It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to EdSource Today, a new site launched by EdSource to highlight the challenges facing California’s public education system and inform key education policies intended to promote student success.Playing a central role will be John Fensterwald, the founder and editor of TOP-Ed, who will be editor of EdSource Today, and Kathy Baron, TOP-Ed’s co-writer, who will be EdSource Today’s senior correspondent. They are among the most respected and experienced education reporters in the state, and I have admired their work for many years. In the past, we have talked about working together, and we are excited about pooling all of our talents to provide this new service.
In just three years, John built TOP-Ed into a “must read” among policymakers in Sacramento and beyond. TOP-Ed also brought in diverse commentaries from education leaders to reflect the vigorous debates around almost every reform proposal.
Creating one dynamic team under the EdSource umbrella responds to the digital revolution that is transforming how policymakers – and the public – access information on key issues: at a more rapid pace, in shorter forms, and in digital formats. The key, however, is to ensure that the information they receive is credible and informed. That is the role that EdSource Today will play.
In addition to EdSource Today, EdSource will continue to do the in-depth research, reporting, and analysis for which it has become known and respected. Look for these reports on EdSource’s homepage. We also look forward to expanding our collaborations with other organizations and experts to provide a solutions-oriented multimedia “education platform” for the state and nationally.
We will also showcase insightful commentaries expressing the views and opinions of key players in California’s education ecosystem. Publication does not imply that EdSource endorses their points of view, but rather is an expression of our desire to be a convenor of debate and discussion on complex education issues in California and the nation.
Both John and I wish to express our appreciation to the Silicon Valley Education Foundation for helping to incubate TOP-Ed during the first three years of its existence, and allowing it to grow into a robust online operation.
These are among the most difficult times experienced by public education in California and the nation. But we must find a way forward. I urge you to sign up for daily feeds of EdSource Today reports to receive updates directly to your email address. If you have ideas for issues we should be covering, or wish to contribute a commentary, please contact me, Louis Freedberg, or John Fensterwald.
Louis Freedberg is Executive Director of EdSource.
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