One of the many benefits of working at Education Week is that we operate on schedule similar to schools. We don’t get an entire summer off, but we still approach the beginning of our “academic year” with the same excitement and sense of renewal and new possibilities that I remember from when I was in school.
So it’s with excitement, but also sadness, that I am saying goodbye for now. I am leaving Education Week for the next academic year and moving to Ann Arbor, Mich., where I’ll be one of 21 American and international journalists chosen this year to be Knight-Wallace Fellows at the University of Michigan.
It is a cliche, but it must be said: I truly could not have gotten this fellowship without all of you: those of you who have read my work, e-mailed me, called me, gently corrected my errors, and allowed me to question you again and again as I worked my way through some very complex topics. Thank you for your time, your help, and your openness. As a part of the fellowship application, I had to explain why this beat is important. Because of all of you, I understand that deeply.
The blog will not go dark while I’m away. Lisa Fine, my predecessor on this beat at Education Week, will be taking over blog duties while I am away, as well as writing stories for the newspaper. She is a perfect fit for this position because she is already familiar with some of the complexities of this beat. She’ll be starting on Aug. 31.
I look forward to rejoining everyone next June!