Between the Lines →

When other states recognized trouble with their children’s reading levels, they took action, adjusting their reading curriculum to a more phonics-heavy approach. And they got results.

But in Kentucky, where 1 in 3 middle schoolers failed the 2018-19 state reading test, much of the commonwealth is standing firm with the method other states are dumping.

In this five-part series, The Courier Journal takes a hard look at why so many Kentucky kids can’t read, uncovering a tangle of entrenched beliefs fueled with a steady stream of tax dollars that is leaving many children behind.

Reported by Mandy McLaren // Illustration by Tracie Keaton

Kids in Crisis?

In this multipart series, The Courier Journal dug into Jefferson County Schools' use of “mobile assessments,” a crisis response that's supposed to be reserved for students posing a dire threat to themselves or others. The investigation helped shed light on the opaque system, leading national experts to question whether the valuable mental health tool was being abused. The series was reported by Mandy McLaren. Photos by Michael Clevenger

The Last Stop

For more than 45 years, Jefferson County Public Schools bused students across town, sometimes far from their neighborhood, to desegregate classrooms. In a multipart series, The Courier Journal pulled back the curtain on busing, examining how a well-intentioned plan often diverted off course, leaving unintended consequences in its wake. The series was co-reported by Mandy McLaren and Olivia Krauth. Logo by Jeff Faughender / Photo by Bryan Woolston

Magnetic Pull

In the six-part series “Magnetic Pull,” The Courier Journal digs deep into the Jefferson County Public Schools magnet program, laying bare a system that creates “haves” and “have-nots” by sacrificing poorer schools so its magnets can thrive. The series was reported by Mandy McLaren. Photo by Michael Clevenger / Logo by Jeff Faughender

A 'Bad' School

What makes a school “bad”? And who is really to blame? A ‘Bad’ School is a six-episode podcast series released in fall 2021. The series was reported, written and produced by Mandy McLaren for the Louisville Courier Journal. Logo by Andrea Brunty / Photo by Jeff Faughender