Investigations in the Midwest at ProPublica. Past: Chicago Tribune by way of OH/GA/NY/WV. Enthusiastic about FOIA + data. Tell me everything.
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Joined September 2008
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Illinois law bans schools from fining students as discipline. So police have been doing it for them. @Jodiscohen and I explain how kids have been punished with thousands of tickets in 3 years for school fights, profanity and other teenage behavior. chicagotribune.com/investiga…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
One of the core elements of my writing on state voucher schemes was the prevalence of sub-prime pop-up schools that jump in to get taxpayer cash.
Now ProPublica has gone and shown just how easy it to do.
New: We’re reporters, not teachers. We have no business running a private school. But to show you just how easy it is to start one, we decided to test the process ourselves. propub.li/4hUReS5
We'll be talking about our private schools reporting on Oct. 6. Would love for you join the virtual discussion!
About 30 states have adopted programs that allow families to spend public money on private school tuition. But our investigation found that many states have little interest in overseeing private schools.
Join us Oct. 6 for a virtual discussion. RSVP: events.propublica.org/wild-w…
ALT Virtual Event: The Wild West of School Vouchers. Tuesday, Oct. 6. 4 p.m. Eastern time. Illustration: A giant orange pencil points up and to the right. In the background is a pattern made up of gray school chairs.
I've been a reporter for a long time and this might be the strangest thing I've ever done.
We've been reporting on privatization of schools this year and found that just about anyone can open a private school in most states. Could reporters do it?
propublica.org/article/propu…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
The University of Maine is contradicting claims made by Susan Collins’ campaign manager.
Let’s break down why this is important. 🧵
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
As the Education Department praises Arkansas, @propublica found that the state does not closely monitor taxpayer-funded private schools — or oversee student safety.
At one school, the owner urged a group of kids to physically attack their classmate:
propublica.org/article/arkan…
Under @EDSecMcMahon, Arkansas has received unprecedented flexibility, empowering parents to choose the best education for their child.
Arkansas’ success is our WHY.
Monkey Sounds, “White Power” and the N-Word: Racial Harassment Against Black Students Ignored Under Trump w/@MegsNewz and @Jodiscohen
propublica.org/article/trump…
HECK YES! Glad to see this, and solidarity with my former newsroom.
It’s a huge day for the journalists of The Columbus Dispatch and The Newark Advocate. Here’s why we are unionizing.
cwalocals.org/columbusdispat…
Some functions of the U.S. Department of Education will move to other federal agencies, @cbinkley reports. That would outsource managing funding streams for K-12 schools and colleges to the Department of Labor. (No news on the Office for Civil Rights yet.) apnews.com/article/education…
I'll add that we're very much still following what's happening with OCR: propublica.org/getinvolved/h…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
Canary on the prairie?
Oklahoma looks to be the lab where Christianity & patriotism mix to create something that doesn't look like a separation of church and state — or convey a conventional rendering of history.
Deep reporting by @jsmithrichards.
propublica.org/article/trump…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
Educators & parents:
• Are public schools in your area losing funding or changing curriculum?
• Are low-income, ESL or disabled students losing access to programs?
• Are more families in your area sending students to private schools?
Help us report ⬇️
propublica.org/getinvolved/h…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
Five Ways Trump’s Department of Education Is Upending Public Schools propublica.org/article/trump… @MegsNewz @jsmithrichards
Linda McMahon's "final mission?" It's not only to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. It's to dismantle the public school system as we know it. w/@MegsNewz propublica.org/article/educa…
The ex-Chicago cop who got out of dozens of tickets by repeating a bogus story — that his girlfriend stole his BMW — pleaded guilty.
But there’s more: @Jodiscohen and I tracked pending court cases based on his policing.
More than 90 have been dropped.
propublica.org/article/chica…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
NEW: The Trump administration is going after funding for students who are both deaf and blind. Said one advocate: "How low can you go?" An important story by the reporting team of @Jodiscohen and @jsmithrichards of @propublica.
propublica.org/article/trump…
UPDATE: The rural Ohio solar project that fossil fuel interests fought hard against (in part by using the local newspaper) was approved by the state today. Frasier Solar can move forward. Here's our previous story about this fight, for reference. propublica.org/article/ohio-…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
Declining school enrollment has left 30% of Chicago public schools at least half-empty. The city’s failure to address this problem has come at a high cost to the district — and its students. propublica.org/article/chica… @MilaKoumpilova @jsmithrichards w/ @chalkbeatCHI
An update, three years after this investigation published: the Illinois legislature passed a bill to end police ticketing of students at school.
propublica.org/article/illin…
Illinois law bans schools from fining students as discipline. So police have been doing it for them. @Jodiscohen and I explain how kids have been punished with thousands of tickets in 3 years for school fights, profanity and other teenage behavior. chicagotribune.com/investiga…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
"Embarrassing"
"Tragedy"
"Tipping point"
"Waste of time and money"
Disheartening quotes run thru this story by @HeatherCherone @VernalColeman.
In sum: Chicago police consent decree has been an embarrassing waste of money, a tragedy in the making.
propublica.org/article/chica…
Jennifer Smith Richards retweeted
NEW: Private schools across the South that were established for white children during desegregation are now benefiting from tens of millions in taxpayer dollars flowing from rapidly expanding voucher-style programs, a @propublica analysis found.
propublica.org/article/segre…