One thing is clear from the stories that populate this year鈥檚 list: Many of America鈥檚 schools are still grappling with the academic struggles that followed the pandemic 鈥� as well as the end of federal relief funds, which expired this fall. Student enrollments have yet to recover and many districts are facing 鈥� or will soon face 鈥� tough decisions about closures.

Meanwhile, some educators are testing innovative ways of teaching math, reading and science, hoping to gain back some of the academic ground lost since the COVID shutdowns. Technology is also playing a pivotal role in this post-pandemic world, with communities weighing the impact of cellphones and artificial intelligence on student learning and mental health.

November鈥檚 election 鈥� which featured debates over school choice, Christianity in public schools and the fate of the Department of Education 鈥� also made headlines here at 蜜桃影视. And, as calls for cracking down on immigration grew even louder, we dug deep into the hurdles facing immigrant students and schools. 

Here鈥檚 a roundup of our most memorable and impactful stories of the year:

Exclusive: Thousands of Schools at Risk of Closing Due to Enrollment Loss

By Linda Jacobson

Long before districts close schools, enrollment loss takes a toll on staff and families, from combined classes to the loss of afterschool programs. This exclusive analysis by Linda Jacobson, based on Brookings Institution research, found that more than 4,400 schools lost at least one-fifth of their students during the pandemic 鈥� more than double the number during the pre-COVID period. The detailed look shows how the crisis is playing out at the school level and which districts face tough decisions about closures and cuts. 

Unwelcome to America鈥�: Hundreds of U.S. High Schools Wrongfully Refused Entry to Older, Immigrant Student

By Jo Napolitano

蜜桃影视鈥檚 16-month-long undercover investigation of school enrollment practices for older immigrant students revealed rampant refusals of teens who had a legal right to attend, shutting a door critical to success in America. Senior reporter Jo Napolitano called 630 high schools in every state and D.C. to test whether they would enroll a 19-year-old Venezuelan newcomer who had limited English language skills and whose education was interrupted after ninth grade. 鈥淗ector Guerrero鈥� was turned down more than 300 times, including 204 denials in the 35 states and D.C., where high school attendance goes up to at least age 20. 蜜桃影视鈥檚 investigation revealed pervasive hostility and suspicion toward these students in a particularly xenophobic era and a deeply arbitrary process determining their access to K-12 education.

Interactive: Which School Districts Do the Best Job of Teaching Kids to Read?

By Chad Aldeman

It’s not news that low-income fourth graders are years behind their higher-income peers in reading. But poverty is not destiny, and some schools and districts hugely outperform expectations. Working with Eamonn Fitzmaurice, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 art and technology director, contributor Chad Aldeman set out to find districts that are beating the odds and successfully teaching kids to read. From Steubenville City, Ohio, to Worcester County, Maryland, and across the country, click on their interactive map to find the highfliers in your state. 

Whistleblower: L.A. Schools鈥� Chatbot Misused Student Data as Tech Company Crumbled

by Mark Keierleber

In early June, a former top software engineer at ed tech startup, AllHere, warned Los Angeles district officials and others about student data privacy risks associated with the company鈥檚 AI chatbot “Ed.” The LA Unified School District had agreed to pay AllHere $6 million for the chatbot and the spring rollout of Ed was highly publicized, with L.A. schools chief Alberto Carvalho calling the chatbot鈥檚 student knowledge powers 鈥渦nprecedented in American public education.鈥� But, as Mark Keierleber reported, red flags soon began to emerge. The company financially imploded and its founder Joanna Smith-Griffin left the company. In November, federal prosecutors indicted her, accusing of defrauding investors of $10 million.

America’s Most Popular Autism Therapy May Not Work 鈥� and May Cause Serious Harms

by Beth Hawkins

Today, a child鈥檚 new autism diagnosis is frequently followed by a referral to a variation of an intervention called applied behavior analysis, or ABA, and four decades of pressure from parents and advocates has created a sprawling treatment industry. Yet, even as providers and lobbyists jockey to strengthen ABA’s dominance, autistic adults and researchers increasingly say there鈥檚 alarmingly little proof it鈥檚 effective 鈥� and mounting evidence it鈥檚 traumatizing. In an exclusive investigation, Beth Hawkins spoke with families, teachers and scholars about the growing controversy surrounding autism鈥檚 鈥済old standard鈥� treatment. 

A Cautionary AI Tale: Why IBM鈥檚 Dazzling Watson Supercomputer Made a Lousy Tutor

by Greg Toppo

In 2011, IBM’s Watson supercomputer crushed Jeopardy! champions, raising hopes that it could help create a powerful tutoring system that would rival human teachers. But the visionary at the head of the effort watched as the project fizzled, the victim of AI’s inability to hold students鈥� attention. As new educational AI contenders like Khanmigo emerge, what lessons can they learn from the past? 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Greg Toppo took a look at how IBM鈥檚 failed effort tempers today鈥檚 shiny AI promises.

State-by-State, How Segregation Legally Continues 7 Decades Post Brown v. Board

by Marianna McMurdock

Seventy years after the Supreme Court outlawed separating public school children by race, Marianna McMurdock sought to answer a pivotal question: How are some of the most coveted public schools in the U.S. able to legally exclude all but the most privileged families? Last spring, she spoke with researchers at the nonprofits Available to All and Bellwether, which published a report that examined the troubling laws, loopholes and trends that are undermining the legacy of Brown v. Board in each state. The researchers called for urgent legal reform to offset the impact that one鈥檚 home address has on enrollment, particularly as many districts have started considering closures.

Being 鈥楤ad at Math鈥� Is a Pervasive Concept. Can it Be Banished From Schools?

by Jo Napolitano

Are you bad at math? If you are, it鈥檚 likely that self-fulfilling seed got planted early. Many math education leaders are trying to uproot that thinking, arguing that any student can master the subject with the right accommodations and tutoring. Changing the bad-at-math mindset in U.S. schools, however, will not be easy, others warn. 鈥淲e use math as a means to sort kids by who gets to be at the top and who gets to be at the bottom,鈥� one math equity advocate told Jo Napolitano. 

Hope Rises in Pine Bluff: Saving Schools in America’s Fastest-Shrinking City

by 蜜桃影视 Staff

Pine Bluff, Arkansas, earned the unwelcome distinction in the 2020 census of being America’s fastest-shrinking city, losing over 12% of its population in one decade. Amid this exodus of families, students and taxpayers, its school district had to navigate school closures, budget pressures and a state takeover. Throughout last winter, members of 蜜桃影视鈥檚 newsroom embedded in Pine Bluff to report on the region鈥檚 trajectory. Here are some of the powerful stories they came back with: 

Kids, Screen Time & Despair: An Expert in the Economics of Happiness Echoes Psychologists鈥� Warnings About Tech

By Kevin Mahnken

A prominent economist has joined the growing chorus of experts warning against the dangers posed to youth mental health by screens and social media, reported Kevin Mahnken. New papers released by Dartmouth College professor Danny Blanchflower, a leading expert in the burgeoning field of happiness economics, suggest that the huge increase in screen time over the last decade has made the young more likely to despair than the middle-aged. 

Why Is a Grading System Touted as More Accurate, Equitable So Hard to Implement?

By Amanda Geduld

As educators push for more transparency in grading policies post-pandemic, some are turning to standards-based grading. When done correctly, it separates academic mastery from behavior and more accurately reflects what students know. But misunderstandings of the model, a lack of proper training, and a rush to adopt it often leads to messy implementation. Associate professor Laura Link told Amanda Geduld that as schools look to fix learning gaps, 鈥渟tandards-based grading is one that seems like it can be a quickly adopted effort. But it could backfire 鈥� and does backfire 鈥� very easily.鈥�

Texas Seeks to Inject Bible Stories into Elementary School Reading Program

by Linda Jacobson

Last May, a sweeping redesign of Texas鈥� elementary school curriculum that used Bible stories to teach reading was unveiled. At the time, state education Commissioner Mike Morath described the changes as a shift toward a 鈥渃lassical model of education.鈥� But the revisions raised questions about potential religious indoctrination and bias. Nevertheless, in November, the Texas Board of Education approved the new curriculum in a close vote. Linda Jacobson followed the story closely.

The Political War Over the Department of Education Is Only Beginning

By Kevin Mahnken 

Fresh from their November victories, Republicans are already working to help President-elect Donald Trump achieve his promise of abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. But research suggests that, while perceptions of the agency are mixed, the public is unlikely to back a sweeping course of elimination. 鈥淪aying you鈥檒l get rid of it reads generically as being anti-education,鈥� one political scientist told Kevin Mahnken. 鈥淭hat strikes me as a very heavy albatross to hang around your neck come the midterms.” 

18 Years, $2 Billion: Inside New Orleans’ Biggest School Recovery Effort in History

By Beth Hawkins

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed 110 New Orleans schools. Displaced families could not return until there were classrooms to welcome their kids, but no one had ever tried to rebuild an entire school system. While many of the buildings were moldering even before the storm, federal funds couldn’t be used to build something better. Some of the schools had landmark status and were of great historical significance. Eighteen years and $2 billion later, Beth Hawkins took a look at seven schools that illustrate how the district accomplished the task.

As Ryan Walters鈥� Right-Wing Star Rose, Critics Say Oklahoma Ed Dept. Fell Apart

By Linda Jacobson

Oklahoma state education chief Republican Ryan Walters has acted as a one-man publicity machine, a performance that鈥檚 earned him venomous foes and ardent fans who follow him with a near-religious fervor. But one casualty of his approach might be a functioning state education bureaucracy. Even Republican lawmakers have grown impatient, calling for a probe into how Walters handles state and federal funds. As Rep. Tammy West, a GOP incumbent running for re-election, told reporter Linda Jacobson, 鈥淩egardless of party, citizens want transparency, accountability and communication.鈥�

AI 鈥楥ompanions鈥� Are Patient, Funny, Upbeat 鈥� and Probably Rewiring Kids Brains

By Greg Toppo

A college student relies on ChatGPT to help him make life decisions, including whether to break up with his girlfriend. Is this a future we feel good about? While AI bots and companions like ChatGPT, Replika and Snapchat鈥檚 MyAI, can offer support, comfort and advice, experts are beginning to warn of potential risks. 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Greg Toppo talks to researchers and policy experts about what we should be doing to help make them safer.

Indiana Looks to Swiss Experts to Create Thousands of Student Apprenticeships

By Patrick O鈥橠onnell

Indiana officials have turned to experts at the Swiss version of MIT for help in becoming a national career training leader by making apprenticeships available to thousands of high school students across the state. Indiana is the latest state to work with ETH Zurich 鈥� where Albert Einstein once studied 鈥� to develop ways to break down barriers between educators and businesses so that career training can be a large part of a reinvented high school experience, reported Patrick O鈥橠onnell. 

Investigation: Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died in Federal Boarding Schools

By Marianna McMurdock 

Nearly 1,000 Native American children died while forced to attend government-affiliated boarding schools, according to a report published last summer by the Interior Department. The children are buried in 74 unmarked and marked graves, reported Marianna McMurdock, as tribes assess repatriation of remains. Nearly 19,000 children were estimated to be kidnapped, often at gunpoint, and enrolled in the schools with the aim of assimilation. “We [were] never called by our name, we were all called by our numbers,鈥� said one survivor. 

The Nation鈥檚 Biggest Charter School System Is Under Fire in Los Angeles

By Ben Chapman 

The nation鈥檚 largest experiment with charter schools is no longer growing. These days, Los Angeles charter operators say they are just trying to survive. With tough new policies governing co-locations, falling enrollment, and a hostile district school board, charter leaders say they鈥檝e never faced stronger headwinds, reported Ben Chapman. With enrollment plummeting across the district, some charter networks have recently announced closures while others have stopped submitting proposals for new campuses. 鈥淣ow, particularly in L.A., our focus is not on growing,鈥� said Joanna Belcher, chief impact officer for KIPP SoCal. 

Florida Students Seize on Parental Rights to Stop Educators from Hitting Kids

By Mark Keierleber 

Late last year, Florida senior Brooklynn Daniels was called to the principal鈥檚 office and spanked with a wooden paddle 鈥渢hat was thick like a chapter book.鈥� Like in many enclaves that dot the Florida panhandle, Liberty County permits corporal punishment as a form of student discipline. But her flogging, the honors student said, went much further: She alleged sexual assault and filed a police report, reported Mark Keierleber. Daniels joined a student-led movement to change Florida law that has latched onto the GOP-led parental rights movement. 

Interactive: See How Student Achievement Gaps Are Growing in Your State

By Chad Aldeman

In 2012, then-President Barack Obama freed states from the accountability provisions of No Child Left Behind in exchange for reforms related to standards, assessments and teacher evaluations. That relaxing of school and district accountability pressures corresponded with a decline in student performance across the country that is still being felt 鈥� achievement gaps are growing across subjects and all across the country. To illustrate these alarming discrepancies, contributor Chad Aldeman and Eamonn Fitzmaurice, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 art and technology director, created an interactive tool that enables you to see what’s happening with student performance in your state.

Left Powerless: Non-English鈥揝peaking Parents Denied Vital Translation Services

by Amanda Geduld

Flouting federal laws, K-12 public schools routinely fail to provide qualified interpreters to non-English-speaking families. Parents must instead rely on Google translate, their own kid or a bilingual staff member who isn鈥檛 a trained interpreter for issues as simple as their child鈥檚 absence for a day or as complex and intimidating as a special education meeting or a school disciplinary hearing. The problem is pervasive and vastly underreported, experts told Amanda Geduld. School leaders say they are trying their best, but lack the money and staffing to meet the need. 

Failed West Virginia Microschool Fuels State Probe and Some Soul-Searching

By Linda Jacobson

The West Virginia treasurer鈥檚 investigation into a microschool, funded with education savings accounts, offers a glimpse into an emerging market that has mushroomed since the pandemic. When the program shut down after a few months, parents were left demanding their money back and scrambling to find other arrangements for their children. The example, experts say, shows that it takes more than good intentions to provide a quality education program. As one parent told Linda Jacobson, 鈥淚 should have seen the red flags.鈥�

In the Rush to Covid Recovery, Did We Forget About Our Youngest Learners?

by Lauren Camera

The country鈥檚 youngest elementary school students suffered steep academic setbacks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic 鈥� just like students in older grades. But new research shows that they aren鈥檛 catching back up to pre-pandemic levels in reading and math the way older students are. And when it comes to math, many are falling even further behind. 鈥淲e were shocked when we first saw the data,鈥� Kristen Huff, vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates, told Lauren Camera.

Founded by the Bezos Family Foundation in 2018, Early Learning Nation has evolved into an acclaimed independent magazine dedicated to coverage of the news, policies and research shaping early learners, their families and the broader child care system. 

鈥淭he key issues affecting America鈥檚 K-12 students begin well before kindergarten and continue well beyond high school graduation,鈥� said Steve Snyder, CEO of 蜜桃影视. 鈥淥ur partnership with Early Learning Nation underscores 蜜桃影视鈥檚 commitment in broadening our editorial priorities and deepening our coverage of equity, solutions and progress as we follow children from cradle to career.鈥� 

蜜桃影视 has hired Marisa Busch to oversee integration of Early Learning Nation and the expansion of the site鈥檚 broader mission. Busch previously served as an Editorial Director at EdSurge, where she played a key role in launching the organization鈥檚 early childhood coverage. She brings more than 20 years of education experience to 蜜桃影视鈥檚 national newsroom, both between education outlets and a decade spent in classrooms as an educator and instructional coach serving students from early childhood through middle grades.

Busch will partner closely with Chief Creative Officer Emmeline Zhao and Editor in Chief Nicole Ridgway, who joined 蜜桃影视 this summer after a lengthy tenure at CNN Business, to expand Early Learning Nation鈥檚 brand and footprint. 

鈥淎s the new home of Early Learning Nation, 蜜桃影视 is well-positioned to expand awareness about the challenges and success in early learning and the science of the developing brain,鈥� said Bezos Family Foundation President John Deasy. 鈥淲e look forward to following their coverage about the factors affecting young learners, their families, and their communities and seeing how the discourse is extended to a wider demographic of readers.鈥� 

Over the past year, 蜜桃影视 has launched and expanded an array of special initiatives focused on students, families and educators.

In August, 蜜桃影视 introduced its newest national newsletter, The Catch-Up, offering rolling updates on the state of learning losses after the pandemic as well as breakthrough efforts to catch students up specifically in the arenas of math and reading. (Sign up here)

The publisher also recently scaled its partnership with the University of Southern California and the Annenberg School of Journalism, where a new cohort of undergraduate and graduate students are being trained by 74 journalists to cover students and education issues through the lens of LAUSD, the nation’s second-largest school district. That program has produced a wide-ranging series of impactful features that have been published at both 蜜桃影视 and LA School Report. Many have also been syndicated by national and local partners, including the LA Daily News. 

In recent semesters, 蜜桃影视 has ramped up its coverage of America’s most innovative high schools and how the K-12 system is evolving to better prepare today鈥檚 teenagers for the future workforce. Across multiple road trips, feature articles and documentaries, the newsroom has helped spotlight campuses, educators and communities that are rethinking the conventional high school experience.

Since launching in 2015, 蜜桃影视 has been widely recognized for its expanding slate of education coverage. Its work has been cited thousands of times by outlets across the industry; in 2023 alone, 蜜桃影视 was credited or co-published by nearly 400 outlets. The organization has also won multiple awards from the Online News Association, Institute for Nonprofit News and the Education Writers Association. 

In a six-year study interviewing 104 transfer-intending students, Jabbar, an associate professor at the , said viewing transfer issues solely as a community college problem only 鈥渕oves the needle a little bit.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of these existing reforms that focus on community colleges do help,鈥� Jabbar told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淏ut it doesn’t address the larger problem if universities are not helping students.鈥�

The students, who attended either Central Community College or the Fernando Community College System in Texas, experienced many difficulties in transferring 鈥� from credit loss to inadequate career advising.

鈥淐ommunity colleges don’t have the power to say whether those credits subsequently transfer or whether the student is admitted to a university,鈥� Schudde, an associate professor at , told 蜜桃影视. 

鈥淎nd if that information is not readily available or changes, then any guidance they have offered to students goes out the window.鈥�

In their 鈥淒iscredited: Power, Privilege, and Community College Transfer,鈥� Schudde and Jabbar argue that transfer policy is a complex public higher education issue rather than an isolated community college problem.

鈥淢ost research is really focused on the hurdles, the information problems and the barriers within community colleges,鈥� Jabbar said. 鈥淸But] we can’t solve the problem of community college transfer without also holding universities accountable and bringing them in.鈥�

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The book began with the story of Teresa 鈥� a Latina, 19-year-old community college student raised in Texas 鈥� who planned to transfer to a four-year college but was left confused about the steps she needed to take to do so. Can you tell me more about how her experience speaks broadly to the often confusing student-transfer pathway?

Jabbar: There were so many stories, but Teresa exemplified the kinds of experiences that we heard and revealed it wasn’t just that there were hurdles along the way. Oftentimes we hear about students鈥� life experiences, such as working to support family members, that are obviously barriers to transfer. But there were also these institutional barriers 鈥� and not just at the community college level.

For Teresa, it was after she transferred that she was like 鈥榳ait a minute, these policies don’t line up.鈥� And she expressed the frustration that a lot of our students felt when she talked about how she wished these institutions would just get together and come up with some kind of agreement that would make the process more streamlined. That’s why we highlighted her story.

Schudde: I would add that in a lot of research she might be viewed as a success story. Most research looks at transfer-intending students and if they transferred. But when you only look at this you miss everything that happens in the process. 

As we followed students, we did get to see some actually graduate and get their bachelor’s degree. But Teresa鈥檚 case helped us highlight that even the success story has things that go on within it that are really challenging for students to deal with.

Your work takes a closer look into more than 100 transfer-intending community college students who attended either Central Community College or the Fernando Community College System in Texas. Was there a reason why you sampled this student population?

Schudde: Huriya and I worked together at The University of Texas at Austin in the department for education leadership and policy. Huriya started there a year before me and was working on a project studying community college students that were interested in transferring. When I arrived, I was working on a project that was studying the personnel who worked with those transfer students to understand how they’re making sense of transfer policies in Texas.

We started talking and realized we could merge these two things. She also had a sample of over 100 community college students 鈥� that’s a big deal. So we ended up pursuing more funding and followed those students for six years.

The majority of students in the sample identified as Latino because that is what the majority of students in Texas, particularly at community colleges, identify as. And most students in the sample also come from low-income families.

Jabbar: In most states, the vast majority of students starting at a community college are low-income students and often students of color. So in many ways our sample aligns with the general population of community colleges across the country.

The book illustrates how transfer success is closely tied to how well college institutions confront 鈥渙vert and hidden barriers鈥� 鈥� from credit loss to flaws in career advising. From your research, where do you see the largest opportunities for college leaders at two-year and four-year institutions to improve their transfer outcomes?

Jabbar: We see the problem as somewhat different than it has been talked about in the past. Most research is really focused on the hurdles, the information problems and the barriers within community colleges. Our argument is that we can’t solve the problem of community college transfer without also holding universities accountable and bringing them in. We need to move from viewing this as a community college problem to a public higher education problem.

Schudde: So many of the reforms to date have focused on community colleges and it’s like moving the needle the tiniest amount. That’s because the community colleges don’t have the power to say whether those credits subsequently transfer or whether the student is admitted to a university. And if that information is not readily available or changes, then any guidance they have offered to students goes out the window. It had no meaning. 

There’s a bunch of one-off solutions where we could say to every university 鈥榳e really want you to build these reliable transfer agreements with your most common feeder community colleges鈥� but it feels like those recommendations have not been effective in the past. Especially because some of the most powerful universities feel like 鈥榳ell why should I have to do that?鈥� And we’re talking about public universities here where they should think of themselves as part of this public higher education ecosystem. 

What we would like to see is a mandate for an associate degree that transfers. Something that would allow someone from a community college to move into a public university and know that they’re going to be at junior status as long as they have the 60 credits. That would require action from university actors because they would have to decide how those credits count.

The reason why I’m emphasizing some sort of state government action is because there’s been all this research the past several decades about community college transfer but no action has happened when it’s left up to universities. They don’t have incentives to do that. There’s also this tension between whose credits are going to count towards the degree because there’s money involved. There would need to be some legislative action, which we’ve seen in some states, that would require university actors to make these changes and take some accountability.

My understanding is that a majority of Texas community colleges utilize the guided pathways advising model. How has this influenced the transfer student experience?

Schudde: When we first started talking to students, that was when the guided pathways advising model was coming out. There was some movement but the community colleges had not fully adopted it when the first and second wave of interviews started. Around the third year we started seeing staff mentioning that the advising models were changing. 

That guidance has been helping but something we do say in the book is that the challenge is still there. If all the community colleges are adopting this but the university that a student goes to is unaware or doesn’t care to know what classes they took, then it doesn’t necessarily help the student. 

That thread has to carry all the way through into the bachelor’s degree. So for this reform to actually make a large impact on getting a bachelor’s degree, we need to see the universities are also adopting, or at least recognizing, those courses that they have to take in their first two years.

Jabbar: A lot of these existing reforms that focus on community colleges do help and move the needle a little bit. Students are getting better advising, or more frequent advising, and they鈥檙e being guided while in community college. But it doesn’t address the larger problem if universities are not helping students.

Schudde: Guided pathways is probably the biggest reform community colleges have seen in a long time. But in most cases I don’t know if it’s getting to the university. Unless it’s a university that works really closely with their local community college, it doesn’t seem like a lot of them are really aware that students are being guided to take this set of core courses. Which means that, ideally, those core courses would also be the universities prerequisites for the major鈥檚 coursework. So that’s why that connection to the next set of institutions is so important.

It goes without saying that racial and socioeconomic equity and access in higher education plays a role in transfer success. How does this tie in with the findings in your book?

Schudde: The reason why this ties in so much with ongoing conversations, especially about racial equity in higher education, is because universities aren’t really able to use all the same tools that they used to use in admissions processes. We have this other public higher education system, community colleges, that have really had a democratizing effect 鈥� allowing greater access for students from low-income families to students of color. Historically, that’s who they’re serving. 

We didn鈥檛 necessarily see major differences across race but there were some across social class. There were some students who had more connections to other people that had navigated the transfer process and been to a university. Those sorts of things helped them figure out who to talk to and what they needed to know in order to take the right classes. 

The gist of our argument, and how it relates to equity, is we need to make these pathways easier to navigate. Under the current context, it’s not easy for them to do that which means we’re really limiting the power of our higher education systems to help with social mobility.

Jabbar: The goal would be that policy remedies can help address the uneven information access and social capital that students coming in have. Institutions should be able to address that and even it out. The existing system is really disadvantageous to community college students who seek to get a bachelor’s degree. 

We really do believe institutions can support students in achieving those goals, but right now they’re not. And because they are disproportionately low-income and students of color that’s where they reproduce existing inequities.

After working on this book, what would you say was your most surprising takeaway?

Jabbar: The main argument of this book is not something I thought we were going to make going into it. I really thought we were going to focus on community colleges. What are the barriers within community colleges? And how can we improve systems within community colleges? I don’t think I realized just how powerful universities were in creating some of the problems that we were seeing in the community colleges. So it was a surprise to me when we looked at the data.

Schudde: Some of the things that surprised me was how candid some of the university actors are when we talked to them about this. So it’s not that I’m surprised by the findings, but I expected some of them to be more guarded about it. It was very explicit in some conversations where it’s basically complete acknowledgement of gatekeeping. That was shocking for me.

What鈥檚 something people aren鈥檛 talking enough about regarding the state of transfer policies?

Schudde: I would say more questions about how we change the minds of university actors. And this is not to say I believe they have ill will. This idea of gatekeeping is very much them prioritizing what they see as maintaining the rigor of their programs. Huriya and I are both university faculty so we鈥檝e seen what it’s like to be on this side. We have those conversations. It happens. 

A lot of the burden turns back to what community colleges can do whereas I believe the bigger question is how we get the universities to be willing partners. Or at least be policy change compliance partners and help them see that there are some benefits for everyone if we make these changes.

Jabbar: There might be some interest convergence opportunities here with the bans on affirmative action and institutions still committed to admitting a diverse population. If we can help them see that community colleges could be one pathway to doing that, that’s one place to shift their perceptions. 

One of the big things for me that is interesting about this study is understanding the cost of decentralized policies that give more autonomy and flexibility, but often put the burden on historically marginalized students and families. 

Schudde: Our proposal is basically trying to centralize some of these decisions. The processes would still remain within a university, but they would be mandated to take those community college credits and could still have the autonomy to decide how they count. Especially in Texas, which is a state that has really prioritized institutional autonomy and decentralization, that might be a harder pill to swallow than in some other contexts. 

I do agree with Huriya that we could really see it play out at the individual level. Not just students but also advisors at the community colleges and universities are trying to make sense of every institution’s set of policies. It’s just not manageable at the individual level so there’s a reason why there are benefits to centralizing some of these decisions.

Ridgway arrives at 蜜桃影视 with more than 25 years of experience leading newsrooms, steering news coverage, overseeing editorial and product strategy, and driving innovations at some of the world鈥檚 largest digital media brands. 

Most recently, she served as Managing Editor of CNN Business, where she guided breaking news, analysis and enterprise coverage, managed multiple teams of writers and editors, and played a leading role in driving the site鈥檚 editorial expansion. Among the CNN initiatives Ridgway helped spearhead was a new editorial team focused on the growing wealth gap in America, which put a national spotlight on efforts to offer underserved communities more opportunities in education, healthcare and the workforce. She also launched CNN Business鈥� first investigative team, which went on to produce several award-winning investigations. 

Prior to CNN, Ridgway held various leadership positions at AOL, Forbes and Dow Jones. She鈥檚 also the author of the 2005 book The Running of the Bulls: Inside the Cutthroat Race from Wharton to Wall Street. 

Her arrival completes Snyder鈥檚 new senior leadership team, with Ridgway serving alongside Chief Development Officer Nicole Harris and Chief Creative Officer Emmeline Zhao. Jim Roberts, previously the site鈥檚 publisher, continues to assist with the leadership transition as a contributing editor.

Under the joint leadership of Snyder and Roberts in recent years, 蜜桃影视 has been recognized widely for its journalistic excellence with top industry awards, including The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award presented by the Online News Association, top news prizes from the Education Writers Association and the Insight Award for Visual Journalism from the Institute for Nonprofit News. 蜜桃影视 has also quadrupled its overall readership and audience, and partnered in its storytelling with a growing universe of national outlets, including The Atlantic, Axios, The Guardian, Fast Company, The Texas Tribune, The Trace, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Boston Globe, AMNY and MinnPost.

In his announcement to 蜜桃影视 team, Snyder wrote that he had already found himself inspired by Ridgway鈥檚 鈥渆nergy and enthusiasm 鈥� for empowering journalists to identify and craft impactful journalism, maintaining the highest of journalistic standards, and helping her teams elevate their work through awards, community impact and reaching new audiences.鈥� 

He also noted Ridgway鈥檚 鈥減assion for our mission, and her repeated celebration of 蜜桃影视 as a student-focused newsroom that sets out daily to 鈥榗hallenge the status quo, expose corruption and inequality, spotlight solutions, confront the impact of systemic racism, and champion the heroes bringing positive change to our schools.鈥� 鈥�

鈥淯nder the leadership of Jim and Steve, 蜜桃影视 has grown into one of the most dynamic and influential newsrooms covering the most important issue of our lifetime,鈥� said Romy Drucker, co-founder of 蜜桃影视 and chair of the organization鈥檚 board of directors. 鈥淛im is a journalism legend and he has left an indelible mark on 蜜桃影视 with his thoughtful approach to strengthening the nonprofit newsroom model. With Steve as CEO, 蜜桃影视 is positioned to reach new heights in bringing insightful education storytelling to readers across the country.鈥� 

In his expanded role, Snyder will oversee both the content of the publication and the organization鈥檚 operations, including its strategic growth initiatives. He has been with the education news site since its inception in 2015 and worked closely with co-founders and current board members Campbell Brown and Romy Drucker in developing the newsroom鈥檚 voice, focus and strategy behind the broader 74 network. Prior to 蜜桃影视, Snyder held various leadership positions at Time Magazine, People Magazine and NBC, where he both oversaw national news coverage and helped steer editorial innovations. 

Under the joint leadership of Snyder and Roberts, 蜜桃影视 has been recognized widely for its journalistic excellence with top industry awards, including The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award presented by the Online News Association, top news prizes from the Education Writers Association and the Insight Award for Visual Journalism from the Institute for Nonprofit News. 蜜桃影视 has also quadrupled its overall readership and audience, and partnered in its storytelling with a growing universe of national outlets, including The Atlantic, Axios, The Guardian, Fast Company, The Texas Tribune, The Trace, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Boston Globe, AMNY and MinnPost.

Snyder said, 鈥淎gainst a backdrop of historic declines in student scores, an alarming spike in school absenteeism and an escalating mental health crisis, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 journalism has never felt more urgent or needed. I鈥檓 honored to be taking on this new role at this pivotal time and am grateful for our world-class team of journalists that make 蜜桃影视 required reading every morning. I鈥檝e learned so much from Jim over the past three years about the digital news ecosystem and am determined to carry on his legacy of ensuring our student-first coverage reaches an ever wider universe of readers.鈥� 

Prior to joining 蜜桃影视 in 2020, Roberts served in several newsroom leadership roles at Cheddar, Mashable, Reuters, and The New York Times, where he worked for more than 25 years. During his tenure as publisher, Roberts helped 蜜桃影视 grow its revenue significantly by increasing its base of institutional donors threefold, establishing a membership program, as well as a major gifts effort, and introducing new sponsorship opportunities. Those financial resources have been used to expand the newsroom with the addition of new journalists and the launch of new reporting initiatives. Additionally, Roberts revamped 蜜桃影视’s distribution system to scale the audience that its content reaches, and he led a year-long effort to modernize the organization鈥檚 design and brand identity. 

Roberts also spearheaded a new program in partnership with the USC-Annenberg School of Journalism to help train the next generation of education journalists.

鈥淎s a longtime reader of 蜜桃影视, I was always impressed by its dedication to bringing the audience closer to what’s happening inside America’s schools,鈥� said Roberts. 鈥淎s publisher for the past three years, I strove to ensure that 蜜桃影视’s coverage could reach a vastly bigger audience and that the editorial team had the necessary resources to produce award-winning journalism about the triumphs and failures of American education. As I step away from a day-to-day role, I am truly inspired by what 蜜桃影视 has built and what the future holds. With Steve at the helm, 蜜桃影视 has a CEO that cares deeply about journalism, about engaging storytelling and about expanding the reach of this news outlet. Education news has never been as important as it is today, and 蜜桃影视 is in position to continue to lead in bringing these stories to students, parents, and educators across the country.” 

The leadership transition is set to conclude in early February. 蜜桃影视 has now launched a national search for its next Editor in Chief, who will oversee daily news operations.

I had been a reader of the site since 2017, and had long been impressed by the quality and depth of its reporting about the top issues in U.S. education. I knew several members of the staff and admired their pursuit of human-focused and fact-based storytelling. 

But in my first weeks as publisher, I quickly saw several avenues that could improve 蜜桃影视 and help the publication achieve its full potential: Expanding our base of donors so that we could hire more journalists and cover more stories about student achievement, classroom innovation and educational equity; overhaul our distribution system so that more students, parents and teachers could see our journalism; and elevate 蜜桃影视鈥檚 visibility and stature in both the education world and the news business.

Many months later, I鈥檓 thrilled to report that 蜜桃影视 has made giant strides toward those goals and many others. 蜜桃影视鈥檚 future is indeed very bright, and for that matter, its present is robust and vibrant.

It is also time to embark on a new era.

Today, I鈥檓 announcing that I am stepping down as publisher of 蜜桃影视 and that my colleague, Editor-in-Chief Steve Snyder, will take on an expanded role as CEO of the news organization, overseeing both the content of the publication and the financial operations that support it. Having had a front-row seat since 2020 as Steve steered our newsroom through the pandemic, the culture wars that have engulfed education in recent years, and the huge learning challenges that so many students now face, I can think of no better person to lead both sides of this organization into 2024 and beyond.

Steve is very much the OG of 蜜桃影视, having helped launch this publication with founders Romy Drucker and Campbell Brown in 2015. Since taking over as editor-in-chief in 2017, he has helped achieve the founders鈥� vision of making education a front-page news story every day. And he has done so while upholding the highest standards of journalism and making sure that every piece of content produced by the staff is thorough, fair, and relevant to the ultimate consumers of American education: students and their families.

In his role as CEO, Steve will take the reins of a publication and nonprofit company that has evolved significantly since I joined as publisher. As he and I vividly remember, the late summer of 2020 was a time of enormous uncertainty in education. Schools were beginning (or hoping) to reopen, but COVID was still a deadly and elusive threat, and the promise of a vaccine seemed at best, uncertain.

Like millions of other Americans, my new colleagues worked from home, and the only staff meetings were held in the open air 鈥� in someone鈥檚 backyard or a public park. 

The future didn鈥檛 look all that bright.

But a lot has changed since then. In the past three years, 蜜桃影视 has seen its base of institutional donors grow from 6 to 19. We鈥檝e launched a membership program and a major gifts effort and have built a growing revenue stream from sponsorships. And virtually all of the added money that 蜜桃影视 has raised during this time has been reinvested into our journalism, in the form of freshly hired journalists, including those early in their careers, those with decades of experience, and those with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

At the same time, the news reporting and in-depth storytelling these journalists produce is being seen by an audience that is four times the size of what 蜜桃影视 reached prior to the pandemic, thanks to distribution agreements with platforms like Apple News, Flipboard, MSN, and Yahoo News as well as our partnerships with the Solutions Journalism Network and other news syndicators. 

And after a design overhaul last year, we created a bold new look for the publication and dedicated ourselves to producing articles and videos that were as pleasing and engaging to the eye as they were intriguing to the brain. The investment that 蜜桃影视 has made in the visual impact of our education news coverage has sent a signal to readers that this coverage is equal parts authoritative, thoughtful, and quite often fun. 

All of the efforts I have prioritized as publisher, from broadening our donor base to courting distribution partners to enhancing our visual impact have been aimed at enriching the excellent journalism of 蜜桃影视 鈥� and creating more of it. Thanks in part to those efforts and to the core strengths of this publication, the past three years has seen a host of milestones for 蜜桃影视.

Our work 鈥� in text and in video forms 鈥� has won numerous first-place awards from national journalism associations. We have partnered with the USC-Annenberg School of Journalism to help train the next generation of education journalists. And our journalists are constantly looking for new ways of exploring educational topics, as we did with our 鈥�16 Under 16鈥� contest and with the launch of our 鈥淪chool (in)Security鈥� newsletter.

In addition, 蜜桃影视 has proven it can thrive within the expanding world of nonprofit news, without a paywall, without traditional advertising, and with open access to all. 

I can say with good confidence that when I hand off to Steve, our journalism and the infrastructure that supports it have a healthy gust of wind in their sails.

For the next several months I鈥檒l be continuing to aid 蜜桃影视 as contributing editor, and my goal will be to ensure that our momentum continues as Steve works to put in place his vision for the future of 蜜桃影视. Stay tuned for more about that.

What lies in store for me after that remains to be seen. Forty-six years is a long time to spend in the news business. Jimmy Carter had only been in the White House for a few months when I took my first full-time job as a reporter. The subsequent four and a half decades, which included a literal marathon of years at The New York Times, and shorter sprints at Mashable, Cheddar and 蜜桃影视, have been rewarding, exhilarating 鈥� and demanding.

This seems like a good moment to take some mandolin lessons, learn to speak French better, and think about what鈥檚 next.