Making a difference, a story at a time.
KUDOS To the Columbus Dispatch took first place for hard-news coverage in the national Education Writers Association contest. The paper also won a special citation for investigative reporting for its series about Ohio’s teacher-discipline system, “ The ABCs of Betrayal.”
The Education Writers Association awards were announced today.
In the investigative category this year, Riepenhoff and Smith Richards were honored for “The ABCs of Betrayal,” stories that also changed Ohio law.
Less than a month after the publication of their investigation, Gov. Ted Strickland signed a bill that expanded criminal-background checks for all school employees, required that names of teachers be run through the FBI's national database every five years, ordered the state Department of Education to develop a teacher code of conduct and made other changes.
KUDOS Another series, "Hidden Violations", by Scott Reeder also received a special citation.
