New England Newspaper & Press Association

More than 5 million students across the nation are classified as English learners.

The federal government has long supported states and districts in their efforts to help these students reach English proficiency – providing funding, guidance and oversight, among other things. But a series of actions this year raise questions about the role the federal government will play going forward.

Those actions include:

An executive order declaring English the country’s official language.
Dramatic staffing reductions at the Office of English Language Acquisition and the Office for Civil Rights.
A proposal to eliminate Title III, the federal grant program that provides $890 million in funding for English learners.
A decision to rescind a 2015 Dear Colleague letter that provided guidance on the rights of English learners and how they should be served.
Cuts to some National Professional Development grants, which support training for teachers to improve instruction for English learners.

Experts emphasize that the legal obligations schools have to English learners, many of whom were born in the United States, have not changed. So what exactly do these federal actions mean? What are the consequences? Join the Education Writers Association on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. Eastern to get helpful context and background information, along with resources and story ideas.

Learn what other questions reporters should be asking now, and what to watch for in the coming months.

Speakers

– Montserrat Garibay, former director of the Office of English Language Acquisition, U.S. Department of Education
– Megan Hopkins, professor and chair of department of education studies, University of California San Diego
– Ileana Najarro, reporter, Education Week
– Tara García Mathewson, Spencer Fellow, Columbia University (moderator)

Newsrooms, especially in local TV, are struggling to reach a fresh generation of news consumers, but journalism experts at Northeastern University believe a new digital role could be a game changer. For a year, they embedded Digital Content Creators at three top newsrooms (WCBS, WLS, and WCVB) while conducting nationwide study of the media habits of adults 18-34.

In this session, Mike Beaudet and academic and industry partners will share best practices for creating social video to engage millennial and Gen Z audiences with their local communities. While this research was developed within TV newsrooms, the recommendations here are valuable for any newsroom working to develop or refine their social strategy.

Find out if your idea has the makings of a book and the secrets to getting it published.

Do you need an agent, and how do you get one if you do? How do contracts and royalties work? How is a book publicized and marketed successfully? Learn the answers to these and other questions from the experts.

The panel will include:

• Jane Dystel, the president of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management and a literary agent since 1986.
• Thomas Maier, award-winning former Newsday journalist and author of nine books, including two made into prime-time television shows.
• Lisa Pulitzer, a New York Times bestselling author and veteran ghostwriter who has authored, co-authored and/or ghostwritten more than 60 nonfiction books.
• Moderated by Press Club of Long Island board member Bill Bleyer, former Newsday reporter and author of seven regional history books