Top Journalists in Elementary and Secondary Schools

Matt Barnum The Wall Street Journal

K-12 education reporter at The Wall Street Journal known for deeply sourced coverage of federal moves affecting schools and clear explainers on policy and research for practitioners and parents alike. Specialties: K-12 policy; federal and state education politics; school finance; research translation.

Dana Goldstein The New York Times

National correspondent at The New York Times focused on U.S. schools, teaching and learning, and how policy plays out in classrooms; author of The Teacher Wars. Specialties: National K-12 trends; curriculum and instruction; pandemic recovery; equity.

Sarah Mervosh The New York Times

National correspondent at The New York Times covering education, schools and kids, with enterprise reporting on the classroom impacts of major national shifts. Specialties: K-12 education, student well-being, school safety, chronic absenteeism.

Laura Meckler The Washington Post

The Washington Post’s national education writer covering the people, politics and policies shaping U.S. schools, frequently breaking news on federal actions with K-12 consequences. Specialties: National K-12 policy; civil rights enforcement; vouchers; school choice; federal–state dynamics.

Karina Elwood The Washington Post

Virginia schools reporter at The Washington Post who chronicles how national K-12 debates play out in large suburban districts and state policy. Specialties: District and state K-12 policy; legal and culture-war disputes in schools; Virginia school systems.

Bianca Vázquez Toness The Associated Press

Associated Press national education reporter producing high-impact, data-driven coverage of chronic absenteeism, student achievement and post-pandemic recovery in public schools. Specialties: National K-12 trends; learning loss and recovery; attendance; youth well-being.

Carolyn Thompson The Associated Press

Associated Press reporter dedicated to K-12 coverage, with widely picked-up stories on classroom engagement, eclipse learning moments and more. Specialties: K-12 enterprise and features; classroom climate and student engagement; school safety and special coverage tied to news events.

Annie Ma The Associated Press

Associated Press reporter covering education, race and inequality, often illuminating how K-12 policy affects different student groups and instruction. Specialties: Education, race and inequality; what’s taught in classrooms; access and opportunity.

Kayla Jimenez USA TODAY

USA TODAY national education reporter whose coverage of reading and math trends, school climate and safety helps set the K-12 news agenda. Specialties: National K-12 indicators (NAEP, testing); student safety; policy and politics of schooling.

Emily Tate Sullivan EdSurge

Senior reporter at EdSurge covering early childhood and K-12, known for award-winning reporting on teacher pay, mental health, and emerging school models. Specialties: Early childhood and K-12; educator workforce; school models; student well-being.

Cory Turner NPR

NPR education correspondent and editor who has led major investigations and explanatory reporting on K-12 policy, special education services and federal decisions impacting schools. Specialties: National K-12 policy; student well-being and special education; federal education actions.

Nadia Tamez-Robledo EdSurge

EdSurge reporter focused on how technology and AI are changing K-12 classrooms, curriculum and teaching practice. Specialties: K-12 edtech; classroom technology use; AI in schools; digital literacy.

Kalyn Belsha Chalkbeat

Chalkbeat senior national reporter known for agenda-setting coverage of federal and state policy shifts and their classroom effects across the country. Specialties: National K-12 policy and politics; curriculum debates; federal funding; research explainers.

Alex Zimmerman Chalkbeat

Chalkbeat New York reporter with deep sourcing inside the nation’s largest school system, frequently breaking news on class size, admissions and special education compliance. Specialties: Big-city district coverage; admissions and equity; special education; accountability.

Julian Shen-Berro Chalkbeat

Chalkbeat reporter covering New York City schools, elevating student and family perspectives while tracking mayoral and state influence on K-12 policy. Specialties: City school systems; youth voice and civic engagement; local politics shaping schools.

Stephen Sawchuk Education Week

Assistant managing editor at Education Week who leads and contributes to coverage of curriculum and instruction, translating research into practical context for K-12 leaders. Specialties: Teaching and learning; curriculum (reading/literacy, math, social studies/civics); teacher workforce.

Evie Blad Education Week

Senior staff writer at Education Week who covers child well-being, school safety and how district decisions affect day-to-day learning environments. Specialties: Student well-being; school climate and safety; district leadership; policy and politics.

Arianna Prothero Education Week

Texas-based Education Week journalist focused on the intersection of tech and student well-being, plus long-running expertise on school choice and charters. Specialties: Classroom technology and AI; student health and SEL; school choice policy.

Emily Hanford APM Reports

Senior correspondent at APM Reports and host of Sold a Story; her investigations into how children are taught to read have reshaped literacy debates in K-12 systems nationwide. Specialties: Early literacy and the ‘science of reading’; curriculum and instruction; education research translation for broad audiences.

Howard Blume Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times education reporter with a long track record of investigative scoops and authoritative coverage of the nation’s second-largest school district and statewide K-12 shifts. Specialties: Large-district governance and politics (LAUSD); accountability; funding; investigations.