Barbara Kantrowitz
What I do: I edit Jill Barshay’s Proof Points column on education research as well as other stories by staffers and freelancers.
My background: I have been a contributing editor at The Hechinger Report since 2011. I have also taught education reporting at Columbia Journalism School and served as assistant director of the Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship. I started writing about education in the 1990s at Newsweek, where I edited the magazine’s list of best high schools and worked on its annual college guide. I have also worked at People, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsday and the Hartford Courant. My work has appeared in many national publications, including Scientific American, Reader’s Digest and The Christian Science Monitor. I graduated from Cornell University and Columbia Journalism School. Over the years, I have covered a wide range of beats — including women’s health, local and national politics and personal technology — but education has always been close to my heart because I believe that good public schools are essential to a functioning democracy.
Journalistic ethics: As an editor and reporter, I have always prioritized fairness, accuracy and respect for the reader. I do not accept any gifts or special considerations from sources or potential sources. I am guided by The Hechinger Report’s ethics policy, which prioritizes balance, accuracy and transparency.
