“Education touches every family, drives state budgets and shapes long-term economic mobility. Yet news organizations continue to underinvest in covering it, treating it as a starter beat, allocating too few reporters to cover too many districts, and paying them less than the teachers they cover." 🔥

The journalist who started out as an angry mom

In what might be a model for the future of education journalism, Trish Crain was a blogger before she became a traditional education reporter.

alexanderrusso.substack.com

Year-end thanks to @greezbock.bsky.social, @kristajohnson.bsky.social, @laurapowellesq.bsky.social, Kelsey Piper, Ekemini Ekpo, Alisha Thomas Searcy, and many others for their insights and contributions! alexanderrusso.substack.com/p/the-grades...

Essays, interviews, & commentary: The Grade's 7 best stories for 2025

Childhood poverty, blue-state literacy, & school choice surprises are among the featured topics, along with memorable essays on 'Abbott Elementary' and journalism's 'Sold a Story' problem.

alexanderrusso.substack.com

Some personal news…. This project was my last for @aldotcom. I’m starting a new position at Tulane’s Cowen Institute this week, where I’ll continue to work with education data to help improve outcomes for New Orleans students.

Rebecca Griesbach@greezbock.bsky.social · 8mo ago

🧵 For some students, Alabama is a uniquely challenging state to pursue a college degree. Thanks to a grant from @edwriters.bsky.social, I was able to spend the past year speaking with 20+ Latino students and staff about how they're navigating higher ed today. www.al.com/educationlab...

🧵 For some students, Alabama is a uniquely challenging state to pursue a college degree. Thanks to a grant from @edwriters.bsky.social, I was able to spend the past year speaking with 20+ Latino students and staff about how they're navigating higher ed today. www.al.com/educationlab...

Latino college students look for support as Alabama DEI programs vanish

Hispanic and Latino students are about 15% less likely than their peers to go to college.

al.com

Our second story in this mini-series is out today: www.al.com/educationlab...

Startups, out-of-state vendors are cashing in on Alabama school choice money

Alabama is appealing to companies that want to profit from state-funded vouchers

al.com

Rebecca Griesbach@greezbock.bsky.social · 9mo ago

In Alabama, millions of dollars in taxpayer money are going to private schools that teach that humans lived among dinosaurs, and that rock music and mental health conditions are signs of rebellion. Our latest story on the rollout of the state’s new CHOOSE Act: www.al.com/educationlab...

In Alabama, millions of dollars in taxpayer money are going to private schools that teach that humans lived among dinosaurs, and that rock music and mental health conditions are signs of rebellion. Our latest story on the rollout of the state’s new CHOOSE Act: www.al.com/educationlab...

In Alabama, money goes to textbooks that downplay slavery, call rock music ‘rebellion’

The new school choice program does little to ensure the quality of private schools.

al.com

@al.com has been exploring Alabama's dramatic expansion of school choice -- and what it means for both public and private schools. @greezbock.bsky.social visited a school that just opened and is taking tax credits. www.al.com/educationlab...

Inside one new school cashing in on Alabama’s CHOOSE Act: ‘Changed our world’

Peach City Academy is one of at least a dozen private and microschools that have opened in Alabama recently.

al.com

Alabama's 2025 ACAP scores are out, and lots of schools have good news to share. 🧵

Teacher churn is a solvable problem, experts say. Here’s how one Birmingham program is tackling it: www.al.com/educationlab...

Many teachers leave their jobs after 3 years. This Alabama school aims to change that

Birmingham schools faced record shortages in 2021 and 2022, often scrambling to hire staff weeks into the new school year.

al.com

New: Birmingham City Schools officials tell me upcoming test scores will mark a record high for the district. www.al.com/educationlab...

Birmingham schools say a turnaround effort is working. What’s next this year?

Last year, Birmingham City’s enrollment increased for the first time in nearly three decades.

al.com

Did you attend or work at a private school in Alabama that used common curriculum from Abeka, Bob Jones University or Purposeful Design? How did it prepare you for other school or work? Please reach out to reporter @greezbock.bsky.social at rgriesbach@al.com.

Law enforcement agents are on track to arrest twice as many immigrants without legal status in Alabama as last year. www.al.com/news/2025/07...

Alabama immigrant arrests soar as deputies become ‘mini-immigration officers’

The majority of people arrested in Alabama have some kind of criminal charge or conviction.

al.com

If you will be affected by the termination of Grad PLUS loans (or any financial aid change in the budget bill) and attending an Alabama college, hit me up! wmorris@al.com Looking to find stories of how students will overcome the deficit. #JournoRequest

a man in a suit says " and i need you " in a dark room

ALT: a man in a suit says " and i need you " in a dark room

media.tenor.com

More good news for Alabama schools: New test score results show progress across nearly all grades and subjects. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama students improve on state reading, math testing: ‘Good news’

Alabama has jumped from one of the worst-performing states to the middle of the educational rankings.

al.com

The first installment in a series of stories about private school enrollment is out today. @williesha.bsky.social and I spent a ton of time nailing down the numbers and talking with schools and parents about how Alabama’s newest school choice program is unfolding. www.al.com/educationlab...

How a new $7,000 tax credit will reshape school choice, education in Alabama: ‘Balancing act’

There has been intense demand for new school choice options, but oversight remains unclear.

al.com

*Only* at @al.com: a comprehensive list of tuition data for more than 200 Alabama private schools. A labor of love I'm elated to see published. With in-depth reporting from @greezbock.bsky.social.

Ruth Serven Smith@ruthservensmith.bsky.social · last yr.

This year, the Ed Lab team is tackling the challenge of reporting on Alabama's unregulated private school market. www.al.com/educationlab...

New: A federal review could put $68 million in funds for Alabama after-school, English learner and professional development programs at risk as schools work to make hires and finalize budgets before the new school year. www.al.com/educationlab...

Trump puts $68 million for Alabama school programs, jobs ‘under review’

Birmingham’s chapter of the American Federation of Teachers said the pause could “undermine academic success for the entire state.”

al.com

New data: See which types of schools Alabama’s CHOOSE Act recipients came from — and where they’re going now. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama hands out $128 million for private school, homeschool support: Who’s getting money?

But while more than 10,000 public school students applied for the program, just over half actually qualified.

al.com

After several years of reporting on literacy efforts in Alabama, it's great to be able to publish good news. Story by @greezbock.bsky.social for @al.com : www.al.com/educationlab...

11 Alabama schools achieve perfect reading rates. See how your school compares

Reading on grade level means a student is confident with longer blocks of text.

al.com

So neat to have this data: Where are Alabama high school students going to school in the fall? Which schools are the most popular in your area? (I did pivot tables, so I'd appreciate a read and share LOL) Latest for @al.com www.al.com/educationlab...

Most Alabama high school students pick this college: See where your school ranks

About half of Alabama’s high school graduates typically go to college.

al.com

"I don’t want to be treated like a delinquent. I’m from Venezuela and have tattoos. For [Trump], that means I’m a criminal.” Sad but important read from @greezbock.bsky.social and Sarah with @al.com in collaboration with @apnews.com and @hechingerreport.org www.al.com/educationlab...

They crossed the border for better schools. Now, families, students are leaving the US

Around the United States, immigrant families are considering whether to stay or self-deport.

al.com

We finally have some numbers, y'all. Here's how much Alabama's new school funding program could give local school districts: www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama’s $375 million plan to transform schools: How much money will your school get?

Advocates say the program could lay the groundwork for “transformational change” for students.

al.com

Alabama teachers won't get raises this year. But the AEA says recent investments in workers' comp, parental leave and PEEHIP coverage far outweigh the pay bump. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama teachers won’t get pay raises. Here’s what they might get this year instead

Advocates say this year's session could be "one of the best on record" for Alabama educators.

al.com

Trump and some universities have made it riskier to be a college journalist. But the student press, including the Crimson White, is doing its job anyway. Latest blog post (3 min): www.tomarenberg.net/blog/2025/4/... @grammarpurist.bsky.social #studentjournalism #UniversityofAlabama

Student journalists find success, peril at the same time — Tom Arenberg

One group of journalists faces an obstacle that no others do.

tomarenberg.net

Republicans are walking back a bill that would have originally required Alabama schools to start their day with a Christian prayer. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama school prayer bill now includes all religions; requires Pledge of Allegiance

Ingram’s bill also would make an amendment to the state constitution requiring all public schools to conduct the Pledge of Allegiance.

al.com

A bill that would compensate Alabama teachers and other education employees for workplace injuries is on its way to the governor's desk. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama teachers could soon get workers’ compensation: ‘Long time coming’

Currently, education workers have to pay for injuries out of pocket and go through a lengthy process to request reimbursement.

al.com

The Trump Administration has pulled hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent federal pandemic relief money from public schools. Alabama's Selma City Schools, recently struck by a deadly tornado, was one of them. www.al.com/educationlab...

Feds pull $9 million for tornado-stricken Alabama school district, reading program: ‘Panic’

The move is the latest in a series of efforts to minimize what the Trump administration has called “wasteful” government spending.

al.com

Alabama lawmakers are putting a price tag on a new school funding model. If the budget passes, the state plans to send $100 million to high-needs schools in 2025-26 and will increase amounts in future years. www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama’s ‘high needs’ schools could get $375 million more in funding: Which ones?

The program could send more money to schools with lots of English learners, students with disabilities and students in poverty.

al.com

My colleague @greezbock.bsky.social analyzed the data about applicants for Alabama's first year of its private school voucher program. Get all the details for @al.com here. www.al.com/educationlab...

More than 36,000 students apply for 14,000 spots in Alabama’s new school choice program

Current funding can support up to 14,000 students in the program’s first year.

al.com