New faces at Chalkbeat New York

Careful Chalkbeat readers will have noticed some recent changes to our bylines in New York. Now, we want to introduce you — and in some cases, reintroduce you — to the ace team of journalists bringing you the most important stories about the city’s schools.

Cassi Feldman became our New York editor in June, following five years as an associate producer at CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” We’re thrilled to welcome Cassi, who was previously a senior editor at City Limits magazine and a staff reporter at the San Francisco Bay Guardian, where she reported on housing and homelessness. She is also an incoming pre-K parent and a product of the city’s public schools.

Cassi replaces Sarah Darville, who joined our New York team in 2013 and now has become Chalkbeat’s first-ever national editor. Sarah is leading our growing efforts to reach audiences across our four Chalkbeat locations and beyond, and she’s also behind the recent reinvigoration of our First Person feature (see here, here, and here). Get in touch if you’d like to write a piece for Chalkbeat.

Last week, we welcomed Christina Veiga as a new reporter. Christina comes to New York after covering schools for the Miami Herald, where she also spearheaded a series about the effects of gun violence on teens and children. We’re excited to watch Christina make an impact covering the city Department of Education.

Cassi and Christina join our two reporters, Monica Disare and Alex Zimmerman, whose stories you read and shared last year as well. Monica is a recent Yale University graduate who holds state education officials accountable by traveling to Albany so you don’t have to. Alex joined Chalkbeat after working in Pittsburgh, where he wrote stories like this one about young adults with autism for the Pittsburgh City Paper.

We also have bittersweet news. After three years at Chalkbeat, Patrick Wall is leaving us this week for a prestigious fellowship at Columbia Journalism School. He’ll be reporting about school segregation as part of the same program that enabled Chalkbeat CEO Elizabeth Green to write her 2014 book Building a Better Teacher. We’re sad to see Patrick leave our newsroom, but we’re confident that he’ll stay in the Chalkbeat family (we hope with bylines in the future!), and thrilled for his big opportunity. We also know that our readers are in excellent hands with Cassi, Christina, Monica, and Alex.

Get in touch with our New York team any time: ny.tips@chalkbeat.org.