2024 Investigative & Public Service (Education-Only Outlets) Finalists
Sarah Butrymowicz, Fazil Khan, Meredith Kolodner, Gail Cornwall, Sara Hutchinson, Hadley Hitson, Madeline Mitchell, Amanda Chen, Tazbia Fatima, Tara García Mathewson & Nirvi Shah
The Hechinger Report, Montgomery Advertiser & Cincinnati Enquirer
Suspended for…What?
- Vague school rules at the root of millions of student suspensions
- ‘It was the most unfair thing’: Disobedience, discipline and racial disparity
- Students with disabilities often snared by subjective discipline rules
- What happens when suspensions get suspended?
Comments From the Judges:
“This series was really illuminating. What’s sad is the same outcomes of Black and disabled students disproportionately suspended at higher rates. I think the quality of work speaks for itself with the amount of data. Also the work that Fazil did on this was so critical and for those of us who followed him know how it was a labor of love. I am glad to see some impact here in what some cities did being surprised by data.”
“This series from the Hechinger Report was [undoubtedly] a grand undertaking, needing many resources, staff and months to complete. The result is an investigation that illuminates the reality of overused suspensions in the U.S. The four stories were each well-done and had appropriate sourcing. I especially liked the solutions piece about a school district, LAUSD, that had succeeded in creating a more equitable discipline system, and I think it completed the series. The data collection was also very impressive.”
Thomas Peele, Daniel J. Willis, Emma Gallegos, Justin Allen, Yuxuan Xie, Mallika Seshadri, Lasherica Thornton & Monica Velez
EdSource
Calling the Cops
- Call records show vast police presence in California schools
- Explore the data
- San Bernardino County: Growing hot spot for school-run police
- When California schools summon police
Comments From the Judges:
“This reporting was an incredible undertaking and a tremendous public service. The database is impressive, allowing readers to not only look at the overarching trends, but also the individual reports and metrics of each school. The reporters highlight not just police calls to schools but schools with their own police departments, pressing those school leaders about oversight of these entities. It highlights the veil of secrecy hiding the true nature of policing in California schools and exemptions from public records laws for this information, making their reporting all that more meaningful.”
“What an incredible data project and tackling an issue we should all care about when [it] comes to civil rights and taxpayer spending, as well as general public safety. We tend to be hot and cold with a focus on covering school police but given the changes since Columbine, work like this is needed. It does have widespread impact and [I] think other outlets could find it inspiring to replicate. Fascinating as well as many of us live in places where the school district has its own police department.”
Jasper Smith
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Once a Beacon. Now a Burden.
Comments From the Judges:
“This reporting has clear, concise writing that gives the reader context to a decades-long downfall of a local HBCU college that is determined to persist. Deeply researched and well sourced, the reporter captures how financial mismanagement, constant leadership turnover and loss of accreditation have plagued this college — leading the once flourishing school to be [a] drain on the surrounding neighborhood. Through the lens of people who live in the community, former leaders, and alumni, the reporter weaves the past and future of this school together beautifully.”
“This reporter chronicled the at times tragic issues plaguing a historically [B]lack college, HBCU, that was once a hallmark for a Tennessee community and now has fallen to ruins, with fires, decrepit buildings and deaths in the decay. She reported on who could be responsible for this fall from grace, and where the accountability lies. The story expertly posed the question of whether a floundering college should be restored, if restoration is even possible, or if the community should move on to other aims.”
