Coverage of Denver Public Schools
Beat Reporting (Midsize Newsroom)
Entry Credit
- Melanie Asmar, Chalkbeat
About the Entry
Asmar’s coverage included in-depth reporting on a long-simmering teachers’ strike, analysis of the impact of pro-reform candidates winning control of a local school board, and an investigation into student discipline policies that critics say went too far.
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Handcuffed in Denver in the Fifth Grade: ‘Whenever I Shut my Eyes, I Saw the Cuffs’
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How a Once-Promising Merit Pay System Led Denver Teachers to the Brink of a Strike
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The Denver District Believes Incentives Keep Good Teachers at Hard Schools. The Data is Mixed.
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A Crisis and an Opportunity: Inside the Fight to Save One Denver Middle School
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Why the Denver School Board ‘Flipped’ and What Might Happen Next
Comments from the Judges
“This package of stories reflects a deep knowledge of education issues in Denver public schools. The stories are well-written, helping readers understand complex problems that date back years.”
“Melanie Asmar’s coverage of the Denver schools stands out for local beat reporting because she successfully merges analysis of dense policy issues, such as performance pay for teachers, with strong writing and storytelling about how decisions affect families on the ground.”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2019 FINALISTS
EWA is grateful to the College Board for its generous support of the 2019 National Awards for Education Reporting.
