Lunchtime Conversation host Nanette Wiser reached out to Executive Editor Mark Katches and invited Tampa Bay Times Managing Editor Michael Van Sickler & Divya Kumar, Hillsborough County Schools Reporter to give us an inside look at the new Education Hub initiative and what issues are top of mind for students, parents, teachers and administrators. The team includes Education Reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek, Education Reporter Divya Kumar, Higher Education Reporter Lucy Marques, Data Reporter Nakylah Carter, and Editor Jay Cridlin.
👉 Known for in-depth reporting on local and state issues, The Pulitzer Prize winning Tampa Bay Times launched their Education Hub in August, "underscoring the newsroom's commitment to important local news coverage." Executive Editor Mark Katches explained: "Florida, its leaders are fond of saying, has one of the best education ecosystems in the nation. It is home to some of America’s largest school districts, a robust and popular public university system, and a charter and magnet school program that many have held as a blueprint for the nation. It also faces countless challenges. Math and reading scores typically languish in the middle to rear of the pack, and failing schools pepper the peninsula. Teachers are among the lowest-paid in the United States. And over the last decade, politics and culture wars have shaped districts and campuses like never before, prompting frequent administrative turnover and lawsuits against the state."
👉 This follows the spring 2025 launch of their Environment Hub with the largest reporting team in the state devoted to environmental issues. The Times’ Education Hub represents a significant concentration of reporters focused on what’s happening in classrooms from preschool through college. More on Tampa Bay Time's Newsroom Hubs.
👉 RadioStPete.com is proud to rebroadcast some of this year's TBT Forums, including the 9/24/2025 AI symposium at The Palladium. More Tampa Bay Times Forums and Interviews here.
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