For many school districts across the country, today is the first day of a new year. For education reporters, finding fresh angles on familiar turf can be a challenge.
EWA recently offered a webinar for reporters on the education beat — both K-12 and higher ed — and you can catch the replay here. We asked Ann Doss Helms of the Charlotte Observer to over her view on what the big stories are likely to be on the K-12 beat, while Dave Breitenstein of the News-Press in Fort Meyers, Fla. tackled higher education. Phyllis Fletcher of KUOW Public Radio in Seattle shared ideas for broadcast and multimedia storytelling.
Whether you’re a veteran journalist or new to covering the business of schools, EWA offers a number of ways to get familiar with some important issues. Our new Story Starters website is a smart place to start for resources, the latest research, and tips on covering key topics such as classroom technology, school choice, and community colleges.
If you’re looking for help tackling numbers — whether they’re test scores, graduation rates, or the district’s operating budget — we’ve got a webinar just for you. Jack Gillum, an investigative reporter with the Associated Press, showed us how to start “Diving Into Data,” and explained some of the techniques that he used to contribute to an award-winning USA Today series on suspicious test score improvement in Washington, D.C.’s public schools.
What do you think are the most pressing issues ahead on the education beat? What stories do you want to see get more attention?
