Dana Goldstein

I am a reporter covering education and families for The New York Times.

What I Cover

I report on schools, families, educators and child care, and write about learning from early childhood into young adulthood. I have a special interest in the curriculum and political battles over education.

Many of my stories focus on inequalities in the way educational resources are allocated. I am also interested in how issues such as housing and health intersect with education. I often draw upon data in my journalism, and closely follow research developments on my beat.

My Background

I have been writing about these subjects for 17 years and have reported from 21 states, covering debates over gifted education, testing, private school vouchers, teacher pay and segregation.

I also wrote a best-selling book that is frequently assigned to college and graduate students, “The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I covered the crisis of missed kindergarten, parent organizing to reopen shuttered schools and teachers’ unions’ influence. Early in 2020, I began documenting the phenomenon of mass student absence from remote learning, and the glaring inequities between the services that public and private school students received during the pandemic.

I live with my husband and two daughters in Brooklyn, where I am a public school parent. I am a graduate of Brown University, where I studied history, and the public schools of Ossining, N.Y.

Journalistic Ethics

As a Times journalist, I share the values and adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in the paper’s Ethical Journalism handbook.

Education is a universal experience, but one that brings up vexing personal and political divisions. I strive in my reporting to examine contentious issues from multiple angles and speak to a diverse array of individuals. I observe classrooms, attend school board meetings and interview parents, teachers and students. I also read widely, from government reports, research journals, historical accounts and many other sources.

• Email: dana.goldstein@nytimes.com

• Signal: 212-556-1774

• Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips