Breaking the Story: The Chicago Schools Superintendent Scandal

In 2013, Chicago education reporter Sarah Karp asked a question: Why was a no-bid contract for $20 million awarded to a relatively unknown company chosen to provide professional development services in the nation’s third-largest school district?

As a result of her dogged digging, Karp set off a chain of events that led to Chicago Schools Superintendent Barbara Byrd-Bennett pleading guilty to a felony earlier this month. Karp spoke with EWA Radio about the ongoing investigation into the scandal, tips for local journalists on watchdog reporting, and the camaraderie of the Chicago education press corps.