2022 Collaborations (All Newsroom Sizes) Finalists
Devna Bose, Rebecca Griesbach, Sharon Lurye, Neal Morton, Trisha Powell Crain, Janelle Retka & Talia Richman
The Post & Courier, AL.com, The Associated Press, The Hechinger Report, The Seattle Times & The Dallas Morning News
Tackling Teacher Shortages
- Teacher shortages are real, but not for the reason you heard
- Tackling teacher shortages: Uncertified teachers fill holes in schools across Alabama, U.S.
- In one giant classroom, four teachers manage 135 kids – and love it
- How WA community colleges are helping solve the state’s teacher shortage
Comments From the Judges:
“Impressive, diverse collective of 8 national and local news organizations dedicated to education coverage that is on its fifth project — this one takes an unprecedented journalistic look at the national teacher shortage. They used their range, depth and access to data expertise to zero in on one very important story — the teacher shortage post covid. Where is it the most dire, why did it happen, what do some solutions look like? The stories include an overview of the findings, buttressed by the work of data journalists in the mix. A key surprise finding was that contrary to public perception, teachers aren’t leaving their jobs in droves. The reasons come from elsewhere.”
“This is an excellent package of expertly-reported, well-written stories illustrating an often abstract problem too often described superficially. I especially loved the piece about Alabama. This is the kind of package of stories the collaborations category was created for– and the kind of thoughtful and well-executed collaboration the country would be better served to have more of.”
Mike Reicher, Lulu Ramadan & Taylor Blatchford
The Seattle Times and ProPublica
Invisible Schools
- At Washington special education schools, years of abuse complaints and lack of academics
- How a billion-dollar corporation exploits Washington’s special education system
- WA proposes reforms for special education schools, citing Seattle Times, ProPublica stories
Comments From the Judges:
“Excellent, potent, well-documented investigation by Propublica in collaboration with the Seattle Times and Ed Lab into a network of privately run ‘warehouses’ for the severely disabled in Washington State. Their findings were devastating — not the least of which is that transparency and accountable data is at next to zero for these kids. The storytelling power provided by the interviews with parents and kids, and the videos of former teachers are powerful. The larger context is clear — this network is part of a trend to privatize services for the hard-to-educate. The state’s most vulnerable children. It’s a classic example of dogged reporting uncovering a network of wrong, and pointing to the policy solutions. Well done.”
“Outstanding work exhibiting the kind of public-service, watchdog work that’s possible when a national investigative news organization partners with a deeply-sourced local outlet. The reporting is outstanding, with a powerful blend of harrowing descriptions, on-point data and context. The quick response from legislators shows the impact of this reporting in the state of Washington.”
Jeremy Schwartz & Mike Hixenbaugh
The Texas Tribune, ProPublica & NBC News
Granbury, Texas: A Harbinger for Fierce Battles Over LGBTQ-Themed Books
- A push to remove LGBTQ books in one county could signal rising partisanship on school boards
- “We’re going to be conservative.” Official orders books removed from schools, targeting titles about transgender people.
- A mom’s campaign to ban library books divided a Texas town — and her own family
- A Texas superintendent ordered school librarians to remove LGBTQ books. Now the federal government is investigating.
Comments From the Judges:
“Powerful group of stories about a Texas school district that took aim at LGBTQ library books. It triggered a federal discrimination investigation that is ongoing. It’s a raw look at a wedge hate issue that is dividing communities, and infecting national politics. A damning piece of reporting by two news organizations — NBCNews and the ubiquitous ProPublica -Texas Tribune. The storytelling is clear and provocative. The story of one school board, school district’s efforts to ban books provides a powerful lens into how and why these sentiments are taking over local communities all over the U.S.”
“The series effectively examines the larger implications of Hood County Texas’s campaign to remove LGBTQ-themed books and how it is a drive that soon will be imperiling books in libraries across the country. The reporting is solid and the writing is compelling. The impact, leading to a federal investigation and drawing national attention, is impressive.”
Finalists
