San José Spotlight

San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley and a land of haves and have-nots, has a public education crisis: 14 percent of high school students dropped out in 2020, an increase of almost 9 percent over the previous year. The greatest spike in dropouts was from students of color and homeless students. The reporter owns this beat—no other local news organization has an education reporter—following the money, holding education leaders accountable, examining the digital divide, helping parents navigate the changes and challenges in the schools and shedding light on solutions.