Zshekinah Collier reports on education and the environment in Baltimore, Maryland for WYPR, a public radio station serving the metro area. Previously, she was a producer for “Disrupted,” a weekly talk show on Connecticut Public Radio. In 2021, as a member of the Ida B. Wells Society’s inaugural summer internship program, Collier joined USA Today’s investigative team and contributed to coverage of the Capitol riots, and the Title IX investigation. Collier earned her bachelor’s degree at American University, where she was co-editor-in-chief of The Blackprint, a student-run publication covering issues affecting students of color, news and pop culture. After graduating, Collier was a freelancer covering local events in her hometown, New Haven, Connecticut
Beat: The state of education in Baltimore in light of the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for school districts across the country. In Maryland, as in other states the pandemic shone a glaring light on the disparities from spending per pupil—often within the same district—to the inequities in technology in terms of programs, readiness, and equipment. Along with deep-diving into policies, practices, red-lining and other factors that have created a cycle of inequity in education, this reporter will find and tell the stories of programs that are working and succeeding, and hold accountable the school leaders and elected officials in charge of educating the children in our state.