2023 EWA Caucus on School Finance: An Online Reporting Community

School finance is a complex but critically important topic for education journalists to cover. The need is urgent for journalists to help the public make sense of education funding matters as deadlines to spend COVID-19 relief funds draw near, states work to revamp their funding formulas, and many districts grapple with enrollment declines. 

The Education Writers Association is offering an opportunity for journalists interested in digging deeper into school finance. We invite member journalists to apply for the second iteration of the EWA Caucus on School Finance, an online reporting community. From February through July, participants will meet monthly to build their knowledge and skills on the topic, gaining insights from fellow journalists and national experts. 

Last year’s Caucus members heard from experts, such as Bruce Baker of the University of Miami; Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach of Northwestern University; and Phyllis Jordan and Bella DiMarco of FutureEd at Georgetown University. Journalists from news outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, Education Week and Chalkbeat, offered their advice to Caucus members. 

The Caucus also is a place to deepen ties among education reporters, to bond and network with like-minded peers. It’s a forum to share ideas and troubleshoot together. Above all, the goal is to have participants come away inspired, informed, and better prepared to produce compelling coverage of K-12 funding. 

We anticipate a group of approximately 20 to 30 journalists will participate in these 75-minute gatherings over the next six months. In addition, there will be brief reading assignments between sessions. 

This program is intended for journalists with some experience covering education, preferably at least two years. We welcome 2022 caucus members to participate again, as new speakers and topics will be featured. 

The deadline to apply for this year’s caucus is Feb. 14.