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Jennifer Smith Richards

Contributor
Jennifer Smith Richards is a reporter at ProPublica telling stories about abuses of power — often focusing on schools and education — and stories about private businesses throughout the Midwest.
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 21: A kindergarten room sits empty at Rogers International School as students from that class quarantine at home, according to parents, on October 21, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. Stamford Public Schools announced the previous week that a member of the school community had tested positive for COVID-19, although few details were given to the school at large. The school district is continuing the fall semester with a hybrid model, with in-class learning every other day and distance learning at home. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 21: A kindergarten room sits empty at Rogers International School as students from that class quarantine at home, according to parents, on October 21, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. Stamford Public Schools announced the previous week that a member of the school community had tested positive for COVID-19, although few details were given to the school at large. The school district is continuing the fall semester with a hybrid model, with in-class learning every other day and distance learning at home. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
NEWS
Top Trump Education Officials Are Dismantling Public Schools: ‘We’re Going to Have a Lot of Empty School Buildings’
10.08.25 | 12:49 pm
NEWS
The Price Kids Pay: Schools And Police Punish Students With Costly Tickets For Minor Misbehavior
Illinois law bans schools from fining students. So local police are doing it for them, issuing thousands of tickets a year for truancy, vaping, fights and other misconduct. Children are then thrown into a legal system designed for adults.
04.28.22 | 1:33 pm

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