👋 Welcome back! This week’s newsletter includes some items going back into August since we were off the last two weeks. 👋
In this week’s newsletter: A heat wave disrupts the return to classes in the Northeast and Midwest. We launch a month-long series on literacy coverage, a topic that should be the focus of education coverage this year. Chalkbeat editor Cara Fitzpatrick’s “The Death of Public School” will finally be out next week. And a reporter challenged by her kids takes a classic first-day-of-school pic. We should all be so brave.
HEAT WAVE WELCOME
The big story of the week
It used to be that the weather turned cool pretty quickly by the start of September, but that was long ago.
The big education story of the week was the heat wave that blanketed much of the Northeast and other parts of the country.
The unusually high heat created a major challenge for schools trying to launch the new year — and an irresistible topic for news outlets.
Reporters covered schools closing, kids sent home early, canceled recess time, and the lack of AC in many buildings (NYT, AP, NPR, Washington Post, New Haven Independent, Boston Globe, CT Insider , NJ.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
The heat wave stories that I appreciated the most were those that connected short-term disruptions to long-term climate change, attendance, and learning narratives.
It’s a news story, sure, and a climate story, too — but most of all it’s also an education story.
Other big education stories of the week:
📰 MIGRANT STUDENTS: In New York City and many other parts of the country, schools are facing the daunting challenge of teaching an increased number of migrant students (Gothamist, Today, Associated Press, WTTW, Lowell Sun, K-12 Dive). But aside from possible language and culture barriers, migrant families face a slew of additional challenges like completing vaccination requirements (WBUR, Sun Chronicle). The Center for New York City Affairs outlined more challenges families face in enrolling their kids.
📰 KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL: Another big story this week is schools’ responses to low attendance and chronic absenteeism that have been plaguing schools since 2020 (Economist). As the New York Times’ David Leonhardt writes, “attendance at school has come to feel more optional than it did before the pandemic.” Last year, 10% of students were missing on an average day and 25% of students were chronically absent — missing at least 10% of school days (New York Times). In New York City, it’s even worse with 36% of students chronically absent last year — a slight improvement from the year before but still much higher than before the pandemic (Chalkbeat New York). For one school’s multilayered effort to get kids back into classrooms, check out the best story of the week below.
📰 MORE BUS PROBLEMS: Kids are left waiting on corners, routes have been cut, and bus drivers have gone on strike — or are threatening to (Washington Post). These are some of the latest headlines in school bus news as the first week of school wraps up in most places. Private transportation companies are one possible solution districts are looking at (Colorado Sun). And for kids who actually make it on the bus, safety has become another issue. A recent fatal school bus crash in Ohio renewed calls for required seat belts (NPR).
GETTING KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL
The best education journalism of the week
The best education story of the week is Ethan Bakuli and Tracie Mauriello’s One Detroit school’s multilayered effort to get absent students back to school, published by Chalkbeat Detroit at the end of August.
The in-depth piece describes a “high-touch, relationship-based investment” including check-ins, field trips, and help with health care and home needs.
It includes interviews with parents and kids as well as school officials, and — though I wish that it had included more about making classroom learning more engaging to students — the piece presents a broad range of factors that keep kids from coming to school.
“It’s not enough to report on chronic absenteeism statistics,” tweeted Chalkbeat’s Lori Higgins. I couldn’t agree more. What are other schools doing to get kids back in classrooms — and keep them there?
Other great stories we saw this week:
🏆 College students are still struggling with basic math. Professors blame the pandemic (AP)
🏆 Virtual-Reality School Is the Next Frontier of the School-Choice Movement (New Yorker)
🏆 Schools are cutting recovery programs as U.S. aid money dries up. Students are still struggling. (Chalkbeat/AP)
🏆 Some Milwaukee schools shine brightly as examples of success (Journal Sentinel)
🏆 This tiny new Bay Area private school aims to radically depart from ‘dropout factories’ (SF Chronicle)
READING REFORM
Our latest columns and commentary
In the first of our month-long series on covering reading reform, veteran education journalist Alan Borsuk describes why he chose to write a series on inadequate literacy instruction in Milwaukee and urges other beat reporters to join the story. “What’s written into legislation and what happens in classrooms are often two different things,” he writes.
Based on this past week’s output, it seems clear that some outlets like the New York Times, Associated Press, EdWeek, and ABC News are on the literacy story. But many others are still missing in action. We’re hoping that a month’s worth of explainers, essays, and commentary will encourage more education teams to make reading reform their big story for 2023-24.
📣 CALLOUT FOR CONTRIBUTORS 📣
Got something to get off your chest about education journalism? The Grade welcomes commentary and first-person essays from current and former education journalists — and will pay you for your time and effort. Reach out to us at thegrade2015@gmail.com with your ideas.
NEWSROOM DIVERSITY SETBACK
Last year, 11 education news organizations and teams shared information about the racial diversity of their full-time editorial staff as part of an annual update that The Grade has produced since 2016.
However, some organizations like the Education Writers Association pulled out — and this year only seven organizations and teams have participated so far.
Chalkbeat reports that 22 out of 50 identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, or biracial. The Seattle Times reports that three out of five of its education team identify as Black, Latino, Asian, or Indigenous. WBEZ Chicago reports that two of four team members are people of color. The Dallas Morning News reports that three out of four of its education team members identify as Latinas. The Boston Globe reports that three of seven education team members identify as BIPOC. LAist reports that five of six education team members are Hispanic/Latino or Asian American. Four out of eight Atlanta Journal-Constitution education journalists are Black or Asian American.
If your education team or news outlet would like to share diversity information, please email us at thegrade2015@gmail.com.
LETTING THE SALMON SET THE SCHEDULE
Coverage of promising school innovations & signs of progress
💡 With memorable quotes, plenty of student voices, and vivid photography, this piece depicts a remote Alaska district’s decision to align its calendar and schedule with its community’s culture of subsistence fishing and hunting (NPR/KYUK, 8/30; see here for the audio version).
💡 This research-grounded story examines a common but hidden problem with big implications for students’ later academic performance — early elementary teachers’ lack of confidence in teaching math — and profiles an organization that’s addressing it with summer trainings (Hechinger Report).
💡 A good reminder that solutions stories need not be belabored, this short piece out of Australia provides clear classroom examples and relevant data points to show how a school boosted test scores after embracing more explicit reading and math instruction (Sydney Morning Herald).
💡 ChatGPT and its offspring have been covered more optimistically in recent education news, including in this thought-provoking story about efforts to adapt AI chatbots to the needs of teachers who want to use education research in the classroom (The 74).
Read more about the importance of covering promising innovations and preliminary successes.
Above: I love this WBEZ Chicago story on why teens wear hoodies no matter how hot it is. Big thanks to reporter Nereida Moreno, who’s been putting out strong stories since she joined the beat 18 months ago.
PEOPLE, JOBS
Who’s going where and doing what
🔥 Career moves: It’s finally official — Houston Landing’s education team includes Asher Lehrer-Small reporting on Houston ISD and Miranda Dunlap reporting on surrounding districts. And the Boston Globe’s Deanna Pan has a new bio making her an official part of the Great Divide team. Congrats to all!
🔥 Jobs & deadlines: The Hechinger Report is hiring an executive editor. EdNC is hiring a reporter. Vermont Public is hiring an education and youth reporter. Signal Ohio is hiring an Akron education reporter and Cleveland K-12 reporter. The Indiana Local News Initiative is hiring a higher ed reporter. Report for America is accepting applications until Sept. 18 from newsrooms who want to host a reporter. (There are nearly 40 reporters covering education or children this year, and we’d love to see even more!) The deadline to apply to EWA’s “Reporting With Education Research” program is Sept. 20.
🔥 Advice: NPR education editor Steve Drummond reflected on how his views on interviewing vulnerable sources have changed over time: “In recent years, especially when dealing with minors, I’ve come to understand that the umbrella for protecting sources has grown bigger. I’ve found that I’ve swung much more in the other direction.” The Trans Journalists Association says that “trans people — not their parents, children, friends, colleagues, or critics — should be at the heart of stories written about them.” And if you’re covering the role of education in upcoming elections, consider this advice from Annenberg School professor Victor Pickard: “Instead of horse-race coverage, discuss the real-world implications of candidates’ policy proposals.” Specific examples are key!
Above: Report cards paint a rosy picture. Media coverage skews negative. These are two possible explanations why parents say their kid’s school is doing a good job, but most Americans think otherwise.
APPEARANCES, EVENTS, & NEW RESOURCES
What’s happening and new research
⏰ Books & documentaries: Chalkbeat editor Cara Fitzpatrick’s new book “The Death of Public School” comes out Sept. 12 and it’s racking up interviews and reviews (Education Next, The Dispatch, and Vox). Coming in January is EdWeek contributing writer Benjamin Herold’s “Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs” and veteran education reporter Laura Pappano’s “School Moms.” And a new documentary will explore the history of a Pittsburgh high school opening during desegregation.
⏰ Appearances: WHQR North Carolina’s Rachel Keith was on NPR’s Morning Edition with a segment about one parent’s successful effort to remove a book from local classrooms. Washington Post national education reporter Laura Meckler was on NPR’s 1A talking about the “new” homeschoolers. WHYY Philadelphia’s Aubri Juhasz was on NPR’s All Things Considered to talk about her podcast “Schooled.” Chalkbeat’s Matt Barnum was on WBUR’s Here & Now to talk about universal school meal programs and on the Citizen Stewart Show to talk about class sizes, teacher shortages, and COVID learning. Inside Higher Ed co-founder Scott Jaschik shared story ideas for journalists on EWA Radio. And former US News journalist and FutureEd founder Thomas Toch was on PBS NewsHour in a segment on the challenges of extending the school year.
⏰ New ventures: The Boston Globe is expanding its regional coverage of Greater Boston, which would be great news if it included any of its seven education reporters. And EdWeek employees are organizing. So far, management isn’t going along, according to staff.
More events, research, and resources:
⏰ Events: The NLGJA national conference continues through Sunday in Philadelphia. Don’t miss the Grantmakers for Education conference Oct. 10-12, featuring a panel with AP education editor Chrissie Thompson and global business editor Noreen Gillespie. The Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research is hosting a webinar on Sept. 20, featuring Chalkbeat’s Matt Barnum, on how school districts can prioritize equity during layoffs. And don’t miss one of the four upcoming sessions in the Diversify Your Sources series with the American Press Institute’s Katie Kutsko, beginning Sept. 14.
⏰ Impact: In response to reporting from Chalkbeat’s Kalyn Belsha and others, two more large districts — Las Vegas and Tampa — have cut ties with the virtual tutoring company Paper. Kudos!
⏰ Research: The Hechinger Report’s Jill Barshay rounded up research on pandemic learning loss and recovery, and among the findings is that most kids would need between one and five extra months on top of a regular school year to catch up. According to Jenny Anderson in Time, 90% of American parents think their children are reading and doing math at or above grade level — but only 26% of eighth graders are proficient or above in math and 31% in English. One reason for the disconnect could be grade inflation, according to The 74. Denise-Marie Ordway of The Journalist’s Resource looked at research on the benefits and consequences of the four-day school week. And keep an eye out next week for the big CRPE “State of the American Student” report, which comes out Wednesday.
THE KICKER
“Promised my kids that if they took first day of school photos, I would take one, too.” – Philadelphia Inquirer education reporter Kristen Graham
That’s all, folks. Thanks for reading!
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By Alexander Russo with additional writing from Colleen Connolly and Will Callan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Grade
Launched in 2015, The Grade is a journalist-run effort to encourage high-quality coverage of K-12 education issues.
