Paid Grad Student Internship, Public School Notebook

Posted by on March 14, 2011

Paid Summer Graduate Student Internship Opportunity in Philadelphia

Where: The Philadelphia Public School Notebook, an award winning bimonthly newspaper (http://www.thenotebook.org) that promotes quality and equity in the city’s public school system.

What: Research, data analysis, and writing about school turnarounds in Philadelphia schools for the October 2011 edition and for the website.

Stipend: $6,000 for 10 weeks of full-time work between late May and September, supported by the Samuel S. Fels Fund.

Who is eligible: Any graduate student who is enrolled in, will begin, or has graduated from a graduate or professional program in 2011. We are open to candidates with a background in social science, education, business, or journalism. We anticipate a competitive application process.

Key qualifications:  Knowledge of urban education and school reform policy issues, superior writing skills, especially the ability to convey complex ideas in simple, non-academic language; experience doing interview research; a commitment to educational equity, and the ability to work collaboratively with a staff team and editorial board. Quantitative analysis skills and knowledge of GIS software both strongly preferred. Familiarity with the Philadelphia public schools is desirable.

Background of project: School turnaround is one of the most significant national education stories today and a major focus of the Obama education agenda. Philadelphia has launched a second cohort of 18 “Renaissance Schools,” with the 13 schools in the first cohort well into the first year of the turnaround process, seven of them managed by outside charter operators. This activity in Philadelphia creates an opportunity to examine the turnaround phenomenon, the notion that rapid improvements may be possible in low-performing schools, and whether those improvements can be achieved with the same students and by fair and appropriate means. The Notebook has partnered with WHYY to provide ongoing coverage of Renaissance Schools this school year and will produce an edition of the bimonthly print newspaper focused on school turnarounds in October.

How to apply: Send a letter of interest, resume and writing sample (10 pages or less preferred) to Contributing Editor Dale Mezzacappa, dalem@thenotebook.org. Application deadline is March 28.

Philadelphia Public School Notebook is an independent newspaper founded in 1994 to build a grassroots movement for school reform. It has a circulation of 60,000, a monthly email newsletter, and a website with active bloggers that is updated daily. The Notebook is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, located near public transportation. The Samuel S. Fels Fund has supported “internships in community service” since 1992.