Boosting the impact of New York City schools coverage

An insider who often works with NYC education reporters reflects on abundant education coverage and describes improvements that could help — locally and elsewhere.

By David C. Bloomfield

New York City is awash in published education news.

Though the New York Post no longer has a daily beat reporter and the New York Times offers only sporadic coverage, other outlets have ably stepped up.

The New York Daily News, Chalkbeat New York, The City, Gothamist, Politico New York, AM New York, the Patch, and others regularly report on school issues.

Predictably for the modern media landscape, especially on TV, many stories echo NYC Department of Education press releases or dwell on violence.

But, thanks to dogged reporting, exposés also bring systemic lapses to light. Eliza Shapiro followed home-insecure students to tell a story of this underserved population and revealed educational malfeasance among ultra-Orthodox yeshivas.

A team from Long Island’s Newsday performed a rare feat by connecting the dots among multiple districts, exposing that region’s record of secret settlements with teachers accused of sexual misconduct.

Chalkbeat regularly covers under-the-radar stories such as its recent investigation of “NX” grading in which students were routinely passed to the next grade without completing the previous grade’s courses.

What’s the problem? Lack of impact.

Well-reported stories about deficiencies in safety, education of students with disabilities and those learning English, reading and math scores, charter and private schools, diversity, and district management are repeated seemingly endlessly.

But they’re not prompting nearly as much change or response as might be expected — or needed.

This news isn’t new, yet perhaps because of its repetition, it’s become the wallpaper of students’ experience, hiding in plain sight.

If education officials take note, they appear to do little or nothing in response.

Can the media in New York City and around the country do anything to create impact rather than just coverage?

Can the media … do anything to create impact rather than just coverage?

On the governmental level, at least in New York, the answer seems to be “no.”

Under the famously stubborn de Blasio administration, little was accomplished through press pressure, nor under Eric Adams.

This is true for many issues, not just education. Both men have frequently tangled with reporters, dressing down the city’s press corps instead of governing.

Adams has even spent municipal money on a new website, “Hear From Eric,” to explicitly bypass negative press and taken other repressive steps that may cross constitutional lines.

As political observer Ross Barkan noted, in a city where the mayor seems more intent on personal swagger than ably managing the city’s affairs, “it’s not a crisis if you don’t care.”

Well-reported stories … are repeated seemingly endlessly.

So, to be clear, New York City education reporters are doing their job by delivering the news.

But more can be done to bring change — a communal effort that rests on more than just individual journalists.

One idea would be for outlets to reconsider the tradition of thoughtless publication of stories based on DOE press releases and dramatic anecdotes without context like policies’ research basis or the frequency of similar events that can help the audience understand routine news.

Education journalists could also collaborate more with investigative and beat desks from other parts of the newsroom.

Many of Shapiro’s New York Times yeshiva stories were co-written with Brian Rosenthal, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter specializing in data analysis. Her stories of homelessness were made vivid by Brittainy Newman’s photojournalism.

Reporters need to continue to deepen their sources. Susan Edelman, now retired from the Post but still with regular bylines, is a frequent recipient of inside tips that she turns around for her Sunday readers.

Sources, too, need to step up. Whether in student newsrooms, teachers’ lounges, or PTA meetings, the public at large must become more active in informing reporters covering schools at the ground level.

New York City education reporters are doing their job.

Improving communication between sources and journalists presents multiple challenges.

Lay people don’t necessarily have a nose for news. It’s one reason so much in the education field goes unreported. Tens of thousands of “NX” grades were handed out; why didn’t word get out sooner?

Happy to have a golden ticket for incomplete work, students weren’t about to blow the whistle and teachers, accustomed to grumbling about infinite district inanities, weren’t able to see the forest for the trees until teacher-turned-reporter Amanda Geduld sniffed out the story.

In addition, grassroots sourcing is difficult, given ethical rules about interviewing minors and the reality that most people are scared to death about going on the record for reporters, often portrayed as mercenary vultures or worse.

To solve these sourcing problems, trusted relationships need to be developed on both sides, another reason for dedicated beat personnel to stay on the job rather than see education as a doorway to other, perhaps more glamorous beats.

We have come a long way toward institutionalizing and professionalizing education journalism (thank you, Education Writers Association).

But advocacy for sustained education journalism careers is key to quality reporting.

And, as with interdisciplinary team reporting, using experts from fields of instruction, law, sociology, race and ethnic studies, etc. can help round out stories that involve different fields.

The creative work by local reporters reveals important systemic success and failures. Their efforts on hard-to-report stories deserve the support that will help them promote change even in the face of governmental passivity.

David C. Bloomfield is a professor of education leadership, law, and policy at Brooklyn College and The CUNY Graduate Center. A former elementary and middle school teacher, he frequently provides press commentary. You can follow him on Twitter at @BloomfieldDavid.

Previously from The Grade
When more education coverage isn’t better
How Chicago public radio breaks free from the hamster wheel of daily education news
How the Washington Post missed the DC schools graduation rate scandal so badly, for so long
Student voices missing in coverage of NYC specialized schools debate