Meet The Modesto Bee’s education reporter. What do you want covered?

I’m so excited to join the Modesto Bee’s Economic Mobility Lab as the education reporter.

My coverage will include K-12 school districts, early learning and higher education in Stanislaus County. I’ll report news you need to know, such as what’s happening at your school board meetings, in addition to in-depth reporting on rooted issues in the county’s education systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of a quality education and revealed the deep barriers preventing some students from obtaining the instruction they need. Over a year of remote learning has shaped schools in more ways than we can currently see.

I want to highlight what’s working and shine a light on areas in need of attention as students and educators return to classrooms and adjust to a changing sense of normalcy.

I grew up in San Diego and recently graduated from Indiana University, where I studied journalism and political science. I spent much of my time at IU’s student newspaper, reporting in-depth stories on higher education. For example, I wrote about a senior college student with autism who fought to make campus more inclusive of the neurodiverse community, and I investigated a tenured professor accused of sexual harassment who resigned within a week of my story’s publication.

Last summer, I interned at Chalkbeat Indiana and covered K-12 education with an eye toward educational equity. I’ve also interned for an investigations team at Reuters and completed a data journalism program at the Dow Jones News Fund.

I believe education coverage is crucial to a strong local community. My educational opportunities have been transformative for me in discovering my interests, expanding my perspectives and developing my character. I look forward to learning and writing about how schools in Stanislaus County are serving their students.

To do that, I want to connect with teachers, parents, counselors, administrators, staff and students. What’s on your mind as classrooms reopen? Send me an email at eisaacman@modbee.com or message me on Twitter at @emilyisaacman. I can’t wait to work with you.

This story was originally published June 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.

Emily Isaacman

The Modesto Bee

Emily Isaacman covers education for the Modesto Bee’s Economic Mobility Lab. She is from San Diego and graduated from Indiana University, where she majored in journalism and political science. Emily has interned with Chalkbeat Indiana, the Dow Jones News Fund and Reuters.