Sarah Gonzalez
Sarah Gonzalez is the multimedia education reporter for WLRN's StateImpact Florida project. She comes from NPR in D.C. where she was a national desk reporter, web and show producer as an NPR Kroc Fellow. The San Diego native has worked as a reporter and producer for KPBS in San Diego and KALW in San Francisco, covering under-reported issues like youth violence, food insecurity and public education. Her work has been awarded an SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and regional Edward R. Murrow awards. She graduated from Mills College in 2009 with a bachelorâ
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The mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, says he's taking Governor Chris Christie at his word, that Christie was not involved in the lane closures to the George Washington Bridge that turned Fort Lee into a parking lot. But not all residents are convinced.
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As mayor, Booker brought lots of attention and investment to the New Jersey city. But now that he's a U.S. senator, will the trend continue? Booker helped change Newark's perception, but the city still faces persistent crime. Mayoral candidates are taking that issue — and their ideas for solving it — to voters. -
Many families of Sept. 11 victims still get phone calls as their loved ones' remains are identified by DNA testing. That includes Sandra Grazioso, a New Jersey mother who lost two of her sons in the World Trade Center attacks. -
As the East Coast sweats its way through another heat wave, not everyone has the luxury of air conditioning. In the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, the mostly Dominican population has moved their lives outside, where the city has kept the parks open and turned on water sprinklers.
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Janitors suffer some of the highest rates of injury on the job. That costs employers millions of dollars in compensation and lost work time. A Florida school district decided to address the issue by instituting a fitness test for prospective custodians. But the test is so tough the district is having a hard time filling positions.
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Nineteen states have laws that allow corporal punishment in public schools, according to the Center for Effective Discipline. Critics argue paddling does not stop bad behavior, while supporters say paddling teaches discipline and respect. StateImpact Florida education reporter Sarah Gonzalez outlines the debate.
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Some of the positions vacated over summer break still haven't been filled permanently, and this isn't the first time that's happened. Part of the problem is last-minute resignations, leaving school districts in a lurch. -
The school year has begun for most Florida students, but some are still trying to finish summer school. After years of budget cuts, many districts have eliminated or cut back summer school classes, leaving online school as the only option for students trying to make up courses they failed. Many have struggled with the online format and are entering the new school year still behind.
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The Florida Board of Education has voted to temporarily lower the passing grade for its state writing test after a dramatic drop in scores on this year's exam. The state had made the test more difficult and raised the passing grade in an attempt to upgrade standards. But education officials were stunned when preliminary results showed the passing rate for 4th graders this year had plummeted from 80 percent to less than 30 percent.
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Trayvon Martin's parents asked his Miami school not to announce his death, but Wednesday, almost a month later, the school held a moment of silence. Two days later, students rallied together, walking out of class with calls for justice, and planning for more acts of solidarity.
