An end-of-year note from Chalkbeat’s CEO

Dear readers,

Eight years ago, Chalkbeat formed with a single mission: to equip every stakeholder in public education with the information they need to make sound decisions. From administrators and lawmakers to young people and parents, every person touched by schools deserves to be included and informed about how those schools are governed, funded, and led.

While many other news organizations have been forced to cut back on this essential beat, we have been proud to grow. Chalkbeat’s newsroom of 46 now includes Pulitzer Prize winners and seasoned editors working alongside former teachers and graduates of the school systems we cover. Our coverage serves eight states. And our reach has grown to millions of readers across an ever-expanding list of platforms and mediums, from Chalkbeat.org to Apple News to text messaging and local community groups.

In the past year, amid historic challenges, our investments paid off.

• In Chicago, Chalkbeat’s reporting spotlighted the ways COVID-19 disproportionately affected boys of color — and then chronicled actions taken by the new district CEO in response.
• In New York City, Chalkbeat drew attention to gaps in information about school ventilation systems — and sparked the school district to respond by making the information public and searchable.
• And across the country, Chalkbeat drew early attention to the mounting mental health crisis facing young people — and shined a light on how schools and communities are responding.

The decisions made about public education in 2022 could have implications for generations. The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, and its impact continues to reverberate across all aspects of our society. Chalkbeat’s coverage of America’s hard-hit education landscape is more important than ever. We are committed to giving communities the information they need to navigate this turbulent time.

But in order to do that, we need your help to raise $80,000 by Dec. 31. We’ve already raised $44,201 thanks to your amazing support, however, we’re pacing slightly behind our previous end-of-year campaigns. We need one final collective effort to meet our goal before December ends.

And to our readers and members who’ve already donated, I want to say thank you on behalf of our team. We are proud to serve you. And we deeply appreciate your commitment to empowering nonprofit education reporting, to ensuring this coverage is accessible to your fellow community members, and to using Chalkbeat stories to inform and improve your daily work.

Please consider donating now to invest in nonprofit public-service education journalism that keeps you informed.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Green