The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "boarding school" ...
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A Damaged District
For more than a year, Zahira Torres overcame obstacle after obstacle to document one of the worst school cheating scandals in the nation's history. Where other cheating scandals involved altering accountability tests, the El Paso Independent School District gamed the state and federal accountability systems by targeting Mexican immigrant students. In a number of cases, district officials refused to enroll students or pushed out students already enrolled -- denying countless students their constitutional right to an education. In other cases, they arbitrarily reclassified grade levels or altered transcripts, all in an attempt to keep students out of the testing pool. Torres' reporting sparked numerous results. The superintendent who masterminded the scheme went to federal prison. The state education agency removed the school board. And when Torres' reporting documented that the state was aware of details of the cheating in 2010 and cleared the district anyway, the new education commissioner ordered an independent investigation of how the agency missed the cheating.
Tags: schools; scandals; education; school board
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Unsafe, Unsound: School Construction Safety In Colorado
The Denver Post's series examined several failures that led to closure, for safety concerns, of a new $18.9 million elementary school in rural Northwestern Colorado town of Meeker- and the broader implications for school construction in the state. The DP demonstrated that the design-and-build firm made a series of mistakes and fought back when questioned, that a state official missed a glaring error in reviewing the project, and that the local school board allowed children to attend classes in the building for months, despite being warned about structural deficiencies.
Tags: elementary schools; construction; meeker; colorado; school officials; structural integrity
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King High Charter Controversy
The King Charter stories reveal that two public officials- Dwight Evans, a state legislator, and Robert Archie, chair of the city's school governance board- collaborated on a secret campaign to steer a lucrative charter school contract to a politically connected private contractor.
Tags: Charter Schools
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Big Bucks U
After a president of a Kansas City medical school is fired unexpectedly, the Star investigates. The investigation found that while the president was earning an extremely high salary, administrative costs at the school were rising. The school board ignored warnings from faculty, administrators, and students.
Tags: school board; university president; university; salary; tuition
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Risky Business
The investigation revealed “how a school district’s use of risky “swaps” - derivatives that are bets on interest rate swings - caused huge losses and higher taxes for the district”. These “swaps”, given by financial advisors and investment banks, brought in millions of fees for them and left the school district in debt. Further, the school and adviser failed to terminate two swaps, which cost taxpayers millions more.
Tags: Bethlehem Area School District; education; tax system; finances; board; administration; Stanley J Majewski; Joseph Lewis
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Disciplining Oregon Teachers
Oregon state and local education officials poorly protected children from teachers who have molested or abused students. Secret deals were made by school administrators to get rid of these problems.
Tags: child abuse; classroom; sexual assault; statutory; school board; school district;
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Catering Expensive Taste
The Memphis City Schools' nutrition department was found to have little regulation over questionable spending, wasting food and providing employees and public officials free food for private events.
Tags: audit; taxpayer funds; school board; school district; cuisine; nutrition; meals;
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Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul
Monkey Girl is an investigative book based on the federal court case Kitzmiller v. Dover, a modern version of the Scopes Monkey Trial. The book examines what to teach children in the classroom when it comes down to evolution and intelligent design. The First Amendment lawsuit against the local Pennsylvania school board had the potential to change school practices nationwide, bringing up the question of whether intelligent design is a scientific or religious idea.
Tags: God; creationism; Darwin;
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The Trouble with the New Superintendent
Charlie Milligan, the new superintendent hired by the Tacoma School Board, was shown to have "poor relationships with his own staff," hired "a key administrator with phony credentials" and "clash with the police" after a school shooting.
Tags: education; school administration; school shooting; employee; severance package
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Pleasantville
Contractors that were doing business with or seeking contracts from the Pleasantville, N.J. school board were found to be giving funds to the school board officials. The members received campaign funding, personal jobs and cash from the contractors, and it was so bad that the FBI became involved in the bribery case.
Tags: Bribe; Jayson Adams; Dennis Mulvihill; Janecia Smith