ColumbiaJournalismSchool Seeks 25 Journalists

to Applyfor the New York Times Institute Fellowship

on Education Reporting

Contact: Associate Dean Arlene Morgan, 212-854-5377, or

The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is offering a series of workshops on the coverage of urban education as part of its initiativeto prioritize urban education reporting.

The free program will open with a major workshop, September 29 to Oct. 2, at the JournalismSchoolin New York as part of the New York Times Institute project being co-sponsored by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Spencer Foundation for Education Research.

The continued debate about what steps are required to prioritize education reporting and to engage reporters from other areas -- social justice, health care, and business reporting, for instance -- convince us that the time is appropriate for us to offer a venue that will bring together veteran education reporters, and those new to the topic with some of the best researchers, educators and policy makers in the field. Our goal is to improve the story of urban education through a deeper understanding of the research, trends, and people making policy decisions and to spread those stories over a range of reporting perspectives.

The program will:

Be amajor workshop for a group of 25 participants who will be called the Education Journalism Institute Fellows. This group will be picked through an application process (please click to apply) that will require a brief essay on how the candidate will use this opportunity to cover education issues.

Use this workshop as the first step in a series of programs, conferences and workshops that the fellows will be invited to attend over the course of two academic years. The subsequent programs will be designed to offer deep teaching in one or two specific topics.

Require the fellows to submit stories, columns, editorials, essays or blogs through links and original material to post on the school’s Spencer Education Fellowship website. We will create a special Facebook page so the Fellows can share their story ideas and questions.

Offer free hotel, except for incidentals, breakfast and lunch on workshop days. All workshop materials will be provided.

Require the participant to pay travel costs to and from New York and additional food costs.

Topics will include:

Determining what makes a good versus a bad school - examine characteristics of mainstream public schools, charter schools and the private and parochial offerings.

The influence of race and class on policies, resources and teacher effectiveness.

The value of testing and how it determines how to educate a needy child.

The value of zero tolerance discipline policies.

The impact of an education system on the business community.

Success stories: School turnarounds in the urban environment

The impact of public health on education, including topics that are often off the radar for reporters: the importance of prenatal care; early childhood interventions; the intersection of mental health and education, and the growing numbers of English language learners.

Each panel will focus on one or twoworks of journalism that offer different perspectives. Journalists, researchers and practitioners will analyze the stories. Experts will present new research that supports, contradicts, or enriches the public’s understanding of the issue. Journalists will consider new ways of telling the story. Practitioners will bring the discussion down to earth.

A formal application is required no later than Sept. 3. Successful applicants will be notified by Sept. 10. We are seeking to create a mix of fellows across a variety of beat topics, and the program is open to all interested reporters, editors, broadcast producers, online reporters and freelancers.

(See Application below)

Columbia New York Times Institute Application

Contact: Arlene Morgan, 212-854-5377 or

Please type or print:

Name: ______

Current title: ______

News Organization (Freelancers are invited to apply)

______

Telephone numbers

Work______Home______Cell______

E-mail address: ______

Home Address:______

City/state/zip:______

Reference (Supply a letter of reference via email to )

List reference name and email

______

Application Requirements:

  • A brief essay (no longer than 500 words) on a story idea or education issues that you want this workshop to help you report.
  • A brief biography ( no longer than four paragraphs suitable for posting in a briefing book)
  • At least three samples of your work (tear sheets and online links are accepted)

Please send or email this form and all requested documents by Sept. 3, 2010. Successful applicants will be notified by Sept. 10th.

Associate Dean Arlene Morgan

ColumbiaUniversityGraduateSchool of Journalism,

2950 Broadway

New York, NY10027