Report for America powers IndyStar's education coverage. Here’s how you can, too.
Schools are the bedrock of any community.
Yet, in Central Indiana, we know there are any number of challenges facing families and educators.
In the 2020-21 academic year, average teacher pay across nearly 300 Indiana school districts was $54,000, falling short of the state’s goal of $60,000. We know that same year, the Indiana Youth Institute's KIDS COUNT Data book found only 8% of Black students in grades 3-8 were proficient in both language arts and math standardized testing, and that roughly 13% of Hoosier high school students weren’t graduating on time.
Strong local journalism can expose issues like these and identify solutions to address barriers that are preventing students and educators alike from reaching their full potential.
Support local journalism:Subscribe to IndyStar today
Thanks to our partnership with Report for America, IndyStar has expanded its coverage of Marion County schools. Report for America connects emerging journalists with host newsrooms across the country to fill underserved beats.
Caroline Beck joined our newsroom just this June to cover K-12 education across Indianapolis, with an emphasis on our township school districts. Caroline is an Indy native, so she’s covering her hometown and bringing an expert perspective on the issues facing families and educators here.
“I am so thankful that now I get to tell the stories of the community that I grew up in and have so much love for,” Caroline said when she joined our staff. “If schools succeed, then everyone does.”
More on Caroline Beck:Meet IndyStar's new K-12 education reporter
But we need your help to make this reporting possible.
Report for America covers up to half of their corps members’ salaries, giving newsrooms like ours the opportunity to strengthen relationships with our neighbors to explore new ways of supporting our change-making journalism.
Serving Central Indiana since 1903, we have a track record that includes Pulitzer Prizes – we received recognitions in 2021 and 2022 – as well as local and regional awards. Our reporting has shaped the national conversation on issues including abuse in Olympic sports and, more recently, abortion access.
This giving season, support IndyStar journalism and help us write the next chapter of Indianapolis’ history by making a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Visit indystar.com/rfa to get started.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Support IndyStar's K-12 education coverage through Report for America
