EWA Radio
156 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsEWA, the professional organization dedicated to improving the quality and quantity of education coverage in the media, hosts regular interviews and panel discussions with journalists and education professionals.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
What the FAFSA?!
April 16, 2024 20:00 - 29 minutes - 68 MBThe 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 fro...
Why Black Teachers Quit
April 02, 2024 20:00 - 21 minutes - 48.2 MBIn 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 m...
Fairer School Funding
March 19, 2024 20:00 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBMany 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 ...
When Private Schools Get Public Money
March 12, 2024 20:00 - 24 minutes - 56.8 MBFor 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 paroch...
The Power of Student Journalism
February 20, 2024 21:00 - 22 minutes - 51.6 MBWhile 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 Cente...
Finding Missing Students (and the Money)
February 13, 2024 21:00 - 24 minutes - 56.8 MBFor 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 paroch...
‘Disillusioned:’ The Rise and Fall of the American Suburban Dream
January 23, 2024 21:00 - 30 minutes - 70.6 MBSuburbs 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 an...
2024: New Year, New Story Ideas
January 16, 2024 21:00 - 30 minutes - 70 MBFrom 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 o...
So You Want a Journalism Fellowship
December 12, 2023 21:00 - 31 minutes - 71.5 MBIf 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 Poli...
For Rural Black Students, a College Conundrum
December 05, 2023 21:00 - 27 minutes - 63.6 MBWhat 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 provi...
Can Public Education Survive School Choice?
November 28, 2023 21:00 - 30 minutes - 69.3 MBFew 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 d...
When Skills, Not Seat Time Earn College Degrees
November 07, 2023 21:00 - 27 minutes - 62.2 MBWhat 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...
Migrant Children in Public Schools
October 17, 2023 20:00 - 23 minutes - 53.7 MBAfter 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.
Want Schools Open in a Pandemic? Give Them Cleaner Air.
October 03, 2023 20:00 - 24 minutes - 57.1 MBFew 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 Publ...
The K-12 Stories You Need in Your Notebook
September 19, 2023 20:00 - 22 minutes - 52.4 MBThe 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...
The Best Colleges You’ve (Probably) Never Heard of
September 05, 2023 20:00 - 27 minutes - 63.3 MBDo 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 methodo...
Higher Ed Stories to Steal
August 29, 2023 20:00 - 23 minutes - 54.7 MBThe 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.
Best on the Beat: Mike Hixenbaugh of NBC News
August 15, 2023 20:00 - 27 minutes - 62.1 MBMike 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 podca...
The Heavy Price of Policing Students
July 26, 2023 20:00 - 30 minutes - 70.5 MBReporters 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.
Passing the Public Editor Torch
July 11, 2023 20:00 - 25 minutes - 57.5 MBAs 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.
Protecting Education Journalists’ Mental Health
June 13, 2023 20:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBEducation 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 jo...
Getting to School Can Mean Life or Death When Trains Block Crossings
May 09, 2023 20:00 - 26 minutes - 61.2 MBWhen 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 ...
Covering Early Childhood Education
May 03, 2023 21:00 - 24 minutes - 56.5 MBEarly 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 Hec...
9 Things I Learned Covering HBCUs
April 26, 2023 20:00 - 27 minutes - 63.4 MBFor 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, t...
America's After-School Afterthought
April 12, 2023 20:50 - 26 minutes - 60.7 MBMillions 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 und...
Tracking Student-Athletes Menstrual History
April 04, 2023 20:30 - 33 minutes - 76.9 MBKatherine “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...
Student Data Privacy as a Civil Rights Issue
March 28, 2023 20:00 - 48 minutes - 111 MBSchools 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 protecti...
Introducing Kathy Chow, EWA’s New Executive Director
March 14, 2023 20:00 - 16 minutes - 37.4 MBAfter 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 j...
Critical Race Theory in Higher Education
February 28, 2023 21:00 - 31 minutes - 71.6 MBCritical 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 Inte...
Student Press Freedom
February 14, 2023 21:00 - 25 minutes - 59.4 MBMarcus 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 "editor...
Tutoring as a Student Catch-up Strategy
February 07, 2023 21:00 - 25 minutes - 57.4 MBThe 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...
Top Issues to Watch in Higher Education for 2023
January 31, 2023 22:30 - 27 minutes - 61.8 MBOne 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!
Literacy Efforts in Prison
January 17, 2023 21:00 - 38 minutes - 89 MBAbout 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 eight...
Producing an Education Documentary
January 10, 2023 21:00 - 32 minutes - 73.2 MBCOVID-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, ...
Why Climate Change Is an Education Story
December 20, 2022 21:00 - 24 minutes - 55.8 MBSeveral 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. Thro...
Being a Cub Reporter on the Education Beat
December 13, 2022 21:00 - 19 minutes - 43.8 MBBeing 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). S...
Homeless Students in Rural America
November 29, 2022 21:00 - 25 minutes - 59.1 MBRural 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 pla...
Becoming Editors
November 22, 2022 21:00 - 29 minutes - 68.3 MBThis 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...
Investigating Hasidic Schools in New York
November 01, 2022 20:00 - 30 minutes - 69 MBSome 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 millio...
Increasing Inequality: How 'Ivy-Plus' Colleges Are Part of the Problem
October 25, 2022 20:00 - 25 minutes - 58.2 MBEvan 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 bei...
Book Bans in Texas Schools
October 11, 2022 20:00 - 24 minutes - 54.9 MBA 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 ...
Covering Children and COVID
October 04, 2022 20:00 - 26 minutes - 59.5 MBTens 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 ex...
What Reporters Should Do Before and After a Layoff
September 20, 2022 20:00If you’re a journalist who was laid off (or is concerned about your job after recent cuts at Gannett and Bustle Digital Group), what should you do? Get advice from our EWA Radio episode, and review the resources below. Public Editor Kavitha Cardoza spoke to several experts about how reporters can best prepare before and after layoffs occur. The experts also provided tips for networking, freelancing and ways to practice self-care. Contributors to the discussion included Rachel Cohen, a ...
Covering Native American Students
August 30, 2022 20:00 - 21 minutes - 50.3 MBCovering a community different from your own can be tricky – especially when that community has a fraught relationship with the U.S. education system created by years of racism and cultural erasure. To understand how Native American students experience college, Sasha Aslanian of APM Reports asked three indigenous students to be partners with her and record their experiences on tape. She shaped those approximately 30 hours of interviews into a remarkably thoughtful one-hour documentary, "...
Back to School: Story Ideas for K-12 and Higher Education Reporters
August 23, 2022 20:00 - 19 minutes - 45.7 MBA pair of veteran education journalists share insights for what’s ahead this fall and beyond. Mila Koumpilova of Chalkbeat Chicago shares issues she is keeping an eye on, including enrollment changes, staff shortages and following up on summer school. Plus, Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report has a host of story ideas relating to college enrollment. Also, learn how inflation plays out on campuses. Both reporters offer tips for staying organized and explain if having a rough plan for the yea...
Emily Richmond Takes a Temporary Break As Public Editor. But EWA Radio Continues!
August 09, 2022 20:00 - 23 minutes - 53.5 MBAs Emily Richmond says goodbye (temporarily!), she looks into the early history of integration and present-day landscape of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which serves nearly 67,000 students from military connected families at its campuses both in the U.S. and abroad. This is Emily's last episode as host until she returns in June 2023. In the meanwhile, Kavitha Cardoza, a longtime education reporter, takes over. They chat about their experiences in school, their begi...
Was His Former Teacher a Sexual Predator? This Reporter Had to Find Out.
June 21, 2022 20:00 - 31 minutes - 72.8 MBFor senior investigative reporter Matt Drange of Business Insider, this was a reporting assignment like no other: investigating his former high school journalism teacher on allegations of sexual misconduct. He spent more than three years reporting the story, pulling back the curtain on more than two decades of questionable behavior by the accused teacher as well as evidence that school officials sought to dodge accountability. How did the story land on Drange’s radar, nearly 15 years aft...
Revisiting America’s Reading Wars
June 08, 2022 17:00 - 29 minutes - 67 MBFor decades, millions of children have been taught to read using a popular method that’s out of step with the scientific research on how our brains really learn. Amid pushback and criticism – including from researchers, parents, and education journalists – that’s starting to change. Dana Goldstein, national correspondent for The New York Times, shares the latest from her reporting on the growing pushback to the widely used “balanced literacy” approach advocated by Lucy Calkins, a chari...
Can the Latino College Gap Be Solved?
May 17, 2022 20:00 - 28 minutes - 66 MBFor San Antonio student Javier Hernandez, the difference between fulfilling his dream of attending a four-year university hundreds of miles from home and opting for a lower-cost local community college was an unexpected bill for a family funeral. In her five-part series “The Enduring Gap,” Texas Public Radio’s Camille Phillips explored which support systems and services make the biggest difference for Latinx and other students who face barriers to educational success. Phillips gleaned fascin...
‘Unlevel Playing Fields’ for Girls’ Sports
May 03, 2022 20:30 - 22 minutes - 51.6 MBTitle IX prohibits gender-based discrimination in school programs that receive federal funding – but how fairly is the law being applied, especially when it comes to girls’ high school sports? A reporting team of nearly two dozen student journalists at the University of Maryland, College Park, set out to answer that question in a wide-ranging project. Kara Newhouse, a longtime education reporter who is completing a master’s degree in data journalism, spent seven months analyzing the federal ...