Top Journalists in Vocational Schools
Patrick Wall The Hechinger Report
Senior education reporter whose Hechinger coverage digs into whether states’ career education investments translate to jobs and earnings, with a focus on data linkages and outcomes. Specialties: K‑12 to career pathways, CTE data systems, state policy on vocational education.
Sarah Butrymowicz The Hechinger Report
Hechinger’s senior editor for investigations who co‑reported a national analysis on racial disparities in high‑paying CTE pathways and credential value. Specialties: Investigations on inequity in CTE access and outcomes; data-driven reporting across K‑12 and higher ed.
Jon Marcus The Hechinger Report
Veteran higher-ed reporter whose recent work and podcasting examine colleges’ shift toward career-focused training and apprenticeships. Specialties: Higher education’s workforce role, alternative credentials, ROI of postsecondary programs.
Kavitha Cardoza The Hechinger Report
Reporter highlighting youth apprenticeship expansion (e.g., Indiana) and how districts are blending college prep with robust CTE options. Specialties: High school apprenticeships, ‘college-and’ career models, rethinking high school.
Paul Fain Work Shift (Open Campus)
Co‑founder of Work Shift and author of The Job, a must‑read weekly briefing on the fast‑evolving training ecosystem, apprenticeships, and skills‑first hiring. Specialties: Education–workforce connections, nondegree credentials, apprenticeship policy and practice.
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Elyse Ashburn Work Shift
Work Shift’s co‑founder and editor who leads coverage at the education‑to‑employment intersection, with deep reporting on credential quality and state policy. Specialties: Postsecondary economic mobility, equity, workforce-aligned education strategy.
Elizabeth Heubeck Education Week
Education Week staff writer frequently covering how districts are redefining CTE and scaling pathways tied to high‑demand fields. Specialties: CTE modernization, teacher pipeline for career pathways, program quality.
Sarah D. Sparks Education Week
EdWeek research reporter whose coverage includes federal proposals to scale back or expand CTE data collection and what that means for program rigor. Specialties: Education research and federal data shifts impacting CTE accountability.
Catherine Gewertz Education Week
Longtime EdWeek writer who has explored the evolution from ‘voc-ed’ to modern CTE and how states and districts are rebranding and strengthening programs. Specialties: High school pathways, public perceptions and stigma of vocational ed, policy.
Lauraine Langreo Education Week
EdWeek reporter whose recent features spotlight leaders and models that expand manufacturing, IT, and healthcare pathways in high schools. Specialties: Profiles of district and state leaders building pathways, work‑based learning.
Kara Arundel K‑12 Dive
K‑12 Dive senior reporter covering major CTE policy moves, including recent federal proposals affecting who oversees and funds career education. Specialties: Federal and state CTE policy, Perkins V implementation, governance shifts between ED and DOL.
Lauren Barack K‑12 Dive
Contributor whose reporting explains how districts align career programs with industry needs and emerging technologies. Specialties: CTE program design, employer partnerships, internships and work‑based learning.
Roger Riddell K‑12 Dive
Senior editor who’s covered the federal plan to shift day‑to‑day management of career and technical programs and its implications for schools. Specialties: National policy developments with direct impact on CTE systems.
Natalie Schwartz Higher Ed Dive
Higher Ed Dive senior editor whose coverage tracks federal and state investments in apprenticeships and partnerships with colleges. Specialties: Community colleges, apprenticeship grants, short‑term credentials, workforce pipelines.
Kathryn Moody Higher Ed Dive
Senior editor reporting on the growth of registered apprenticeships and the role of colleges and employers in scaling them. Specialties: Labor‑market alignment, apprenticeship expansion beyond trades, nondegree pathways.
Ryan Golden Higher Ed Dive
Senior reporter tracking federal proposals like apprenticeship college consortia and credit transfer for on‑the‑job learning. Specialties: Workforce policy, interagency CTE initiatives, credit for apprenticeship learning.
Matthew Dembicki Community College Daily (AACC)
Editor of Community College Daily who regularly covers CTE-focused initiatives, apprenticeships, and campus–industry collaborations nationwide. Specialties: Community and technical colleges, workforce development, CTE leadership moves and partnerships.
Tim Henderson Stateline (States Newsroom)
Stateline reporter covering multi‑state workforce issues, including how CTE and apprenticeships address shortages in skilled trades and public‑sector roles. Specialties: State labor and education trends, CTE teacher shortages, skills gaps.
Larry Gordon EdSource
EdSource higher‑ed writer whose recent work tracks California’s sweeping effort to knit together K‑12, colleges, and workforce training into coherent career pipelines. Specialties: California career education master plan, technical colleges, financing of pathways.
Adam Echelman CalMatters
CalMatters higher‑ed/workforce reporter (in partnership with Open Campus) focused on state job‑training systems, adult learners, and ROI of programs. Specialties: California community colleges and job‑training programs, credential value and outcomes.
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