EWA Radio

With the Education Writers Association's 78th National Seminar on the horizon, public editor Emily Richmond and veteran reporter Nicole Carr discuss how to make the most out of attending the nation's largest gathering of education journalists.  What's new this year in St. Louis, and how does the impressive roster of speakers and sessions reflect the fast-changing landscape on the education beat?  Hint: Both Nicole and Emily share their perspectives on revising a journalism course syllabus and the National Seminar agenda to help journalists meet the moment. Plus, get tips for networking, choosing your own (agenda) adventures and more.

President Donald Trump chose Linda McMahon, known best for her family's professional wrestling empire, to carry out his executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.  Linda Jacobson, senior writer for The 74 Million, talks with EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond about the new education secretary's agenda.  What do we know about McMahon's plans for the agency, which is responsible for managing billions of dollars in congressionally approved programs and services – including federal student loans? Where are the department's massive changes already having an impact on students, educators and school communities? How can journalists better cover these issues and the individuals most likely to feel the fallout?

Former evangelical insider Deborah Jian Lee explains how over 200 federally funded religious schools – with nearly one million students – exploit the religious exemption from Title IX, the federal policy that protects students from discrimination.  These schools violated the civil rights of Journey Mueller, who was forced out of her Christian college in Colorado, and countless LGBTQ+ students, all with the blessing of taxpayer dollars. “Persecution in the Name the Lord,” which Jian Lee wrote for Esquire and Economic Hardship Reporting Project, won the EGF Accelerator's Eddie Prize at this year's National Awards for Education Reporting ceremony. Jian Lee, a senior editor with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, shares story ideas at the intersection of religion and higher education with EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond.

Laura Meckler, the award-winning national education reporter for The Washington Post, shares the top stories in her notebook for the coming academic year.  Hear why she's tracking cellphone bans, her advice for covering contentious school board elections, and how to put the so-called “culture wars” into context for your audiences.  She and EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond also discuss why K-12 reporters should be paying attention to civics classes and youth voters, and why expanding – and costly – school voucher programs should be on your radar this fall.

College presidents, campus protests and student debt: Oh my!  It's going to be a hectic academic year for many postsecondary institutions, as investigative reporter Michael Vasquez of The Chronicle of Higher Education explains.  He and EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond brainstorm on what they'd like to see reporters tackling this fall and into 2025. This includes community colleges, why enrollment downturns are an educational equity story and the expanding role of artificial intelligence.

For Talia Richman of The Dallas Morning News, there's no such thing as a slow news day.  Richman, recently named the nation's top education beat reporter at the EWA Awards, shares how she balances the daily grind of school board meetings with enterprise pieces and investigations. Plus, hear the backstory on how her remarkable profile of a Black girl's troubling journey through her middle school's discipline system became a radio essay for “This American Life.”

In Newport News, Virginia, the Black-owned neighborhood of Johnson Terrace was a thriving community until government officials used eminent domain to seize the land and expand a university.  Brandi Kellam of the Virginia Center for Investigative Reporting at WHRO spent two years digging into archives and building trust with the Johnson family. Along with her VCIR colleague Louis Hansen and Gabriel Sandoval, formerly of ProPublica, Kellam won the 2023 Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize this year at EWA's National Awards for Education Reporting. She shares the backstory to the project and lessons for other journalists looking to combine historical research, data mining and narrative storytelling.

Kyra Miles of Minnesota Public Radio is one of a handful of reporters nationally on the early learning beat, which often gets short shrift when it comes to news coverage.  That's changed since the pandemic, amid greater awareness of how starkly the nation's child care needs are outstripping available –and affordable – providers. Kyra shares how she made the transition from the K-12 beat to early learning, and what's surprised her along the way.

Whether you're joining us in Las Vegas for the 77th National Seminar or looking ahead to a future EWA event, Public Editor Emily Richmond and The Chronicle of Higher Education Editor Daarel Burnette have you covered.  Burnette, also a member of EWA's board of directors, shares his tips for making the most of the flagship conference. This includes how to choose which sessions to attend, what to pack, and where to look for story ideas and networking opportunities.

The already stressful and arduous process of applying for college financial aid was supposed to be easier this year. Instead, the public saw the meltdown of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  As the U.S. Department of Education scrambles to fix calculation errors, colleges and universities have had to hit pause on making admissions decisions, adding even more confusion to the mix.  Eric Hoover, a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, shares insights from his deep coverage, including implications for students, families and postsecondary institutions. What's being done to help students from low-income backgrounds whose college prospects might have already been on shaky ground? And where should reporters proceed with extra caution in covering this complex and fast-changing story?

In Baltimore and many other school systems in Maryland, Black teachers are leaving at a higher rate than their colleagues of any other racial group. That tracks with national trends, and leaves too many schools with educator workforces that are significantly less diverse than the student populations they teach.  Kristen Griffith of The Baltimore Banner shares insights from her in-depth reporting on this issue. What's driving the exodus in Maryland, and what interventions might help keep more Black teachers on the job? 

Many state funding formulas allocate additional dollars for low-income students to level the playing field. But fewer account for concentrated poverty in communities, despite the additional challenges faced by schools serving large shares of economically disadvantaged students.  What is the impact of concentrated poverty on students? How might more resources be directed to high-poverty schools, and what other strategies might address these disparities and improve resource equity? And what are some story ideas for education reporters around school finance and concentrated poverty?  Experts John Affeldt, Public Advocates; Amber Arellano, The Education Trust-Midwest, and Ericka Weathers, University of Pennsylvania join host Emily Richmond at a special live episode of EWA Radio, recorded at SXSW EDU on March 6.

For a reporter who is not officially on the education beat, Alec MacGillis of ProPublica finds plenty to keep him busy, going deep into stories about how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt in all aspects of lives of students and their school communities.  He joins EWA Radio to discuss his two newest pieces: a close look at a private company providing outreach services tracking down absent students in the hard-hit school systems of Detroit's outer suburbs, and how private and parochial schools are cashing in on the funding bonanza of new and expanded school voucher programs that open the door to every student – regardless of family income.

While in her junior year at Milpitas High School in Northern California, student journalist Riya Vyas  heard the rumors like everyone else – two teachers had been accused of improper behavior with students.  She used the power of the press – and open records requests – to build a paper trail and show that the teachers had been allowed to resign quietly, decreasing the possibility that a record of disciplinary action might follow them to their next jobs. Vyas won the Student Press Law Center's inaugural Student Freedom of Information Award.  Also, Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel for the SPLC, discusses why the work of high school and college journalists pressing for transparency and accountability is more important than ever. Feb. 22 marks Student Press Freedom Day. 

For a reporter who is not officially on the education beat, Alec MacGillis of ProPublica finds plenty to keep him busy, going deep into stories about how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt in all aspects of lives of students and their school communities.  He joins EWA Radio to discuss his two newest pieces: a close look at a private company providing outreach services tracking down absent students in the hard-hit school systems of Detroit's outer suburbs, and how private and parochial schools are cashing in on the funding bonanza of new and expanded school voucher programs that open the door to every student – regardless of family income.

Suburbs have long been a touchstone of the proverbial American dream, promising happy lives and top-notch schools to their fortunate inhabitants. But what happens when white and affluent families move on, leaving behind massive municipal debt, poorly planned infrastructure, and school systems ill-equipped to meet the needs of newer residents – many of whom are often less wealthy, Black, and Hispanic?  Longtime education journalist Benjamin Herold, author of “Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs,” takes readers deep into the history of how gentrification, race and privilege factored into the rise and fall of suburban life, and how his own educational opportunities and life path were shaped and influenced by the opportunities his white parents were able to access in the community of Penn Hills, outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

From fiscal cliffs to surges in high-need students, 2024 is expected to be a challenging year on the K-12 and higher ed beats.  As Boston Globe editor Melissa Taboada told EWA public editor Emily Richmond: “Winter is coming.” Jon Marcus, higher education editor for The Hechinger Report, also joined the discussion, offering his forecast for the months ahead.  Among the big stories these veteran journalists say to watch for: student advocacy amid campus culture wars, the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning, and why colleges and universities are bracing for a steep decline in freshmen. Also, we discuss the peril and promise of A.I. as an educational tool, and what EWA has planned for SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas this March.  EWA Radio is sponsored by SXSW EDU. EWA retains full editorial control over the content of the podcast.

If you're a journalist who's feeling burned out or ready for a change, a professional fellowship can be a chance to recharge and renew your passion for your work.  What are the differences among the best-known residential fellowships? What makes a great application? What should you expect from your fellowship year? And how can you boost your chances of grabbing the brass ring?  Two experienced education editors with firsthand experience as journalism fellows – Delece Smith Barrow of Politico and Sarah Carr, formerly of The Boston Globe  –  join EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond. 

What keeps rural Black students from pursuing college or thriving when they get there? J. Brian Charles of The Chronicle of Higher Education went to Sussex County, Virginia to get a closer look at what post-high school opportunity looks like in the swampy countryside, where “peanuts, pork, and pine” are the major exports – not young people headed for higher education.  He talks with EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond about the overlooked stories on rural schools, an innovative program providing volunteer college counselors in high-need communities, and what might change the equation for Black students looking to expand their horizons beyond their hometowns. 

Few education policies have become more divisive – or politicized – than school choice. Chalkbeat editor and author Cara Fitzpatrick discusses her new book, “The Death of Public School.”  Who really benefits from charter schools and voucher programs, and how have conservative politicians seized the reins of what was, albeit briefly, a bipartisan movement aimed at improving educational equity? If public education is a cornerstone of America's vision of itself as a democratic society, what does it mean if it's allowed to become a private commodity?  Plus, Fitzpatrick, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, offers tips and story ideas for journalists looking to follow her lead. 

What if you could earn a college degree by demonstrating your mastery of a specific set of skills, rather than completing a minimum number of hours instructional seat time?  That's the premise behind a massive experiment underway in California's community colleges. EWA Reporting Fellow Adam Echelman of CalMatters shares insights from his close look at the promise – and potential perils – of “competency based education.”  Who are the students most likely to enroll in these programs? What's known about the quality of their experience and their long-term outcomes? Why are some faculty pushing back while others are embracing the experiment?  

After years of downward enrollment trends, Chicago Public Schools is seeing an influx of newcomer students, many of whom are new to the United States.  Nereida Moreno of WBEZ Chicago is covering their stories, from the challenges of learning a language and making friends to efforts by schools and community leaders to help them – and their families – acclimate.

Few things were as fraught with controversy amid the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as the decision to close many schools while others stayed open.  Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter for The New York Times, looked closely at how air quality in public schools impacted outbreaks, what it would take to give more students access to healthier classrooms, and what's keeping more policymakers from heeding some of these potentially crucial lessons.  She joins EWA Public Editor Emily Richmond to discuss where education reporters can find trustworthy data on school air quality, how to produce nuanced coverage on polarizing topics, and more.  

The new academic year is underway, and challenges – and opportunities – lay ahead for school communities.  Kalyn Belsha, newly named senior reporter for national education news at Chalkbeat, shares her must-have stories for the K-12 beat. From the impact of new laws barring teachers from talking about “controversial” topics – such as race, racism and gender identity – to what happens when the federal COVID-19 relief money expires, Belsha offers innovative takes on these and other essential topics.

Do you know Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black college, in North Carolina? What about SUNY-Geneseo in New York's Finger Lakes region? Both schools were top performers in the Washington Monthly's annual college rankings. The magazine puts a premium on graduation rates, overall costs to students and families, whether graduates end up in good-paying jobs doing meaningful work, and how ready they are for advanced degrees. Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris discusses the methodology behind the innovative rankings, as well as some of the surprise hits in this year's list. Also from this month's issue, Glastris discusses contributing writer Anne E. Kim “hacking” Google's online certification program, and Jamaal Abdul-Alim's reporting on colleges going directly to students to offer admission, rather than waiting for them to apply.

The new academic year is underway, and Inside Higher Ed Co-founder Scott Jaschik shares story ideas for enterprising journalists. Among his top picks: Legacy admissions in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on race-conscious college admissions, the risks and rewards of ChatGPT, and looming budget cuts once federal pandemic aid runs dry.

Mike Hixenbaugh of NBC News won the Ronald Moskowitz Prize for Outstanding Beat Reporting at this year's National Awards for Education Reporting ceremony. He speaks candidly about the perils of “parachute journalism,” especially in the wake of tragedies – such as the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas – and explains what keeps pulling him back to stories about students and schools. Plus, what lessons can he share from audio reporting, such as “Southlake,” the viral hit podcast he co-created?   

Reporters Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards share the backstory to their blockbuster investigation into Illinois police ticketing students at schools for minor infractions, a practice costing them seat time and their families thousands of dollars in fines.  The joint series for ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune won this year's Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting in EWA's National Awards for Education Reporting.

As Emily Richmond returns, Kavitha Cardoza shares what she learned in her year as EWA's public editor, including a fresh appreciation for the challenges facing education beat reporters.  Plus, Emily discusses her experiences as a 2023 Spencer Education Fellow and what she's looking forward to in the year ahead with EWA. Correction: The ProPublica reporter named is Topher Sanders, not Topher Smith. Listen to his episode here. 

Education journalism has changed considerably over the years. In what used to be a relatively calm beat, reporters now deal with school shootings, contentious board meetings and angry residents targeting them on social media.  “This ain't your mama's education beat” as one reporter wryly put it. While covering education – in addition to other beats – reporters are often working longer hours, even as they contend with layoffs, less support and smaller budgets. About 70% to 72% of local journalists reported work-related and/or personal burnout, according to research from the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at The University of North Carolina. Women and young people were more likely to experience burnout than men and older people, researchers found. Kavitha Cardoza saw these issues up close in her work as EWA's public editor this year. Education reporters from across the country reached out about their challenges: Some left journalism. Some were forced out, and others still struggle, hoping to be able to continue doing the work they love.  In her final EWA Radio episode as host, Kavitha spoke to CD Davidson-Hiers, a journalist and colleague who has written beautifully and honestly about how she burned out and how she healed.

When trains block crossings, sometimes for days, communities across the country face challenges. Even if the blocked intersection is just four streets away from a location, first responders can't get to fires, parents can't go to grocery stores, and children can't get to school.  Kids face physical, mental and emotional dangers each time they climb over, squeeze between and crawl under train cars in the working-class commuter city of Hammond, Indiana. Parents' and local officials' pleas about the dangers have gone unheeded.  As part of a reporting collaboration with ProPublica and Investigate TV/Gray Television, Topher Sanders chronicled the problem. The ProPublica reporter talks about how blocked crossings interfere with children's schooling, why this practice has continued and why all roads (or tracks!) lead to the education beat!

Early childhood is a critical time for a child's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.  Nurturing care is critical for brain growth, meaning a child's development is affected by their experiences and interactions with nurturing caregivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To reach their full potential, children need to feel safe and loved as well as receive several opportunities to play, explore and express themselves.  Jackie Mader of The Hechinger Report has covered early education exclusively for eight years. This week, she talks to EWA Radio's Kavitha Cardoza about how she covers so many “beats within a beat,” what she looks for in a child care center, and the challenges of finding new angles.

For a while, Mirtha Donastorg was the only reporter covering Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) full time in the country. As a journalist at The Plug (a now defunct online publication), she covered innovations happening at the more than 100 HBCUs across the country and visited many campuses. Donastorg shared nine things she learned covering HBCUs with EWA Radio. She shared details we had never heard before, including that some HBCUs are now majority white. Additionally, there's incredible research going on at some, such as growing plants in Martian soil. She also explains why people who went to HBCUs love HBCUs so much! Also, we discuss research on the protective health effects of attending an HBCU, why graduation rates alone don't tell the whole story of an HBCU education and how reporters can build better relationships with HBCUs.

Millions of families struggle with after-school care – the hours after the school day ends but before the workday finishes.  Rachel Cohen of Vox Media found the after-school crisis is not limited to one city or state. Millions of families need care, yet thousands of school districts offer no options at all. Some communities have just a single nonprofit or church program available, she discovered.  With the help of an EWA Reporting Fellowship, Rachel traveled to Iowa and California to understand the problem. She was delighted to find example programs that started small but now can serve as a blueprint for other communities. Rachel details the many challenges parents and providers face, the proven benefits of after-school care and the sentence in education reporting she never, ever thought she'd hear!

Katherine “Kati” Kokal, an education reporter at The Palm Beach Post, received a tip that prompted her to investigate why schools in the Florida district she covers were asking student-athletes to provide their menstrual health history to coaches.  That took her on a long journey (literally driving to one public meeting took four hours!); a story in her local coverage area mushroomed into a national conversation about student-athletes, medical history and digital privacy.  "Concerns have been heightened both by a shifting political landscape criminalizing abortions and scrutinizing transgender athletes and the growing threat to medical privacy in a digital age,” she wrote.  On this week's EWA Radio episode, Kati explains what it's like being the only reporter in the room, discusses the "right" way for national outlets to amplify local stories, and details how she stays organized using "spreadsheets of spreadsheets.”

Schools collect vast amounts of information from and about students – through cameras, computers, and their social media posts. Many children and parents aren't aware the data may be shared with private companies, law enforcement and even analyzed to identify and predict student behavior. School districts and surveillance companies say this is a way to prevent suicides and school shootings. But civil rights advocates are increasingly alarmed by the practices. They want to see more protections in place for students and more transparency on how the information is collected, stored and used. They worry that vulnerable children – Black and brown students, children with disabilities, LGBTQ youth and those living in poverty – are disproportionately negatively affected. This EWA Radio episode is a live recording of a panel discussion Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza had with panelists at the 2013 SXSW EDU Conference. They talked about algorithmic bias, surveillance technologies and other technologies that harm students of color, and speakers explained what some communities are doing to fight back. Speakers: Elizabeth Laird, director, Center for Democracy & Technology Clarence Okoh, senior policy counsel, Center for Law and Social Policy  Marika Pfefferkorn, executive director, Midwest Center for School Transformation

After an extensive national search, the Education Writers Association is pleased to introduce our new executive director, Kathy Chow. She will begin on April 3.  Chow will be responsible for a nonprofit organization that represents nearly 2,000 members. She has a long history in nonprofit leadership and is a highly effective fundraiser, strategic planner, fiscal manager, and organizational leader.  Since the beginning of her career, Chow has demonstrated a commitment to and passion for journalism and elevating underrepresented voices. Chow spoke to Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza about her immigrant roots, her passion for supporting journalists and some ideas for EWA.

Critical race theory has gotten a lot of attention in the K-12 space, but how do debates about systemic racism play out in higher education? Daniel Golden is a senior editor and reporter at ProPublica. He won a Pulitzer Prize and EWA's Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize (twice!). Daniel also wrote several books, including “The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way Into Elite Colleges — and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates,”  “Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities” and “The Ransomware Hunting Team.” Daniel recently traveled to Florida to see how the “Stop Woke Act” is playing out on college campuses. He found that Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts are having a chilling effect in higher education, with professors canceling classes on race due to fear of retribution.  “Of the 39 courses offered this past fall by [the Sociology department at the University of Central Florida, which], none focused primarily on race,” he discovered. This department specializes in the study of human society.  In this week's episode, we chat with Daniel about how non-tenured faculty of color disproportionately carry the burden of anti-CRT activism. He also explains why university leaders are mostly keeping quiet and discusses the irony of “free-speech” advocates pushing to cancel certain courses.

Marcus Pennell and other high school student journalists in Nebraska decided to celebrate Pride Month last year, with some articles in their school newspaper.  They wrote about the history of homophobia and origins of Pride Month among other content, including trapshooting athletes, a sophomore sculptor and adoption. Little did they know that shortly after, Northwest Public Schools' administrators would shut down the Viking Saga, a 54-year-old, award-winning publication, because of "editorial content" concerns. Penell and fellow journalists felt gutted.  When Jessica Votipka, an education reporter with The Grand Island Independent, heard about the news through an anonymous tip, she was shocked. To her, it seemed like a clear case of censorship. She spent weeks talking to students, teachers, lawyers, experts and freedom of speech advocates. Votipka wrote about the issue in a front-page article for her newspaper, bringing much-needed attention and scrutiny to the challenges student journalists face.  In honor of Student Press Freedom Day, we spoke with Jessica and Marcus about their emotional experiences covering the topic, the bullying LGBTQ+ students face in schools and their mutual, unwavering belief in the importance of press freedom. Also, understand the challenges LGBTQ+ student journalists face using their preferred pronouns and names, and learn why freedom of speech advocates hear a lot from Nebraska. Plus, who decides what is considered "newsworthy?"

The federal government is pushing school districts to spend 20% of the $122 billion in relief funds to “catch children up” academically. Many are turning to tutoring as a way to help students after months of disruption from the pandemic. Research shows “high-dosage” tutoring is particularly promising: Students and their tutor meet every day, usually in school. The tutors are specially trained, and there is a set curriculum. All these things can create logistical challenges. Jill Barshay, a senior writer for The Hechinger Report and the author of its Proof Points column, has been looking at tutoring research. She found about half of all school districts are using tutoring programs, but not all follow best practices.  On this EWA Radio episode, Jill explains her work, why students don't log in for online help, who some of these online tutors are and how she looks for “good news” stories in education research.

One of the most eagerly anticipated sessions at EWA's Higher Education Seminar is Scott Jaschik's look ahead into the world of higher education. He's one of three co-founders of Inside Higher Ed, and he's a highly sought after expert on postsecondary education.  Host and Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza turns over EWA Radio to Scott this week for his list of top stories he thinks reporters should keep an eye on this year.  Heads up, it includes affirmative action, mental health and TikTok!

About 70% or more incarcerated Americans can't read at the fourth-grade level. This means they would struggle to understand a lunch menu, a ticket stub or a street sign.  Oregon law requires that the majority of these prisoners take classes. But, while reporting for the Statesman Journal, Natalie Pate discovered there were more than 1,200 prisoners on a waitlist as of June 2022. Nearly half of incarcerated people in Oregon who qualify as low-level readers — those who read below an eighth-grade level — have never been enrolled in classes, Natalie found. Providing funding and access to prison education isn't a top priority in the state as illustrated by the Department of Corrections' budget.  Natalie spent hours inside prisons speaking with incarcerated adults about their education as children and heard why they wanted to learn to read and write. She pored over research papers and government documents to understand how poor literacy, dropout rates and crime intersect. Additionally, she spoke with experts about how – and why – the system must improve. READ MORE: 9 Lessons a Reporter Learned Covering Prison Education

COVID-19 caused an unprecedented disruption in children's learning. Even though schools reopened, we are still dealing with the effects, such as academic gaps, mental health challenges and behavioral issues. The federal government has poured billions of dollars into states to help children catch up. A syndicated columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aisha Sultan frequently covers education and parenting. She also directed and executive produced the independent documentary “Education, Interrupted.” The film is about 30-year-old Tyra Johnson, a single mother of three children who lives in one of the poorest ZIP codes in the country.  Aisha followed Tyra through the pandemic and filmed the challenges Tyra faced trying to educate her children at home. The resulting documentary, which was also an EWA Reporting Fellowship project, premiered at the Saint Louis International Film Festival and aired on Nine PBS in St Louis. In this week's episode, we chat with Aisha about the differences between print and visual languages, the emotional toll of reporting on educational inequality and what she wishes she had known before she started making films.

Several states saw record-breaking temperatures this year. Schools across the country –  including in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, and San Diego – closed because of excessive heat. In Columbus, Ohio, teachers went on strike demanding air conditioning in their classrooms. Students being uncomfortably hot has been linked to poor outcomes in their health, learning and test scores. Education Week reporters Madeline Will and Arianna Prothero partnered to cover these issues. Through reporting and original surveys, they examined how students' learning, physical well-being, mental health, and post-graduation futures are affected by the changing climate. They also investigated how climate change is taught in schools and how students feel about the world they're inheriting. Additionally, the Education Week team looked into which student-led efforts are making a difference. In this week's episode, Kavitha Cardoza chats with Madeline and Arianna about their EWA Reporting Fellowship project on climate change and education. They explain why climate change is “fundamentally a local story” and how mental health is part of the discussion. In addition to sharing several resources, Madeline and Arianna discuss why their assumptions changed after speaking to students. 

Being a cub reporter on the education beat can feel overwhelming at times: People talk in acronyms you don't understand; there's a ton of complicated research to wade through, and everyone has an opinion on what you should cover! In this week's EWA Radio episode, Kavitha Cardoza chats with Kyra Miles, who recently finished her first year as a reporter at WBHM, the NPR affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama.  Kyra was also a 2021 EWA Awards finalist for Audio Storytelling (Smaller Newsroom). She reported on the story after just three months on the job. Kyra explains how she created a supportive community as a young, Black reporter and how she centers student voices. Additionally, she shares the worst part of being an education journalist!

Rural students are homeless in about the same proportion as their urban counterparts, but as Samantha Shapiro found in her story for The New York Times Magazine, they often have far less of a support system. In many cases, schools offer the only help available. Shapiro, an EWA Reporting Fellow, wrote “Young and Homeless in Rural America.” She introduced readers to several families experiencing homelessness and school personnel trying valiantly to help. Her piece shows the heavy burdens placed on school districts and why much more help is needed.  In this EWA Radio episode, Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza chats with Shapiro about how she got interested in reporting on homelessness. Additionally, Shapiro explains how she set aside her emotions while reporting and details "hopeful endings" in bleak stories.

This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful to colleagues in the education community – past and present –for supporting me. I'm especially grateful to editors who talked me through half-coherent ideas and shaped them into something meaningful, who acted as sounding boards, and were my advocates. Daarel Burnette and Andrew Ujifusa are both longtime education reporters. They're two of the most accomplished journalists I know and two of the nicest. They also recently transitioned to being editors. Daarel is senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Andrew is Chalkbeat's story editor. I'm thrilled to welcome them to EWA Radio. In this week's episode, we chat about how they try to be different from some of their previous editors, why school boards are “the most intimate form of democracy” and why they stay in education journalism. They also explain why they're hopeful about the future.

Some Hasidic Jewish boys in New York were denied basic education in reading, math and social studies, a New York Times investigation found. These students also received harsh physical punishments and experienced textbook censorship in Hasidic boys' schools.   Brian Rosenthal* and Eliza Shapiro of The New York Times spent more than a year investigating these religious schools. They read thousands of documents (Many translated from Yiddish), interviewed almost 300 people, and analyzed millions of rows of data about Hasidic schools. Their dogged reporting found that these boys are not simply falling behind. “They are suffering from levels of educational deprivation not seen anywhere else in New York. Only nine schools in the state had less than 1% of students testing at grade level in 2019, all of them were Hasidic boys' schools.” Rosenthal talks about the work that went into the piece, “In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools, Flush With Public Money.” He also shares what he thinks about when covering communities he's not a part of, how he deals with criticism and why he's not done with this story.  * EWA members may remember Rosenthal as the 2017 recipient of the Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting for “Denied: How Texas Keeps Tens of Thousands of Children Out of Special Education.” Rosenthal wrote the piece when he was at the Houston Chronicle.

Evan Mandery, an award-winning author of eight books, talks to EWA Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza about the staggering inequality in "Ivy-plus" higher education institutions.  In his latest book, “Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us,” Mandery argues that colleges like Harvard, Yale and Princeton have deep, structural problems that help develop and maintain an “apartheid education system" that close off opportunities to low-income students, he explains. Mandery says elite colleges being a force for good is a myth. He writes, “It's as misleading as those television commercials from Shell and other energy giants that advertise their commitment to clean energy alternatives – not a lie exactly, but fundamentally misleading.” Additionally, Mandery talks about the shocking statistics that made him realize things were far worse than he thought. He also explains why he no longer goes to his Harvard reunions and why he's hopeful things can change.

A school board president breaks his gavel while trying to keep order, police officers escort parents out of public meetings and librarians called "pedophile groomers” for stocking certain books. Those were just a few of the scenarios Hannah Dellinger and Alejandro Serrano encountered while reporting on book bans in Texas schools for the Houston Chronicle. Through a combination of data and shoe-leather reporting, they discovered that the push to ban certain books was the result of partisan politics, rather than a “parental rights” movement, changing what was the accepted narrative. Dellinger and Serrano's investigation involved sending public records requests to nearly 600 school districts that teach more than 90% of Texas' more than 5 million students. They found there were at least 2,080 book reviews of more than 880 unique titles since the 2018-19 school year. Their reporting resulted in more than 25 stories and an interactive database. Both reporters chat with Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza about how school board meetings are no longer “boring,” how they kept track of thousands of documents and what their one, and only, disagreement was about.

Tens of millions of children suffered when schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many lost access to food, heat and safety. A couple years on, we can see the effects clearly – academic losses, mental health challenges as well as persistent social and emotional problems.  Anya Kamenetz, a former NPR education correspondent, talked to children and families across the country about how they coped (or didn't) during the pandemic. She details these conversations and insights from experts in her new book (her fifth!), “The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives and Where We Go Now.”  Kamenetz also discusses "the cruelty of remote learning," what other countries did differently and why education reporters need to own that they're experts when it comes to children's well-being.