No time to attend an in-person seminar? Get your training on-demand with EWA's free online series. All of our past events are archived here, with new live events scheduled throughout the year.
No time to attend an
in-person seminar? Get your training on-demand
with EWA’s free online series. All of our past events are
archived here, with new live events scheduled throughout the
year.
School leaders are scrambling, yet again, during the third
academic year since the pandemic began disrupting education in
spring 2020. Under pressure to keep schools open and close
learning gaps, they must still provide instruction to students
quarantined at home due to COVID-19 exposure.
New data continues to show impeded academic learning during the
coronavirus pandemic. A critical question is: What, exactly,
should be done to address the problem? Efforts are growing to
better connect education data with instructional strategies
during the education recovery.
State retirement plans for teachers are wildly uneven in quality,
according to a new analysis. Some teachers can’t collect Social
Security under their state plans, yet their retirement benefits
don’t make up the difference. And, some are building up huge
bills that taxpayers will have to pay.
Although school districts nationwide are expected to offer
full-time, in-person instruction during the 2021-22 academic
year, millions of students are poised to stick with online
learning, with the number of virtual options growing. This raises
a host of important questions for families, communities, and
educators.
Watch the Education Writers Association’s timely webinar on
remote learning. Experts identified critical questions
education reporters should be asking in their local communities
and provided some early answers.
Cognitive science has vastly expanded the body of knowledge on
how people learn in the last 25 years. Yet, little of that
knowledge has trickled down to the classroom.
A small, but growing, number of schools and districts are working
to change that. More educators are looking at the science of
learning after concerns expressed about learning disruptions and
recovering from the pandemic. To learn more, watch the webinar
recording below.
As with so many aspects of schooling, the pandemic exposed flaws
in traditional grading policies and practices. As the number of
Ds and Fs rose, educators altered, froze or suspended grades in
an effort to hold students harmless for lack of Internet access
and other circumstances beyond their control.
The ongoing pandemic has cast a gloomy shadow over education
news. Even the most celebratory, feel-good stories have been
clouded with loss. News stories have tended to focus on education
system failures, such as missing students, growing equity gaps
and budget cuts.
Pride month is coming to an end, but LGBTQ issues will continue
to make headlines this summer and fall – especially for education
reporters – because of continuing controversies over
new school policies and laws.
Legislation banning the teaching of “critical race theory” in
schools and colleges is being advanced in statehouses all over
the country. Lawmakers sponsoring these policies claim that such
teaching is divisive, racist, and psychologically distressing.
Opponents say that this is a manufactured misinformation campaign
intended to chill teacher speech and limit educators’ ability to
teach about race and racism.
As schools gear up for education recovery over the next year,
robust arts programs – in music, visual arts, theater and more –
can be a powerful lever to help address key pandemic-driven
challenges. That’s the case some arts education advocates are
making.
The pandemic forced schools to switch from in-person to remote
learning nearly overnight, raising questions about the relevance
of “seat time” as a standard measure for earning course credit.
Now, as schools move into education recovery mode, an alternative
model known as competency-based learning is getting a fresh look
and is expected to see more widespread adoption.
School districts nationwide are racing to meet an August deadline
to map out how they will spend their portion of $130 billion in
recovery dollars under the American Rescue Plan, signed in March
by President Joe Biden. This massive influx of federal aid comes
on top of two earlier rounds of emergency support from
Washington.
One of the most important goals of America’s education system is
to launch citizens into “middle class” jobs that pay enough
to provide economic security. But the number of those jobs have
been shrinking, and the skills needed to land the remaining
middle class jobs are changing faster than many traditional
educational or training programs have been able to match.
The nearly $2 trillion stimulus package President Joe Biden
signed into law last week contains an historic infusion of
federal aid for schools, colleges and universities. Education
journalists will play an important role in shedding light on the
uses and impacts of that funding – over $125 billion for
K-12 and nearly $40 billion for higher education.
Where exactly will the money from the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 go? How will it be used? Will the funds “rescue” the schools
and students with the highest needs?
For the first time ever, school-by-school spending data is
publicly available that makes it possible to shine a spotlight on
disparities within school district boundaries, as well as
differences across school systems and even state borders.
As the pandemic-driven disruption to education persists, many
schools across the country are or soon will be providing hybrid
instruction — a combination of in-person and remote classes.
Sometimes, the same teacher even delivers both modes
simultaneously.
Hybrid learning can be the best of both worlds or the worst
of both worlds, said Bree Dusseault, the
practitioner-in-residence at the Center on Reinventing Public
Education.
The ongoing pandemic has heightened concerns about
children’s mental and physical health, food insecurity and
trauma. One factor that can have a big impact on children’s
health that is too often overlooked by the media: a state’s
policies governing schools’ responses to student health and
safety issues.
Proposals to forgive some or all of the nation’s $1.5 trillion in
student loans are making headlines as the Biden administration
considers how to restart the economy and make the U.S. education
system more equitable.
In this EWA webinar, speakers discussed the impact of student
debt forgiveness on access to higher education and pathways to
good jobs. They shared their insights and answered audience
questions on this pressing topic.
Education is at the center of the news like never before. But
what obstacles do education journalists face as they seek to
inform the public? What do they see as the most important issues
in education today? And what do they believe needs to change
about their own profession?
For answers to these and other questions, watch this State of the
Education Beat report webinar, based on a national survey of
education journalists. The report was produced for EWA by the
EdWeek Research Center.
Learning in Quarantine: What Reporters Need to Know
School leaders are scrambling, yet again, during the third academic year since the pandemic began disrupting education in spring 2020. Under pressure to keep schools open and close learning gaps, they must still provide instruction to students quarantined at home due to COVID-19 exposure.
How Will Educators Use Data on COVID-19 Learning Disruption?
Experts say recent findings can inform instructional strategies.
New data continues to show impeded academic learning during the coronavirus pandemic. A critical question is: What, exactly, should be done to address the problem? Efforts are growing to better connect education data with instructional strategies during the education recovery.
A Report Card on Teacher Retirement Systems
What education journalists need to know about an important but undercovered issue
State retirement plans for teachers are wildly uneven in quality, according to a new analysis. Some teachers can’t collect Social Security under their state plans, yet their retirement benefits don’t make up the difference. And, some are building up huge bills that taxpayers will have to pay.
Online Learning Will Continue This Fall. What Do Reporters Need to Know?
Although school districts nationwide are expected to offer full-time, in-person instruction during the 2021-22 academic year, millions of students are poised to stick with online learning, with the number of virtual options growing. This raises a host of important questions for families, communities, and educators.
Watch the Education Writers Association’s timely webinar on remote learning. Experts identified critical questions education reporters should be asking in their local communities and provided some early answers.
Brain Waves: Covering How the Science of Learning Translates to the Classroom
Cognitive science has vastly expanded the body of knowledge on how people learn in the last 25 years. Yet, little of that knowledge has trickled down to the classroom.
A small, but growing, number of schools and districts are working to change that. More educators are looking at the science of learning after concerns expressed about learning disruptions and recovering from the pandemic. To learn more, watch the webinar recording below.
A Reporter’s Guide to Rethinking Grades Post-Pandemic
Experts explain how COVID-19 disrupted grading practices in schools and what's ahead
As with so many aspects of schooling, the pandemic exposed flaws in traditional grading policies and practices. As the number of Ds and Fs rose, educators altered, froze or suspended grades in an effort to hold students harmless for lack of Internet access and other circumstances beyond their control.
How to Take a Solutions Journalism Approach to Reporting
The ongoing pandemic has cast a gloomy shadow over education news. Even the most celebratory, feel-good stories have been clouded with loss. News stories have tended to focus on education system failures, such as missing students, growing equity gaps and budget cuts.
LGBTQ Stories Reporters Should Cover After Pride Month
Hear about laws targeting LGBTQ athletes, mental health and data to inform your coverage.
Pride month is coming to an end, but LGBTQ issues will continue to make headlines this summer and fall – especially for education reporters – because of continuing controversies over new school policies and laws.
Critical Race Theory 101: Essential Context for Education Reporters
Legislation banning the teaching of “critical race theory” in schools and colleges is being advanced in statehouses all over the country. Lawmakers sponsoring these policies claim that such teaching is divisive, racist, and psychologically distressing. Opponents say that this is a manufactured misinformation campaign intended to chill teacher speech and limit educators’ ability to teach about race and racism.
How Arts Education Can Help Students — and Schools — Recover
As schools gear up for education recovery over the next year, robust arts programs – in music, visual arts, theater and more – can be a powerful lever to help address key pandemic-driven challenges. That’s the case some arts education advocates are making.
Will the Pandemic Propel ‘Competency-Based’ Education Into the Mainstream?
Instructional model replaces 'seat-time' requirements with focus on mastery of content, skills
The pandemic forced schools to switch from in-person to remote learning nearly overnight, raising questions about the relevance of “seat time” as a standard measure for earning course credit. Now, as schools move into education recovery mode, an alternative model known as competency-based learning is getting a fresh look and is expected to see more widespread adoption.
What Reporters Need to Know as Schools Plan to Spend Big With New Stimulus Aid
School districts nationwide are racing to meet an August deadline to map out how they will spend their portion of $130 billion in recovery dollars under the American Rescue Plan, signed in March by President Joe Biden. This massive influx of federal aid comes on top of two earlier rounds of emergency support from Washington.
How Can We Widen the Pathway to the Middle Class?
Webinar offers background on "middle skills" research and training programs.
One of the most important goals of America’s education system is to launch citizens into “middle class” jobs that pay enough to provide economic security. But the number of those jobs have been shrinking, and the skills needed to land the remaining middle class jobs are changing faster than many traditional educational or training programs have been able to match.
Reporter Roundtable: Following the Education Stimulus Funds in 2021
The nearly $2 trillion stimulus package President Joe Biden signed into law last week contains an historic infusion of federal aid for schools, colleges and universities. Education journalists will play an important role in shedding light on the uses and impacts of that funding – over $125 billion for K-12 and nearly $40 billion for higher education.
Where exactly will the money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 go? How will it be used? Will the funds “rescue” the schools and students with the highest needs?
New Data Tool Reveals Disparities in School-Level Spending
Learn how to use reporter-friendly database to tell local stories
For the first time ever, school-by-school spending data is publicly available that makes it possible to shine a spotlight on disparities within school district boundaries, as well as differences across school systems and even state borders.
Pathways: The Costs, Benefits and Realities of “Free College”
“Free college” was one of President Joe Biden’s most popular campaign promises.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. So what’s the reality behind the free college plans? What are the costs? Are there any gotchas?
A Reporter’s Guide to Covering Hybrid Teaching & Learning
As the pandemic-driven disruption to education persists, many schools across the country are or soon will be providing hybrid instruction — a combination of in-person and remote classes. Sometimes, the same teacher even delivers both modes simultaneously.
Hybrid learning can be the best of both worlds or the worst of both worlds, said Bree Dusseault, the practitioner-in-residence at the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
Tracking State Policies Around Children’s Well-Being
The ongoing pandemic has heightened concerns about children’s mental and physical health, food insecurity and trauma. One factor that can have a big impact on children’s health that is too often overlooked by the media: a state’s policies governing schools’ responses to student health and safety issues.
Pathways: Experts Offer a Quick Roundup on Student Loan Forgiveness
Webinar will provide journalists with resources, context and answers about education debt forgiveness plans.
Proposals to forgive some or all of the nation’s $1.5 trillion in student loans are making headlines as the Biden administration considers how to restart the economy and make the U.S. education system more equitable.
In this EWA webinar, speakers discussed the impact of student debt forgiveness on access to higher education and pathways to good jobs. They shared their insights and answered audience questions on this pressing topic.
Release Event for The State of the Education Beat Report
Survey of journalists reveals impact, obstacles, and what needs to change in profession
Education is at the center of the news like never before. But what obstacles do education journalists face as they seek to inform the public? What do they see as the most important issues in education today? And what do they believe needs to change about their own profession?
For answers to these and other questions, watch this State of the Education Beat report webinar, based on a national survey of education journalists. The report was produced for EWA by the EdWeek Research Center.