2021 Public Service (Smaller Newsroom) Winner

About the Winners:

The APM Reports team was intrigued by the growing number of K-12 teachers who’ve come to the classroom through emergency or alternative certifications. The portion of teachers coming into the profession from four-year university education programs is shrinking, so they wondered why and how that change affects students. Their project led to some startling insights into who’s teaching in America’s classrooms.

Comments from the Judges:

“A thoroughly engaging listen that goes beyond superficial platitudes about teacher shortages to look at the hows and whys of an issue that’s central to the quality of public education everywhere. The podcast is full of surprising revelations about an industry, for-profit teacher recruitment, that’s been little-scrutinized, until now.“

“This is a fascinating story full of twists and revelations that puncture clichés about what causes the teacher shortage and what solutions might address it. Great audio storytelling brings to life data that was carefully researched and analyzed. This is the kind of reporting to which teacher-prep programs, education leaders and policymakers should pay close attention.”

Photo credit: Rachel Sender for APM Reports