Ventura County Star

The Ventura County Star is a digital and print news organization that has been serving Ventura County in coastal Southern California for more than 90 years. We are the only daily newspaper located in Ventura County. We are a general news organization, with an emphasis on watchdog, government, health and environmental issues. Ventura County has a population of about 860,000. We cover all of the county’s 10 cities and the unincorporated areas.

 

Current Position

Location: Camarillo, California

Beat: Accountability reporting on K-12 education in California

Position:

This beat covers equity in education, with a focus on holding districts accountable for spending and student outcomes. In 2013-14, California initiated the Local Control Funding Formula, a process that dramatically altered how decisions on using school funding are made. This reporter investigates how much of the money that school districts receive from the state is funneled into classrooms, as well as districts’ efforts to close achievement gaps. Those achievement gaps exist between traditionally underrepresented groups, including English-language learners and students from low-income families. Possible stories may report on the use of district funds, the affect of class size on learning, and how schools measure the results.

Reporter: Isaiah Murtaugh