Thomas Peele
Thomas Peele is an investigative reporter at EdSource. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter. His journalism career began in 1983 at a small weekly newspaper. He has a B.A. in journalism from Long Island University and an MFA in writing from the University of San Francisco. In addition to his Pulitzer for stories on the tragic Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, he has won more that 70 journalism awards including the (Ralph) McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage, and the Tom Renner Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors for reporting on organized crime. He is also the author of Killing the Messenger, a book about the 2007 assassination of Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey. Prior to joining EdSource in 2020, he was an investigative reporter for the Bay Area News Group for 20 years. He is also a continuing lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
All articles by Thomas Peele
Feds alert colleges nationwide to financial aid scam under investigation at California Community Colleges
Financial aid offices at "thousands" of colleges told to be on alert for scammers.
Thomas Peele, Ashley A. Smith, And Larry Gordon
September 2, 2021
California community college adjuncts are pushing to get paid for time-consuming pandemic switch to online
California community college adjuncts who helped the system switch to online classes during the pandemic are getting differing amounts of federal Covid aid for the extra work.
Thomas Peele
August 26, 2021
Few strings for colleges on how to spend record federal Covid relief dollars
The once-in-a-lifetime pandemic drove Congress and two presidential administrations to approve $69 billion in Covid relief for higher education with the highest amount, more than $9.5 billion, for California colleges and universities.
Thomas Peele
July 8, 2021
California community colleges lose students to more expensive for-profit colleges
Community colleges face calls to do more as Black, Native American and Pacific Islander students enroll in for-profit colleges at alarming rates.
Thomas Peele
June 15, 2021
Police training at California public colleges gets a shakeup following George Floyd murder
California's community colleges and state university system are deeply involved in training and educating police officers and are making changes a year after George Floyd was murdered.
Thomas Peele
May 11, 2021
California lawmakers push agency to better protect students at for-profit colleges
At issue is the future of the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education, which regulates for-profit colleges in California
Thomas Peele
March 17, 2021
California agency that oversees for-profit colleges to face critics
The agency that regulates California’s 1800 for-profit colleges needs reauthorization from the Legislature to keep operating. Lawmakers say they want it to do a better job protecting the 260,000 students at for-profit schools.
Thomas Peele
March 12, 2021
Calls to change funding to increase faculty diversity at California Community Colleges
California higher education supporters say the state legislature needs to change an arcane state law that inadequately funds efforts to diversify community college faculty. An EdSource investigation revealed the system's failings.
Thomas Peele
March 5, 2021
California’s failure to diversify community college faculty tied to arcane state law
The California Community Colleges has a highly diverse student body but relies on a failed and arcane state law to diversify its faculty.
Thomas Peele And Daniel J. Willis
March 1, 2021
CA Chancellor Oakley backs college leaders after blowback for denouncing Capitol violence
Community College Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley stepped up support for campus leaders urging them to not back down after some faced sharp attacks to statements condemning Capitol violence.
Thomas Peele And Ashley A. Smith
January 14, 2021
Unclear ballot language, lack of time to connect with voters explain affirmative action loss, backers say
Confusing ballot language, lack of time to get a clear message to voters and misreading public support contributed to the decisive loss of Prop. 16
Thomas Peele
November 5, 2020
California voters rejecting Proposition 16 to restore affirmative action
With 100% of the precincts reporting, voters are rejecting return of affirmative action in California. At least several million mail-in, provisional and same-day registration ballots were still being counted.
Thomas Peele
November 3, 2020
Yes on Prop. 16 has big fundraising lead in effort to restore affirmative action in California
Despite being outspent, the No on Prop. 16 campaign is leading in at least one statewide poll.
Thomas Peele And Daniel J. Willis
October 30, 2020
Dropping affirmative action had huge impact on California’s public universities
When California voters in 1996 rejected affirmative action, CSU and UC could no longer consider race and ethnicity in admissions, making a huge impact on the public universities.
Thomas Peele And Daniel J. Willis
October 29, 2020
Ward Connerly: Anti-affirmative action leader calls Proposition 16 effort to ‘reshape’ power in California
Ward Connerly, the ex-University of California regent who fought to end affirmative action in 1996, has resurfaced to fight Proposition 16 which would allow the state's public universities to use race and ethnicity to decide admissions, faculty and contracts.