Education Blog

Education and the Media

Mark Walsh is a contributing writer to Education Week. He has covered education issues for more than two decades and in this blog looked at how schools are covered in the general news media and in the popular culture. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education Join College-Rankings Game
Stanford University tops the list as The Journal joins with a British partner for its inaugural rankings of U.S. colleges, joining a crowded field of other publications.
Mark Walsh, September 28, 2016
2 min read
Education On ABC's 'Speechless,' a Student With a Disability Is the Sitcom Star
The new situation comedy revolves around a 16-year-old with cerebral palsy who communicates through a device that doesn't bar his sarcasm and mischief.
Mark Walsh, September 19, 2016
3 min read
Education PBS Documentary Finds Students Around the World Seeking a Basic Education
"Time for School 2003-2016" follows one student each in Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, and Kenya as they seek to overcome obstacles to schooling.
Mark Walsh, September 15, 2016
3 min read
Education On PBS, 'NOVA' Foretells the 'School of the Future,' Hoverboards Not Included
A two-hour documentary explores topics such as brain development, grit and emotional engagement, and equity in looking at how today's education system might be transformed.
Mark Walsh, September 14, 2016
2 min read
Education On PBS, Two 'Frontline' Reports and a 'TED Talks' Special on Education
Spotlight Education week continues with "Frontline" reports on for-profit colleges and a "TED Talks" special featuring a mix of education voices.
Mark Walsh, September 13, 2016
4 min read
Education PBS Documentary 'All the Difference' Follows Two Chicago Students to College
The film, part of the "POV" series, examines the challenges faced by students from a tough inner-city neighborhood as they choose different college paths.
Mark Walsh, September 12, 2016
2 min read
Education On ESPN, the Story of a Football Player's Lunch With a Boy With Autism
"College GameDay" provides a nice report on the viral photo of the college football player who sat down with a boy who usually ate alone.
Mark Walsh, September 12, 2016
1 min read
Education 9/11: How Education Week Covered the Story When Terror Touched Schools
The news organization found many education angles to pursue in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Mark Walsh, September 10, 2016
6 min read
Education The NYT Magazine Ed. Issue: Restorative Justice, Substitutes, and Gay Teens
The New York Times continues its recent tradition of devoting a September issue of the Sunday magazine to interesting education articles.
Mark Walsh, September 9, 2016
3 min read
Education PBS to 'Spotlight Education' Next Week With Multiple Documentaries and Shows
Several documentaries and special episodes of top public television shows such as "Frontline," "NOVA," and "POV" will fill the air with education topics.
Mark Walsh, September 8, 2016
3 min read
Education Education Week Turns 35 Amid Internal and External Changes
The news organization, which was founded just as President Ronald Reagan's administration was shaking up education policy debates, faces its future with a new leader.
Mark Walsh, September 7, 2016
3 min read
Education Annual Phi Delta Kappa Education Poll Drops Gallup as Survey Partner
The education organization decides to go with a different polling organization after after 47 years of conducting a survey of U.S. attitudes about education policy with Gallup.
Mark Walsh, September 1, 2016
1 min read
Education The New York Times to Launch New Digital-Based Education Team
The venerable news organization is creating a new, digital-based team of journalists to cover education for its growing online audience.
Mark Walsh, August 29, 2016
2 min read
Education HBO's 'Last Week Tonight With John Oliver' Takes a Look at Charter Schools
The comedian looks at how charters are working in practice, and he concludes that they need more and better oversight.
Mark Walsh, August 23, 2016
2 min read