools at one time.
Declaring “students need their teachers,” Lightfoot recalled how moved she was to see video during the pandemic of an elementary school teacher who “literally drove to her student’s house, sat in the driveway” to maintain social distance and read the young girl a book.
School Reopening Plans: ‘A Logistical Nightmare’
May 7 is the date that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, declared it was safe to open up schools. The state has had fewer than 500 reported cases of the coronavirus as of this week.
An Education System, Divided: How Internet Inequity Persisted Through 4 Presidents and Left Schools Unprepared for the Pandemic
As COVID-19 shut down its schools, Hamilton County, Tennessee, was ideally situated for the switch to virtual learning. At least in theory.
District Hard-Hit by COVID-19 Begins ‘Tough Work’ of Getting On
Southwest Georgia has seen its share of disasters over the past few years, including tornadoes and hurricanes in 2017 and 2018 that tore through the community, destroying farms and homes and temporarily disrupting schools.
But nothing so far compares to how coronavirus has ravaged this corner of the state, anchored by Albany, the region’s largest city.
Come Fall, How Will K-12 Schools Look in the New Abnormal?
No one is sure how and when America’s schools will reopen and what the return of 54 million children isolated at home by the coronavirus shutdown will entail.
“K-12 schools will have the hardest summer they ever had,” said Ben Scafidi, director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University and a former education policy adviser to Govs. Sonny Perdue and Roy Barnes. “There is so much uncertainty.”
Behind (Remotely) Closed Doors: Keeping Tabs on School Boards and Leaders
State sunshine laws and open meetings acts are meant to promote government transparency and democratic participation. But as COVID-19 has prompted school boards and state educational agencies to shift to virtual meetings, reporters have already seen slippages in adherence to transparency laws.
With big budget deadlines looming and other major decisions being made every day, journalists and analysts are wondering if the move to virtual meetings means virtually zero public input and communication.
‘They Need Our Help’: Free Meals During Coronavirus Will Cost Baltimore-Area Schools Millions Without Aid
At lunchtime on a recent weekday, Shelise Harding and Christine David wheeled a tray cart to the walk-in refrigerator in the kitchen of John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School and loaded it with boxed-to-go meals they’d prepared: fruit, vegetables, tuna sandwiches, crackers, bread and milk.
Bypassing the school’s empty lunch line and the cafeteria tables bearing boxes of Maryland Food Bank donations, food service workers rolled cart after cart of meals to a waiting line of students, parents and others in need at one of the school’s entrances.
How Schools Are Planning To Reopen In Fall
From the White House podium to harried homes, pressure is building to reopen the nation’s schools. But the next iteration of American education will look far different from the classrooms students and teachers abruptly departed last month.
Many overwhelmed school systems remain focused on running remote education that was set up on the fly. Others, though, are deep into planning for what they see coming: an in-between scenario in which schools are open but children are spread out in places where they are normally packed together.
Louisa County Rethinks Graduation Ceremony To Honor Class Of 2020
As area school systems work to figure out a way to recognize graduates, the Louisa County school division kicked off its plan this week with individual graduation ceremonies.
There were cheers — but no hugs or handshakes — for the Class of 2020 Wednesday, as Louisa County High School adapted traditions and graduation staples — minus “Pomp and Circumstance” — to make the moment special.
“It’s not the traditional graduation, but we wanted to make sure they get honored,” said Doug Straley, superintendent of Louisa County Public Schools.
Amid Extended School Closure, Colorado To Allow Small-Group Instruction In Some Districts
Some Colorado districts are planning to have staff and students return to the classroom in the coming weeks for small-group instruction, even as the governor has extended school closures until the end of the academic year.
An amendment to Colorado’s school closure order makes it clear that this is allowed, with Gov. Jared Polis saying he applauds the innovation. One superintendent described it as a trial run for a fall semester that could look very different from the old normal.
Michigan Schools Think Outside The Box With Remote Learning Plans
As school districts roll out their new distance learning plans this week, it’s clear Michigan’s 1.5 million students will be experiencing public education differently depending on where they live.
K-8 students in one Oakland County district will be greeted with a morning “video bell” from their teacher signaling it is time to get to work online, and they will be invited to join two online classroom meetings each school day for prerecorded mini-lessons.
A Seattle District’s Lesson for Washington Schools amid the Coronavirus Closure: Online Learning Is Hard to get Right
It was early March when the Northshore School District abruptly canceled classes, joining some of the first districts in Washington — and the nation — to close due to coronavirus concerns.
The district boasted of its preparation in “moving teaching and learning beyond the four walls of the classroom.” Teachers spent a day preparing to take their lessons virtual. Students who needed a laptop or mobile hot spot could get one at school.
Florida School Boards Try To Balance Coronavirus Emergency With Sunshine
No one spoke Tuesday at a Pasco County School Board public hearing about plans to send hundreds of elementary students to different schools next year.
It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity.
Despite a state stay at home order, the board conducted its session in its usual meeting room — though it adhered to social distancing guidelines that kept the public out of the chamber until invited in one by one to speak. It also opened a teleconference line for residents to call with comments.
Teachers, Parents Say City’s Silence on School-Based Infections is Putting Families At Risk
Educators and advocates are raising alarms over the city’s decision to stop publicly confirming positive cases of the coronavirus in school communities — as even with schools closed, teachers, parents and students may be left in the dark over their exposure to the potentially fatal disease.
Rural California District Stays Open Despite Statewide Stay-at-Home Order
Less than a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, one small rural school district in California remains open.
Districts Search For School Lunch Solutions Amid Coronavirus Closures
Nearly 30 million children in the U.S. count on schools for free or low-cost breakfast, lunch, snacks and sometimes dinner — but most of those children are now at home. At least 114,000 public and private schools have been closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, affecting the vast majority of the nation’s K-12 students, according to an ongoing tally by Education Week.
MN’s Schools Closed For Learning, But Open For Emergency Personnel Child Care, Planning
Last Friday, Gov. Tim Walz told schools to keep their doors open. He said they were needed to care for the children of people who worked in health care.
Two days later the plan changed.
“We have thought this through and I will be willing to say at this time that we have the most comprehensive plan for what school closing looks like of any state in the nation,” Walz said.
Minnesota’s plan means canceling classes for a week and a half to give teachers and district leaders the time to prepare for distance learning.
Student on CMS Board Emerges as Star in Emergency COVID-19 Meeting
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board’s student representative is getting a lot of public love after he grilled the adults in the room at an emergency board meeting this week.
Monday’s session may have been a preview of life in the age of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. For starters, it was called with only a few hours notice to vote on changes forced by the virus.
‘I Think We’re Done’: Educators Not Optimistic of Schools Reopening
There’s rising doubt among school leaders that their students will return to school this spring.
Most schools in the St. Louis area are closed through April 3, for now, to help contain the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. That date is starting to feel like just a placeholder for a more sustained closure.
Meet the Hero Bus Drivers Bringing Lunches — And Hope — To Kids During Coronavirus Quarantine
Angelina Dixon sat in a lounge chair on her front porch shortly before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday sipping steaming coffee and smoking a cigarette.
A 40-foot long yellow school bus pulled up just across the street, a teacher’s aide popped out, hurried over, greeted her warmly and handed her a white, plastic bag. It contained a breakfast pack of a muffin, a box of cereal, a pint of milk and a box juice. It also included a lunch of turkey and cheese cold cuts on a Kaiser roll and chips or Cheez Its crackers.
NYC Stopped Confirming Coronavirus Cases at Schools, But Teachers Headed to Their Campuses Anyway
New York City teachers streamed onto their campuses Tuesday through Thursday for training on moving instruction entirely online during a citywide school shutdown. In some cases, they walked in without any official word on whether they might have been exposed to someone with the new coronavirus.
City health officials have stopped publicly confirming instances of COVID-19 among school communities, as cases have skyrocketed to more than 3,600 as of Thursday morning in New York City.
Chicago Extends School Closures Through April 20 Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Chicago schools will stay closed through April 20 in an effort to stem the exponential growth of the new coronavirus, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a Thursday evening address.
Read the full story here.
Coronavirus Online School: Can Closed Schools Offer Special Education?
As districts scramble to establish distance learning plans for long-term school closures, they’re struggling to provide services to students with disabilities and those with other exceptional circumstances. It’s a challenge with broad implications, tied to financial consequences for districts and developmental consequences for the most vulnerable students in America.
School Closures for Coronavirus Could Extend to the End of School Year, Some Say
As national fears swell over the coronavirus outbreak, more than a dozen governors called for school closures on Sunday.
Now, more than 30 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have closed schools for at least two or three weeks. Some officials have predicted even longer shutdowns that could stretch through the end of the school year.
Read the full story here.
As Coronavirus Cases Rise Nationally, Delaware Schools Prepare for the Worst
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in states surrounding Delaware continues to grow, so too does the urgency of district officials crafting preparedness plans for Delaware schools.
State officials have told districts that as of yet there is no need to make immediate decisions about reducing class sizes or school closures. With no confirmed cases in Delaware as of Tuesday, school districts across the state have primarily encouraged good hygiene and flu prevention practices among students and staff.
Education Leaders Planning For Schools to Remain Closed Beyond March Because of Virus
School leaders across Houston are bracing for long-term campus closures that will require extensive efforts to deliver meals and educational materials to hundreds of thousands of children forced to stay home due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Hours after nearly all Houston-area districts announced they will be closed through next week in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, education leaders said Friday they are preparing to remain out of school well beyond this month.
Governor Closes Public Schools Statewide Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Amid a rise in coronavirus cases nationwide and locally, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced schools across the state would shut down effective Monday through April 13, Edwards’ office announced in a press release Friday. The closure will affect public elementary, middle and high schools, including both traditional and charter schools.
Read the full story here.
NYC Teachers Union Calls on De Blasio to Shut Down Schools as Parents Increasingly Keep Kids Home
Amid growing coronavirus concerns, New York City’s teachers union as well as the union representing school administrators called on Friday for the country’s largest school system to close its doors in the face of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s strident opposition.
What Happens to Student Teachers When Schools and Colleges Close Due to Coronavirus?
Across the country, schools and universities are closing to prevent further outbreak of the coronavirus—and student-teachers are caught in the middle.
Thousands of schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, according to Education Week’s database, which is continuously being updated. And dozens of colleges and universities have also canceled or postponed in-person classes, moving to online instruction.
Austin Schools Closed Friday Amid Coronavirus Threat
The Austin school district shuttered its campuses Friday amid the growing threat of the new coronavirus.
Citing an “interest of health safety in regard to our students and staff,” the district told parents in a 3:35 a.m. email and phone call that it would “continue to closely monitor the situation and provide operational updates, as necessary.”
Coronavirus in N.Y.C.: Pressure to Close School System, Nation’s Largest
As leaders across the country have shut down school districts to curb the spread of coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo have come under growing pressure from elected officials, public health experts, teachers and parents to do the same in New York City.
The latest to do so was the City Council speaker, Corey Johnson, who on Friday called on the city to temporarily close it schools. “It is not time to panic,” he wrote on Twitter. “But it is time to act.”
School Elections: Pocatello, Nampa, Kamiah Levies Pass
This time around, the Nampa School District passed a supplemental levy, after failing by the narrowest of margins in November. And for north-central Idaho’s Kamiah School District, a supplemental levy has narrowly passed — a year after the cash-strapped district had to close its middle school. All told, 41 school districts sought levies Tuesday. Here are some key results.
When College Students Aren’t College-Ready
Thousands of students struggle at Chicago’s two-year colleges. Is an overhaul of developmental ed. programs enough to help?
(EWA Radio: Episode 231)
In Chicago, thousands of students are earning high school diplomas but showing up at the city’s two-year colleges unprepared for the next step in their academic journeys. In a new project, Kate McGee of WBEZ looked at efforts to buck that trend, including an innovative program developed not by outside experts but the system’s own faculty. Along the way, she explored a number of questions: Do students benefit more from remedial classes that re-teach them material they were supposed to master in high school, or from being placed directly into college classes with additional support like tutoring
How Schools Handle Hate
After incidents of racism and anti-semitism, Seattle-area schools struggle to respond
(EWA Radio: Episode 230)
Education reporters are increasingly covering incidents of racism, antisemitism and other forms of hate committed by K-12 students. But what happens after the media spotlight shifts to the next story?
Paradise Lost? Hawaii’s Teacher Shortage
Educators struggle with high cost of living as Aloha State looks to boost pay, training, and workforce diversity
(EWA Radio: Episode 228)
In the mainland United States, typical conversations about Hawaii are more likely to center on dream vacations than teacher shortages. But there’s plenty to be learned from the state’s educational challenges, and how Hawaii is approaching teacher training, recruitment, and retention. Suevon Lee — who covers Hawaii’s public schools for Honolulu Civil Beat, an investigative news outlet — examined these issues with support from an EWA Reporting Fellowship.
The Science of Reading and School Leadership
The newest round of test scores on NAEP, dubbed the “nation’s report card,” show that only about one-third of U.S. fourth and eighth graders are proficient in reading. The data come amid heightened concern that reading instruction is frequently out of step with decades of scientific research.
Don’t Mess With Texas: Covering the Lone Star State’s Schools
Aliyya Swaby of The Texas Tribune talks source building, covering segregation, and more
(EWA Radio: Episode 222)
Prior to joining The Texas Tribune in 2016 as its statewide public schools reporter, Aliyya Swaby covered education for the hyperlocal New Haven Independent in Connecticut. Now she’s responsible for a beat that stretches more than a quarter-million square miles.
Can Puerto Rico’s Schools Be Saved?
As former education secretary Julia Keleher faces indictment, the U.S. territory struggles to keep schools open and students from fleeing
(EWA Radio: Episode 216)
In Puerto Rico, the public education system is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Maria two years ago. Now, another storm has hit, but this time it’s political. Education Secretary Julia Keleher, who pledged to reinvigorate the U.S. territory’s crumbling and low-performing schools, resigned in April and has since been indicted on corruption charges. (She has pleaded not guilty.)
School Discipline Reform: Easier Said Than Done?
For years, kicking students out of school was a common discipline move for administrators. Now, suspending students, a practice that disproportionately affects black and Hispanic youngsters, is out of favor, as educators work to respond to bad behavior without cutting off educational opportunities.
But the change hasn’t been easy, and many educators are still grappling with how to handle discipline problems in ways that don’t hurt students’ education, according to a panel at the Education Writers Association’s annual conference this spring in Baltimore.
When Schools Spy on Students
K-12 districts ramping up digital surveillance in the name of campus safety
(EWA Radio: Episode 212)
Ever feel like somebody’s watching you? If you’re in a in a K-12 school these days, you’re probably right. Education Week’s Benjamin Herold took a close look at the surge in digital surveillance by districts, such as tapping facial recognition software and scanning social media posts for worrisome language.
Cory Booker, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Newark Schools Experiment
"The Prize" author Dale Russakoff discusses massive school reform intervention spearheaded by then-Mayor Cory Booker and funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and its mixed results
EWA Radio: Episode 38
In 2010, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced an unprecedented gift: he would donate $100 million to the public school district of Newark, New Jersey (dollars that would eventually be matched by private partners).
How Can Districts Find and Keep Effective Principals?
Effective school principals are hard to find and to keep, and turnover is a serious challenge.
But school districts that put their minds to it can create a sustainable leader pipeline. Students score higher, and principals stay on the job longer in districts that make diligent efforts to select, prepare and mentor principals, according to a multi-year study, released in April, by the RAND Corporation, a public policy research firm.
Why Strom Thurmond High School Won’t Change Its Name
The controversial past (and present) of schools named for segregationists.
(EWA Radio: Episode 199)
What’s in a name? That’s an increasingly complex question for communities with public schools named after segregationist politicians. Two Education Week reporters, Corey Mitchell and Andrew Ujifusa, are tracking both the campuses and controversy. Education Week built a database of 22 schools in eight states named for politicians who signed a document known as the “Southern Manifesto,” protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision in 1954 on school desegregation. Increasingly, groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center are advocating to turn the controversy into a “teachable moment” for these schools. What’s keeping school officials, including at South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond High School, from renaming campuses? How do students feel about the controversy? And what questions should reporters ask when they dig into the anti-civil rights legacies of these namesakes?
The Schools Named For Segregationists
Communities, schools rethinking ties to anti-Civil Rights namesakes
(EWA Radio: Episode 199)
What’s in a name? That’s an increasingly complex question for communities with public schools named after segregationist politicians. Two Education Week reporters, Corey Mitchell and Andrew Ujifusa, are tracking both the campuses and controversy. Education Week built a database of 22 schools in eight states named for politicians who signed a document known as the “Southern Manifesto,” protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision in 1954 on school desegregation. Increasingly, groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center are advocating to turn the controversy into a “teachable moment” for these schools. What’s keeping school officials, including at South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond High School, from renaming campuses? How do students feel about the controversy? And what questions should reporters ask when they dig into the anti-civil rights legacies of these namesakes?
One Year After Parkland: How Reporters Have Covered the Story
Key events and news coverage from the past year
This week marks a somber anniversary in the United States — one year since the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The massacre on February 14, 2018, left 14 students and 3 staff members dead, and many others wounded.
Is This a Political Turning Point for the Teaching Profession?
The journalist Dale Russakoff kept hearing the same word in her conversations with Arizona teachers during a reporting trip last spring for The New York Times Magazine. That word, she said, was “awakening.”
Reading, Writing, and Asbestos: Reporting on School Infrastructure and Modernization
When it comes to education, the physical condition of classrooms and schools can influence the teaching and learning that happens inside.
What Do Teachers Really Think About School Discipline Reform?
Not long ago, a student who got into a fight at school would likely face an automatic suspension. Now, in schools across the country, that student might be back in class the next day.
That change is part of an expansive effort to rethink the way public schools respond to misbehavior. In many schools, punitive measures like suspension and expulsion are being replaced with alternative strategies that aim to keep students in the classroom and address underlying issues like trauma and stress.
72nd EWA National Seminar
Baltimore • May 6-8, 2019
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat. This year’s event in Baltimore, hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education, will explore an array of timely topics of interest to journalists from across the country, with a thematic focus on student success, safety, and well-being.
Walkouts, Shortages, and Scandals: Reporters Describe ‘How I Did the (Teacher) Story’
There’s no one way to get a great data story on the education beat. You can start with a hunch, dig for data, and then humanize the story with on-the-ground reporting. Or you can start with the people and work back to the data.
Stellar journalists described both of these approaches at a recent Education Writers Association event, in a session called “How I Did the (Teacher) Story.”
By the Numbers: Big Stakes for Education in State Races
It’s hard to overstate the potential implications for education in the 2018 elections. The reasons have less to do with the high-profile battle for control of Congress. It’s really about the volume of state-level contests in November.
Teachers Turn Focus to Ballot Box, But Threat of More Strikes Looms Large
In May, after massive teacher strikes shook up politics in a half-dozen states and thousands of teachers returned to the classroom fresh off the picket lines, a central question lingered: Was the “educator spring,” as the teacher walkouts were dubbed, a one-off event or just a taste of what’s to come?
Remember the Alamo. Forget Helen Keller.
There’s more to Texas' new social studies standards than the viral headlines
(EWA Radio: Episode 182)
Dallas Morning News reporter Lauren McGaughy was expecting another mundane Texas Board of Education meeting. Instead, she wound up with a story that quickly went viral, detailing plans to revise social studies standards — and remove references to Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton, among others.
School Board Races Heat Up Around Country
Often overshadowed, these local elections can have big consequences
While the election cycle spotlight typically focuses on state and federal movers and shakers, the outcomes of local school board races this fall could shake up education policies and priorities at the local level in many communities, with seats up for grabs from coast to coast.
When School Funding Isn’t Fair
What does educational inequity look like in Pennsylvania's schools?
(EWA Radio: Episode 180)
In recent years, multiple U.S. Secretaries of education, appointed by both Republicans and Democrats, have called access to quality public schools a civil rights issue. At the same time, a growing number of states face court challenges to how they fund their K-12 systems, amid concerns that current approaches exacerbate inequities, particularly for historically underserved groups like students of color.
Agenda: 2018 Seminar on the Teaching Profession
Chicago • October 18-19, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Unless otherwise noted, all Thursday events take place in Room 304 of The University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center.
How Much Do Charter Schools Cost Districts?
As charter school enrollment grows, researchers disagree on extent of financial impact and who's to blame.
It’s a refrain heard often in arguments against charter schools—they divert money and resources from already cash-strapped traditional public schools.
But determining to what extent that criticism rings true is anything but simple. Despite several studies, estimates of the costs traditional public schools bear as they lose students to charter schools are imprecise and vary considerably.
Seminar on the Teaching Profession
Chicago • October 18-19, 2018
From state capitols to the U.S. Supreme Court, teachers are making headlines. Perennial issues like teacher preparation, compensation, and evaluation continue to be debated while a new wave of teacher activism and growing attention to workforce diversity are providing fresh angles for compelling coverage.
Empty Schools, Empty Promises
Investigative Reporting: General News Outlets, Print and Online (Small Staff)
About the Entry
Kalyn Belsha led the Chicago Reporter’s investigation into Chicago’s mass school closures, and their surprising (and, in many cases, troubling) impacts on families, student achievement, and campus diversity.
The Secession Movement in Education
Investigative Reporting: Magazines and Weeklies
About the Entry
As a growing number of predominantly white communities seek to form their own school districts, reporter Emmanuel Felton finds dwindling educational opportunities for students of color who remain at less-affluent campuses, raising questions about the federal role.
Bethany Barnes, Beat Reporting
Beat Reporting: General News Outlets, Print and Online (Medium Staff)
About the Entry
In her coverage of Portland Public Schools, Bethany Barnes dug deep into the district’s policies and practices related to “problem” teachers, scrutinized school safety measures, and shadowed an often-contentious search for a new superintendent.
The Fall of Forrest Claypool as Chicago Schools Chief
Investigative Reporting: General News Outlets, Print and Online
About the Entry
Reporters at the Chicago Sun-Times pursued a dogged investigation of the chief executive of the nation’s third-largest school district, shedding light on allegations of kickbacks schemes and ethics violations that led to his dismissal.
In Wake of Parkland Shooting, Schools Look to Learn From Tragedy
Resources, questions to ask as schools reassess systems for identifying, helping troubled students.
That an expelled student with a lengthy school discipline record, a history of violent outbursts, disturbing social media posts, and
How Careful Data Analysis, Shoe-Leather Reporting Exposed Inflated Graduation Rates
It began with a feel-good story: A struggling high school in Washington, D.C., had turned itself around and was sending all its seniors to college. When a reporter dug deeper, however, she discovered that many students should not have qualified to graduate—one in five had even missed more than half the school year.
Pedal to the Metal: Speeding Up Stalled Records Requests
You file a freedom of information request with your local school district concerning financial data or a personnel investigation, but months later, there’s still no answer. What are the next steps, especially if your newsroom’s budget can’t stretch to cover the costs of suing for access? A veteran journalist and an expert on records requests offer strategies for success in making inquiries at the federal, state and local levels.
Let’s Talk About Sex (Ed.)
How local politics are influencing public school programs, teen birth rates
The Central Valley is home to six of the 10 counties with the highest teen pregnancy rates in California. The same communities also have some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted disease. But as reporter Mackenzie Mays discovered by crunching the numbers in a new series for The Fresno Bee, those statistics vary widely by ZIP code, as does access to school-based health programs and services.
71st EWA National Seminar
Los Angeles • May 16-18, 2018
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat. This multiday conference provides participants with top-notch training delivered through dozens of interactive sessions on covering education from early childhood through graduate school. Featuring prominent speakers, engaging campus visits, and plentiful networking opportunities, this must-attend conference provides participants with deeper understanding of the latest developments in education, a lengthy list of story ideas, and a toolbox of sharpened journalistic skills.
The Tax Bill: What Education Reporters Need to Know
Public schools and universities on edge over Republican plan for overhaul
The tax legislation congressional Republicans are rushing to complete has potentially big stakes for education. Critics suggest it will translate into a big financial hit for public schools and universities, as the rules for education-related deductions, revenue-raising bond measures and more are potentially tightened. Andrew Ujifusa of Education Week and Eric Kelderman of The Chronicle of Higher Education offer a primer on the House and Senate versions of the tax-code overhaul, including key differences lawmakers still must hammer out.
When Teachers Say ‘#MeToo’
Sexual harassment, school climate in the spotlight
As a growing number of high-profile men in politics, the media, and entertainment industry face allegations of sexual misconduct, individuals who say they’ve experienced similar harassment in other professions are speaking up — including K-12 teachers.
When Cyber-Hackers Attack, School Districts Are Paying the Ransom.
Data security, student privacy, employee records at risk
From Georgia to California, school districts are facing a growing security threat: hackers. They target everything from employee payroll accounts to student records, and demand ransom in exchange for not taking advantage of sensitive information. Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street Journal discovered that school districts are surprisingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. And many are opting to pay the ransom and not reporting the crime to authorities. Is your school district a target?
Why Is the Portland School District Suing an Education Reporter?
Beth Slovic, a longtime education journalist in Portland, Oregon, was making dinner for her family when she noticed a bearded guy on a bicycle pulling up outside her house.
Slovic thought maybe one of her neighbors had ordered takeout. Instead, the man, a process server, came to her front door: Portland Public Schools was suing to block her public-information request for employee records.
Minneapolis Was Once State’s Largest District. Then School Choice Happened.
EWA Radio: Episode 142
In Minneapolis, record numbers of families are abandoning their neighborhood schools for charters and other educational options, forcing the district to cut staff, programs, and services as the state’s per-pupil funding leaves with students.
A School District Ignored Teacher’s Misconduct. This Reporter Didn’t.
EWA Radio: Episode 141
Bethany Barnes of The Oregonian discusses “The Benefit of the Doubt,” her investigation into how Portland Public Schools botched its handling of multiple allegations of a middle school teacher’s sexual misconduct stretching back more than a decade.
Are the Feds Ignoring Segregated Schools?
EWA Radio: Episode 140
In a cover story for The Nation, Emmanuel Felton of The Hechinger Report argues that the federal government has substantially abandoned Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in which struck down the doctrine of “separate but equal” education. Felton found nearly 200 school districts still under federal orders to desegregate, but many of them have failed to submit the requisite progress reports.
Covering State ESSA Plans: What Reporters Need to Know
States across the nation are taking another look at their school accountability systems in response to the Every Student Succeeds Act, a rewrite of the main federal law for K-12 education. So far, 16 states and the District of Columbia have submitted their ESSA plans for review by the U.S. Department of Education. Another 33 states have until Sept. 18 to do so.
Houston Schools Reporter: After Harvey, ‘Everyone’s in Survival Mode’
EWA Radio: Episode 137
Public school students in Houston — the nation’s seventh-largest district — had expected to start a new academic year this week. Instead, many of their campuses were converted into emergency shelters, and many students as well as educators are now homeless. Shelby Webb of The Houston Chronicle discusses the latest developments, and shares some personal perspectives on reporting under emotionally charged circumstances.
On the Menu: Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts and School Nutrition
EWA Radio: Episode 135
Tovin Lapan of The Hechinger Report visited Greenville, Miss., to examine how President Trump’s proposed budget cuts could impact rural school communities that depend heavily on federal aid for after-school and student nutrition programs. What does research show about the connections between connecting students’ eating habits and test scores?
‘Eddie Prize’ Winner Kelly Field: Reporting on Native American Students
EWA Radio: Episode 134
Journalist Kelly Field recently won a top honor at EWA’s National Seminar for her compelling series, “From the Reservation to College,” on the education of Native American students. Field’s coverage for The Chronicle of Higher Education — supported by an EWA Reporting Fellowship — follows several students from the Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana. Their experiences highlight the significant educational challenges facing Native communities in the U.S.
Tapping Data on School Finance
Tips to drive enterprising reporting
One of the most important things a reporter can do, particularly on the education beat, is follow the money. Tawnell Hobbs, the national K-12 reporter for The Wall Street Journal, shared insights and advice drawn from many years on the beat during an EWA webinar last week.
Follow the Money: Digging Into School District Finances
When it comes to school district finances, the numbers aren’t easy to add up. But tracking and analyzing this information is a powerful tool to drive smart news coverage.
Veteran education journalist Tawnell Hobbs of The Wall Street Journal shares tips and tricks for digging into district operating budgets and actual expenditures, as well as salary databases, overtime requests, check registers and credit card accounts, purchase orders, and more. Learn how to evaluate fiscal data that’s readily available and make the most of open records requests.
Betsy DeVos: Many Questions, Few Answers
EWA Radio: Episode 133
Lisa Miller, an associate editor at New York magazine, discusses her new profile of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Miller discusses the unwillingness of people close to DeVos to discuss her on the record — including current Department of Education employees — made this one of the most challenging profiles she’s ever written. What do we know about DeVos’ vision for the nation’s public schools that we didn’t know six months ago?
In D.C., a Tale of Two School Systems
Tensions between charter schools and traditional public schools are a fact of life nationwide, but few places have seen the debate play out with higher stakes and public glare than Washington D.C.
Marked for decades as one of the country’s most under-performing public school systems, the District of Columbia Public Schools gradually lost half of its students to charter schools.
Too Steep for Denver: The High Cost of High-Quality Early Ed
EWA Radio: Episode 132
Ann Schimke and Marissa Page of Chalkbeat Colorado discuss the unexpected closure of Clayton Early Learning, a highly regarded Head Start program in the Denver area. Parents were left scrambling, and early education advocates across the country wondering what went wrong.
Beyond Boundaries: Deeper Reporting on School Attendance Zones
When Baltimore County school officials wanted to move boundary lines in 2015, some parents predicted declining property values and voiced fears of sending their children to school with “those kids.”
Liz Bowie, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, pushed for clarity on the coded language. Doing so, she told a packed room at the Education Writers Association’s recent National Seminar, is crucial to news coverage of school boundaries and the often related issues of segregation, class bias, and equity.
Best on the Beat: Chalkbeat’s Erin Einhorn
EWA Radio: Episode 126
Chalkbeat Detroit reporter Erin Einhorn won an EWA award this spring for outstanding beat reporting. Her enterprising coverage included stories about the impact on communities when neighborhood schools are slated for closure, unconventional methods of filling Head Start staffing vacancies, and how many families struggle to find educational options for their children that are safe, high quality, and — just as importantly — accessible.
Bonus Episode: Revisiting Brian Rosenthal’s Award-Winning Piece
EWA Radio: Episode 124
Alternative Schools: Are Districts ‘Gaming’ the System?
EWA Radio: Episode 112
Heather Vogell of ProPublica discusses a new investigation into how districts utilize their alternative schools — campuses set up to handle struggling and troubled students. ProPublica concluded that by reassigning students unlikely to graduate out of mainstream classrooms, some traditional high schools were “hiding” their true dropout numbers, and boosting their own ratings within their state’s accountability system.
Invisible Hazard: Traffic, Air Quality, and the Risks for Students
EWA Radio: Episode 110
Jamie Hopkins of The Center for Public Integrity discusses her new investigation (produced in partnership with Reveal) into how proximity to busy roadways is impacting the air quality at thousands of public schools. How close is “too close” for campuses? Why are students of color and those from low-income families more likely to be at risk? Where are parents and health advocates gaining ground in addressing air quality concerns near schools? And how can local reporters use CPI’s online databases to inform their coverage of these issues?
“Rewarding Failure”: Education Week Investigates Cyber Charters
EWA Radio: Episode 107
Reporter Arianna Prothero discusses Education Week’s eight-month investigation of online charter schools, including how some companies aggressively lobby states to craft regulations that allow them to flourish despite spotty records on student achievement. Why do some students opt for this kind of alternative publicly funded education? What do we know about attendance, academic achievement, and school quality in cyber charters? Who are the big players in the cyber charter industry, and how much is known about their policies, practices, and profits?
Prothero answers these and other questions and shares story ideas for local reporters covering online charter schools in their own communities.
Wanted: More Women Superintendents in Texas (and Beyond)
EWA Radio: Episode 96
Shelby Webb of The Houston Chronicle discusses her reporting on the gender disparity among superintendents in Texas. She and EWA public editor Emily Richmond also explore some of the reasons behind this statewide — and national — trend, its impact on learning, and what some experts say would help make school and district leadership jobs more appealing to female educators.
Teachers of Low-Income Students Are Nearly as Effective as Teachers of High-Income Students
Mathematica Policy Research
Although children from wealthier families outperform children from poorer families on achievement tests, a new study from Mathematica Policy Research finds that teachers of low-income students are nearly as effective as teachers of high-income students, on average.
In Texas, Latinos Run the Largest City School Districts
The school districts in Texas’ eight largest cities all have Latino superintendents at the helm, as do half of the top 20, Dallas-based KERA News reported Tuesday. The story comes after the recent hire of Richard A. Carranza as superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, the largest in the state and seventh largest in the country.
Bright Lights, Big City: Covering NYC’s Schools
EWA Radio: Episode 89
Today’s assignment: Reporting on the nation’s largest school district, with 1.1 million students and an operating budget of $25 billion. Patrick Wall of Chalkbeat New York has dug deep into the city’s special education programs, investigated whether school choice programs are contributing to student segregation rather than reducing it, and penned a three-part series on on one high school’s effort to reinvent itself. He talks with EWA public editor Emily Richmond about his work, and offers tips for making the most of student interviews, getting access to campuses, and balancing bigger investigations with daily coverage. A first-prize winner for beat reporting in this year’s EWA Awards, Wall is spending the current academic year at Columbia University’s School of Journalism as a Spencer Fellow.
Where Students Miss the Most Class, and Why That’s a Problem
The precocious teen who’s too cool for school – earning high marks despite skipping class – is a pop-culture standard, the idealized version of an effortless youth for whom success comes easy.
Too bad it’s largely a work of fiction that belies a much harsher reality: Missing just two days a month of school for any reason exposes kids to a cascade of academic setbacks, from lower reading and math scores in the third grade to higher risks of dropping out of high school, research suggests.
Back-to-School: You Need Stories, We’ve Got Ideas
The boys (and girls) are back in town. For class, that is.
See how forced that lede was? Back-to-school reporting can take on a similar tinge of predictability, with journalists wondering how an occasion as locked in as the changing of the seasons can be written about with the freshness of spring.
Recently some of the beat’s heavy hitters dished with EWA’s Emily Richmond about ways newsrooms can take advantage of the first week of school to tell important stories and cover overlooked issues.
‘Glen’s Village’: From Childhood Trauma to the Ivy League
EWA Radio: Episode 82
Veteran education writer Paul Jablow and multimedia journalist Dorian Geiger discuss their documentary of a young man who escaped the drugs and violence of his West Philadelphia neighborhood thanks to the intensive interventions of a network of support, including his mother, teachers, and social workers. Glen Casey is now a successful student at the University of Pennsylvania and plans on a teaching career. But how unusual is his story, particularly in a public school system of ever-dwindling resources?
Getting High-Quality Teachers to Disadvantaged Students
Video Resources from the 69th EWA National Seminar
Low-income and minority students are less likely to have experienced, high-quality teachers, research shows. What steps can school districts and educators put in place to improve these statistics? Panelists share some strategies.
Back-to-School: You Need Stories, We’ve Got Ideas
For education reporters, coming up with fresh ideas for back-to-school stories is an annual ritual. And if you’re balancing the K-12 and higher education beats, it can be an even bigger challenge.
The ABCs of ESSA: Smart Questions, Better Stories
Chicago • October 6–7, 2016
What will be the impact of the new Every Student Succeeds Act on states and schools, both in policy and practice? EWA will examine an array of issues with the federal law, including testing and accountability, Title I funding, teachers, stakeholder engagement, and curriculum.
Getting in Deep: Immersing Yourself in a Difficult Education Story
Video Resources from the 69th EWA National Seminar
Award-winning Boston Globe journalist Meghan Irons shares lessons from her reporting on two complex stories about students and race: one on equity and campus climate at Boston Latin, the nation’s oldest public school; and another that looked closely at school desegregation 40 years after the tumultuous debut of court-ordered busing in Boston.
When Schools Become Crisis Centers
EWA Radio: Episode 75
As Casey McDermott reports for New Hampshire Public Radio, teachers in the Granite State are increasingly functioning as de facto case managers for vulnerable students. She talks with EWA public editor Emily Richmond about the issues facing youth and their families, ranging from homelessness to food insecurity to substance abuse. The focus on vulnerable students is part of NHPR’s new “State of Democracy” project, examining the real-world implications of policy decisions.
Investigating ‘Failure Factories’
Video Resources from the 69th EWA National Seminar
The K-12 investigative reporting track offers a how-to session on digging into public documents that help reporters examine special education policies, highlights journalists’ work on how teachers charged with abusing students are staying in the classroom, and explores how five elementary schools were allowed to become “failure factories.”
NYC Schools Initiative Aims to Improve Student Diversity
Schools in New York City are being asked to consider voluntary diversity plans in an effort to combat widespread segregation in the city’s schools.
According to its online call for proposals under the Diversity in Admissions Initiative, the city’s education department ”seeks to empower schools to strengthen diversity among their students through targeted efforts to change their admissions process.”
A New 2016 “Common Core,” With Social-and-Emotional Muscle
At the age of nine, Amalio Nieves saw his father die from gun violence in Chicago. And as a child, Nieves himself was robbed at gunpoint. Now he’s always thinking about his young niece Jordan and the year 2100 – when Jordan will be the parent of a child that leads America into a new, unknown century.
When States Take Over Schools
Most reporters dread seeing the next school board meeting on the calendar. But as more states take over failing schools, removing them from local control, some journalists are finding open and easily accessible meetings harder to come by, and recognizing the value of what they’ve lost.
Missing Class: Using Data to Track Chronic Absenteeism
For every savant who’s skilled enough to ditch class and still ace the course, many more who miss school fall way behind, increasing their odds of dropping out or performing poorly.
The implications are major: If a school has a high number of students repeatedly absent, there’s a good chance other troubles are afoot. Feeling uninspired in the classroom, poor family outreach, or struggles at students’ homes are just some of the root causes of absenteeism, experts say.
Angela Duckworth: Raising Test Scores Is Not a Sign of Grit
In the dozen years that Angela Duckworth has researched the concept of grit, she’s found new ways to test its validity, identified examples of it in popular culture, and worked to bust myths about its application in schools. But she hasn’t developed a just-add-water curriculum package that interested schools can use to develop the character trait in their students.
Behind the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Failure Factories Series
Cara Fitzpatrick was in labor when her husband – and colleague at the Tampa Bay Times – asked her “So what can you tell me about segregation in Pinellas County?”
The paper had just decided to do a large-scale investigation into the district’s schools that were serving predominately low-income, black students. Two years later, Fitzpatrick’s son is walking and talking and she and the rest of the team have earned a Pulitzer Prize for their series Failure Factories.
Inside Tampa Bay Times’ Pulitzer Prize-Winning ‘Failure Factories’
EWA Radio: Episode 70
Update: On May 2, “Failure Factories” won the $10,000 Hechinger Grand Prize in the EWA National Awards for Education Reporting.
The Pulitzer Prize for local reporting this year went to the Tampa Bay Times for an exhaustive investigation into how a handful of elementary schools in Pinellas County wound up deeply segregated by race, poverty, and opportunity.
NPR Follows the (School) Money
EWA Radio: Episode 69
Cory Turner and Acacia Squires of National Public Radio’s education team discuss a new project focusing on how local and state dollars flow to public schools.
In Detroit, School Choice Is ‘Six Hours, Eight Buses’
EWA Radio: Episode 68
Is “school choice” a misnomer in Detroit, where options for students hinge heavily on their ability to find their own transportation?
USA Today: States Putting ‘Bad Apple’ Teachers Back in Classrooms
EWA Radio: Episode 61
Steve Reilly, an investigative reporter and data specialist for USA Today, talks with EWA public editor about his newspaper’s groundbreaking year-long project examining shortfalls in how states track, and share information, about teacher discipline and licensing issues.
Iowa Is First: The Presidential Candidates – and Their Education Plans
EWA Radio: Episode 57
Iowa prides itself on holding the first caucuses of the presidential election year. EWA public editor Emily Richmond talks with statewide education reporter Mackenzie Ryan of the Des Moines Register about what it’s like to be at the epicenter of the presidential race insanity, her coverage of Republican hopeful Marco Rubio, and the big concerns for Iowa voters when it comes to public schools.
Story Lab: Student Data Privacy
Published December 2015
No Substitute for A Teacher
EWA Radio: Episode 52
For already struggling students in high-poverty schools, frequent turnover among their teachers – and an over-reliance on substitutes – can hurt achievement.
Rethinking the Adolescent Brain
For years, common experience and studies have prescribed that humans learn best in their earliest years of life – when the brain is developing at its fastest. Recently, though, research has suggested that the period of optimal learning extends well into adolescence.
High School Closures in New York City
In the first decade of the 21st century, the NYC Department of Education implemented a set of large-scale and much debated high school reforms, which included closing large, low-performing schools, opening new small schools and extending high school choice to students throughout the district. The school closure process was the most controversial of these efforts. Yet, apart from the general sense that school closures are painful, there has never been a rigorous assessment of their impact in NYC.
State Capacity to Support School Turnaround
Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
More than 80 percent of states made turning around low-performing schools a high priority, but at least 50 percent found it very difficult to turn around low-performing schools. 38 states (76 percent) reported significant gaps in expertise for supporting school turnaround in 2012, and that number increased to 40 (80 percent) in 2013.
State, Local Election Results Signal Shifts for Ed. Policy
Kentucky was the first state to adopt the Common Core, but with a new Republican governor elected Tuesday who opposes the standards for English language arts and math, that pioneering legacy could be upended.
Beyond Test Scores: “Mission High” Redefines Student Success
EWA Radio: Episode 46
What does it really take to help students succeed at school and life, and how much of those gains can really be measured by test scores?
Those are some of the questions journalist Kristina Rizga set out to answer in her reporting on a San Francisco high school, first published by Mother Jones magazine. Her investigation turned into a four-year project and the new book “Mission High: One School, How Experts Tried to Fail It, and the Students and Teachers Who Made It Triumph.”
Breaking the Story: The Chicago Schools Superintendent Scandal
EWA Radio: Episode 45
In 2013, Chicago education reporter Sarah Karp asked a question: Why was a no-bid contract for $20 million awarded to a relatively unknown company chosen to provide professional development services in the nation’s third-largest school district?
Seattle Schools Ban Elementary Suspensions
Discipline practices thought to disproportionately affect students of color have been at the center of debates across the country. And with a growing body of research showing the negative long-term effects of zero-discipline policies, especially on minority youth, many school districts have moved to abandon them.
Summer Reading List: “The Prize”
EWA Radio: Episode 38
In 2010, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced an unprecedented gift: he would donate $100 million to the public school district of Newark, New Jersey (dollars that would eventually be matched by private partners).
Dale Russakoff, a longtime reporter for The Washington Post, spent more than three years reporting on what turned into a massive experiment in top-down educational interventions—with decidedly mixed results.
69th EWA National Seminar
The Education Writers Association, the national professional organization for journalists who cover education, is thrilled to announce that its annual conference will take place from Sunday, May 1, through Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in the historic city of Boston.
Co-hosted by Boston University’s College of Communication and School of Education, EWA’s 69th National Seminar will examine a wide array of timely topics in education — from early childhood through career — while expanding and sharpening participants’ skills in reporting and storytelling.
Is Arizona’s Ban on Mexican-American Studies Legal?
Does an Arizona law banning Mexican-American studies curriculum in public schools intentionally discriminate against Hispanics? That’s the question a federal appeals court has claimed warrants a trial.
The Secret to Great School Budget Stories? Dig, Dig, Dig
News stories on school district budgets often stick to whether spending is up or down, whether employees received raises or not. So Dallas Morning News reporter Tawnell Hobbs helped attendees at the Education Writers Association National Seminar delve deeper into school spending and unlock the juiciest stories during a session in Chicago on April 20.
Reporting on Schools: Why Campus Access Matters
Back in December, reporter Lauren Foreman of the Bakersfield Californian sent an email titled “Banned from classrooms” to a group of education journalists.
“One of my district’s assistant supes told me today reporters aren’t allowed to observe classroom instruction, and parents aren’t even allowed to freely do that,” she wrote. Foreman wanted to know what policies were in other districts and how she ought to respond.
National Seminar: EWA in Chicago
EWA’s 68th National Seminar kicks off today in Chicago, and it’s going to be a fantastic three days of discussions, workshops, and site visits. The theme this year is Costs and Benefits: The Economics of Education. Be sure to keep tabs on all the action via the #EWA15 hashtag on Twitter.
Minority Students in Md. School: We’re Perceived as ‘Academically Inferior’
Latino and black students in Montgomery County, Md., told school district officials they are sometimes perceived as “academically inferior” and want change under the district’s next leader. The speech by a group of seven minority students was given at a community gathering hosted by the Montgomery County Education Forum amid the district’s search for a new superintendent.
Charter School Lessons in Post-Katrina New Orleans
Top tweets from #EWAChoice’s third Saturday session.
What Goes Into Charter School Quality and Accountability?
Top journo tweets about the first session of the second day of #EWAChoice.
Eye on Denver’s Charter and Choice Landscape
Top tweets from “Eye on Denver” — the second session at #EWAChoice
School Choice Policy and Politics: What’s Ahead?
Top Tweets from #EWAChoice’s first session
Petition: Metal Detectors Treat Black, Latino Students Like Criminals
A petition addressed to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña is asking the administration to end the use of metal detectors in schools, claiming the added security measures unnecessarily treat black and Latino students like criminals.
For Students, Uneven Benefits of Boston’s Longer School Days
EWA Radio: Episode 20
Grappling with achievement gaps between their rich and poor students, a growing number of schools and districts are resolving to add more minutes or days to the academic calendar, and Boston has emerged as a leader in this trend.
Fla. Hispanic Group Wants Say in Superintendent Search
A non-profit Hispanic group in Palm Beach County, Fla. has asked the school district for a role in helping select the next superintendent — a person they say should have a proven track record of improving graduation rates among minority students.
Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus Makes Education a Priority
In Texas, Senate Hispanic Caucus leaders aim to make education a priority for the 84th Legislative Session, which started Jan. 13 and runs through June 1.
Their agenda, announced Monday, includes education along with health care, immigration, civic engagement and economic opportunity, the El Paso Times reported.
Ready to Lead: Covering The Next Generation of School Principals
Behind every good teacher is a good principal, research shows. How can school districts make sure they have the right leaders in place? Too many school districts have haphazard ways of recruiting and nurturing potential principals.
School Districts Put Emphasis on Educating Parents
School districts in Texas’ Bexar County are offering more options for parents to further their education in order to get more involved in their children’s, including after-hours classes in learning English as a second language or preparing to a GED.
It’s About Time
Learning Time and Educational Opportunity in California High Schools
IT’S ABOUT TIME draws on a statewide survey to examine how learning time is distributed across California high schools. The survey, conducted by UCLA IDEA during the 2013-2014 school year, included a representative sample of nearly 800 teachers. Survey findings highlight inequalities in the amount of time available for learning across low and high poverty High Schools. Community stressors and chronic problems with school conditions lead to far higher levels of lost instructional time in high poverty high schools.
Education Spending Plays Key Role in Elections
One outcome of Tuesday’s midterm elections: Nevada can expect to retain the dubious distinction of having one of the nation’s lowest rates of per-pupil funding. A ballot measure that would have levied a new tax on large businesses to benefit public schools failed to garner support, with nearly eight out of 10 Silver State voters opposing it.
Education and the Election: What Happened and What It Means
The midterm election results have big implications for education, from Republicans’ success in retaking the U.S. Senate to new governors coming in and a slew of education ballot measures, most of which were defeated.
The widely watched race for California’s schools superintendent came down to the wire, with incumbent Tom Torlakson edging out challenger Marshall Tuck — a former charter schools administrator:
Are Students Learning Lessons of Midterm Elections?
Today is a day off from school for millions of students as campuses in some districts and states — including Michigan and New York — are converted into polling stations for the midterm elections. To Peter Levine, the director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, that’s a missed opportunity to demonstrate democracy in action.
School Board President Makes Reporter the Story
For Erin Richards, K-12 reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the agenda for the city school board meeting this week brought an odd surprise:
Superintendents: Common Core Can Work, But More Resources Needed
District superintendents are increasingly confident in the potential of the Common Core State Standards to help improve student learning even as the school leaders question whether there’s enough time and resources for a smooth implementation, a new survey finds.
Under Scrutiny: Los Angeles Unified’s iPad Purchases
EWA Radio, Episode 12
EWA’s Emily Richmond and Mikhail Zinshteyn speak with Annie Gilbertson of KPCC, Southern California’s NPR affiliate, about her investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District’s $1.2 billion investment in classroom technology.
Early Education Plans Hit Snags
Early education gets support from both sides of the aisle. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce runs campaigns advocating for it. So does Hillary Clinton. And research appears conclusive that it’s important.
But as states respond to the data, a new challenge emerges: implementing early education programs successfully. Several recent stories provide different looks at how some locales are scaling up their early education offerings.
Money Magazine Ranks Colleges’ ROI
EWA Radio, Episode 11
EWA’s Emily Richmond and Mikhail Zinshteyn speak with Money Magazine education reporter Kim Clark about the publication’s first-ever college rankings, which focus on the return-on-investment factor of earning a degree from a particular institution.
With Eye Toward Equity, Schools Rethink Discipline
In a month dominated by news reports of racial tension, a significant milepost in American race relations garnered less attention: For the first time in this country’s history, white students will this year no longer comprise a majority of the nation’s schoolchildren.
Illinois Lawmakers Use Influence on Teacher Licensing
EWA Radio, Episode 10
A Chicago Tribune investigation turns up instances of lawmakers intervening in teacher licensing decisions on behalf of their friends and donors. Tribune education reporter Diane Rado speaks with EWA’s Emily Richmond and Mikhail Zinshteyn about her ongoing coverage of licensing issues, and what it means for local students and schools.
What Happens When States Take Over School Districts?
State takeover districts have been lauded as the savior of children left behind by inept local school boards — and derided as anti-democratic fireworks shows that don’t address the root causes of poor education. Three panelists took an hour during EWA’s National Seminar in Nashville to get beyond the flash and noise and discuss the real challenges of state school takeovers, a process all acknowledged is disruptive.
Atlanta Cheating Scandal: New Yorker Magazine Gets Personal
The July 21 issue of The New Yorker takes us deep inside the Atlanta cheating scandal, and through the lucid reporting of Rachel Aviv, we get to know some of the teachers and school administrators implicated. We learn not only how and why they say they cheated, but also about the toxic, high-pressure environment they contend was created by Superintendent Beverly Hall’s overwhelming emphasis on improving student test scores.
Michigan’s Charter Schools: Detroit Free Press Digs Deep
EWA Radio, Episode 7
A year-long investigation into Michigan’s charter schools by the Detroit Free Press uncovered wasteful spending, cozy contracts, and missed opportunities to shut down long-struggling campuses, according to the newspaper.
Lacking Leaders: The Challenges of Principal Recruitment, Selection, and Placement
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
A school’s leader matters enormously to its success and that of its students and teachers. But how well are U.S. districts identifying, recruiting, selecting, and placing the best possible candidates in principals’ offices? To what extent do their practices enable them to find and hire great school leaders? To what degree is the principal’s job itself designed to attract outstanding candidates?
Common Core a Tainted Brand?
Tennessee joins a phalanx of other states in ending its relationship with one of the two Common Core-aligned assessment groups.
The state’s top three education leaders sent a letter to Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) announcing that Tennessee will be seeking a new set of tests and leaving the consortium. Education Week has more.
Louisiana Moves Closer to Dropping Common Core
Will Louisiana be the fourth state to bow out of the Common Core State Standards? The state’s governor indicated today in a speech that he intends to do just that, but other state leaders are pushing back. The Times-Picayune has the story on what Gov. Bobby Jindal said and the subsequent fallout.
Great Principals at Scale
Bush Center and New Leaders
School leaders are critical in the lives of students and to the development of their teachers. Unfortunately, in too many instances, principals are effective in spite of – rather than because of – district conditions. To truly improve student achievement for all students across the country, well-prepared principals need the tools, support, and culture that enable them to be the best.
Preparing Principals to Raise Student Achievement: Implementation and Effects of the New Leaders Program in Ten Districts
By Susan M. Gates, Laura S. Hamilton, Paco Martorell, Susan Burkhauser, Paul Heaton, Ashley Pierson, Matthew Baird, Mirka Vuollo, Jennifer J. Li, Diana Lavery, Melody Harvey and Kun Gu
New Leaders Principals Affect Student Achievement in Their Schools
A Variety of Factors Could Explain the Observed Relationship Between New Leaders Principals and Outcomes
Live From Nashville: EWA’s 67th National Seminar
I’ve often made the case that there’s no reporting beat where the reporters are more collegial – or more committed to their work - than education. EWA’s 67th National Seminar, hosted by Vanderbilt University, helped to prove that point.
EWA Community Member Insights: Making Sure Your Voice Is Heard
EWA is at Vanderbilt University this week for our 67th National Seminar. We invited some of our community members to contribute posts from some of the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Swati Pandey of The Broad Foundation.
When Felice Nudelman asked a group of college presidents to share their worst fears, the first was obvious: a crisis on campus. The second was a little more surprising.
Building A GradNation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic (2014)
For the first time in U.S. history the nation’s high school graduation rate rose above 80 percent, according to the 2014 Building a GradNation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic report released April 28 by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Report: Don’t Underestimate School Boards’ Impact
When it comes to the decisions that most directly affect the business of public education and what happens in classrooms, few people are as influential – and often as unacknowledged – as local school board members.
Indeed, a new report from the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute suggests the makeup of local school boards can have a measurable effect on student achievement.
Beyond Teachers: Who Else Is Your District Employing?
You may know that teachers make up roughly half of the education staff in school districts, but who are the other employees on the rolls? To provide a clearer picture, I broke down data from the U.S. Department of Education on district staffing to visualize this often-overlooked slice of the workforce.
You Know Who Supports Homeschooling? District Administrators
Education Week’s annual “Quality Counts” project was published Thursday, and it’s loaded with data, story ideas and thought-provoking reporting on how school systems are responding to new demands for improvement and accountability.
Urban School Reform: Beyond Stars and Scandals
This week, we’re revisiting some of the top sessions from EWA’s 66th National Seminar held at Stanford University. We asked journalists who attended to contribute posts, and today’s guest blogger is Kyla Calvert of San Diego Public Radio. Stream any session from National Seminar in your browser, or subscribe via RSS or iTunes.
A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK on the State of Public Education
With today marking the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death, I thought I would share a post I wrote last year.
In his commencement speech at San Diego State College, the president of the United States covered unsurprising territory in describing the challenges facing the nation’s public schools – inequities for minority students, a high dropout rate, and the need for better teacher training.
States Ramping Up Student Data Systems
To Boost Student Learning, Should Teacher Quality Trump Class Size?
When it comes to student success, “smaller is better” has been the conventional wisdom on class size, despite a less-than-persuasive body of research. But what if that concept were turned on its head, with more students per classroom – provided they’re being taught by the most effective teachers?
The Nation’s Report Card: A Slow Climb Up a Steep Hill
The “Nation’s Report Card” is out today for fourth and eighth graders in reading and math, and while there are some positive trends over the past two decades, a significant achievement gap persists among minorities and for America’s students when compared with their peers internationally.
More Teachers See Pay, Tenure Tied to Student Gains
More teachers are seeing their incomes and performance reviews tied to student test scores, a new national report shows.
Follow-Up Friday: The Post-Shutdown Education Roundup
As the federal government restarts — along with the National Zoo’s Panda Cam, which I know is what was really worrying everyone – here are a few quick hits from the education front:
As Poverty Spreads, So Do the Challenges for Schools
A new report highlighting the growing rate of poverty among suburban residents warns that traditional policies aimed at combating indigence aren’t designed to address the problem adequately.
Urban School Reform: Beyond Stars and Scandals
Do reporters who cover major efforts to improve schools focus on incremental developments at the expense of the big picture? Do they pay too much attention to leaders with star power and too little to quieter contributors? The authors of two new books on urban education reflect on media coverage of efforts to revamp big-city schools. Moderator: Benjamin Herold, WHYY; Richard Colvin, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship; David Kirp, University of California, Berkeley. Recorded at EWA’s 66th National Seminar, “Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media,” May 2-4, 2013
Giving Guidance: Counselors’ Role in College and Career Readiness
1 hour
When it comes to making sure students are college and career ready, middle and high school guidance counselors play a critical — and often underreported — role.In this EWA webinar, attendees received an advance look at the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center’s second-annual survey of guidance counselors, in which respondents outlined some of the challenges of helping students meet ever-increasing expectations, as well as identified shortfalls in their own training and professional development.In this recording, you’ll also hear from experts in the field as to the implications
Follow the Money: What’s Hiding In Your School District’s Spending?
56 minutes
So you’ve managed to get your hands on all the records your school district keeps about its budget and spending. Now what? How can you turn a giant data dump into a compelling story for your readers?
In this EWA webinar, you’ll hear how reporters at the Dallas Morning News used public records to create databases of district spending and budget information, and how they used those databases to uncover everything from fraud and mismanagement to cozy vendor-employee relationships to the misuse of federal grants.
Buskin Lecture: Mayor Cory Booker
The Mayor of Newark, NJ speaks at EWA’s 65th National Seminar on education inequality, innovation, and the need for tough questions in school coverage.
In the Trenches: Teachers’ Take on Turnarounds
Anthony Cody, a longtime teacher and blogger who is now a consultant and expert on teacher leadership, and Lisa Goncalves Lavin, a first grade teacher and member of the Turnaround Teacher Team (T3) at Blackstone Elementary School in Boston, Mass., share their views of how teachers are experiencing turnaround efforts.
The Unions’ Engagement in School Turnarounds
Ellen Holmes (NEA) and Judy Hale (AFT-West Virginia) discuss the unions’ programs developed in response to the national push to turn around low-performing schools.
Lessons Learned: What We Know About School Turnarounds
In this excerpt from his presentation at EWA’s March 24 conference in Chicago, Professor Daniel Duke of the University of Virginia reviews the history of recent school turnaround efforts, lessons that can be drawn from successes and setbacks, and issues and concerns that persist as the reform effort moves forward.
Charter Schools’ Role in Turnaround and Transformation
How does the charter school model factor into efforts to turn around low-achieving campuses? Why haven’t more charter management organizations signed on for school turnarounds? What questions should reporters be asking when faced with conflicting data on charter school performance?
Turnaround Schools: Federal Priorities and Research Findings
Deputy Assistant Secretary Jason Snyder of the U.S. Department of Education provides an overview of federal reform efforts and the Obama administration’s goals for the SIG program.
Timothy Knowles, director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, talks about key findings from studies of Chicago’s turnaround initiative.
Recorded at EWA’s March 24, 2012 conference on school turnarounds at the University of Chicago
How Successful Turnarounds Leverage Resources
William Guenther, president and chief executive of Mass Insight, discusses his organization’s role in facilitating “Partnership Zones” in numerous districts nationwide.
Effective Superintendents, Effective Boards
Finding the Right Fit
Published May 2003
High-Stakes Testing Errors Nationwide Revealed in New Atlanta Journal-Constitution Series
We spend quite a bit of time talking about cheating on standardized tests — who does it, how to prevent it, the pressures that might be contributing to it. What we don’t talk much about are the errors that occur before a student is ever handed a bubble sheet and the mistakes that can occur after the completed exams are turned in.