When we launched Richmondside nearly a year ago we intentionally kept the staff small, with one city reporter, one editor-in-chief and a handful of freelance writers.
We did this not because there aren’t a million stories worth telling in Richmond, but because we wanted to set up our nonprofit, independent newsroom for long-term success. Because we are funded in part by you, our readers, we decided to first build a strong base of supporters before we hired more staff members.
That approach is proving successful, and we are ready to grow our team. Education Reporter Jana Kadah joined Richmondside this week, marking a milestone in our mission to cover more of the stories that Richmonders say they want to read.
Kadah, a South Bay native, was most recently the city hall reporter at San Jose Spotlight where she earned several first-place awards for her local government, business/economy and public service reporting from the California News Publishers Association. Before that, she was a reporter for Bay City News, where she wrote multiple stories a day about issues ranging from homelessness to the environment and education.
Her three-part series for Local News Matters detailing salary disputes within Santa Clara County’s Campbell Union High School District highlighted how teachers were leaving the district at alarming rates. The reporting earned a John Swett Award from the California Teachers Association.
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Kadah will take a holistic approach to education reporting, from examining West Contra Costa Unified School District policy to covering what’s happening in Richmond classrooms. Her coverage will seek to help Richmond community members better understand the root causes of systemic challenges impacting local public schools, while centering the perspectives of students, families, teachers and administrators. Kadah will also occasionally cover the county Office of Education, Contra Costa College and youth issues, including the work being done by youth-focused nonprofit organizations, as well as other general assignment stories.
“Journalism to me is a public service where we hold powerful institutions to account, explore how policies and practices impact the lives of those around us, and help residents understand what is happening in front of and behind the curtain,” Kadah said. “That is the work I’ve seen reporters at Richmondside do well time and again. It’s also the work I want to continue to do.”
Kadah earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and journalism/mass communications from San Jose State, where she was managing editor of the Spartan Daily, and minored in human rights.
New hire allows Richmondside to expand schools coverage
Richmondside has covered schools since its inception because we know schools are community focal points, and because of what we’ve heard during our ongoing listening work in the community.
We have published dozens of articles informing the community about the news that impacts them most, such as the sudden shutdown of one of the district’s oldest schools; an unprecedented delay approving a new budget after parents said the district wasn’t adequately serving vulnerable students; and a civil-rights lawsuit that seeks to hold the district accountable for ongoing systemic inequities.
With Kadah now on our team, we’ll be able to report even more consistently on important local education issues.
One reader recently told us, “I don’t know what I’d do without Richmonside’s deep, frequent reporting on West Contra Costa Unified School District and its budget challenges. As a parent with a child in WCCUSD, I’m so grateful. Richmondside covers more than Richmond and is essential reading for all West Contra Costa residents.”
It’s an important beat, and there’s much more to come. As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Drop a comment below or email Kadah at jana@richmondside.org.
Richmondside’s education beat is supported by the Chamberlin Education Foundation.
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This is excellent news. Local journalism is a necessary step to a functioning democracy. And I’m not sure democracy is working all that well at WCCUSD. Transparency’s the medicine we need.
And props to Jana. I used to cover school board meetings, staying to the very end month after month. I know what she’s getting into. Thank you!
Thank you Richmondside! I am thrilled to hear this. WCCUSD decision making needs transparency so that parents can have faith that it is in the best interests of the students. As a parent of kids in the district, I am so grateful for Richmondside for helping everyone understand what’s going on.