Bianca Fortis was the education reporter at New York Focus. She was previously an Abrams reporting fellow at ProPublica, where she spent 18 months investigating how Columbia University protected a predatory doctor who had sexually abused hundreds of patients for more than 20 years. Following publication, the university publicly apologized, commissioned an external investigation and set up a victim’s compensation fund.
Bianca has also worked for the Brown Institute’s Documenting Covid-19 project, for Columbia Journalism Investigations’ cross-borders fellowship, and with the New York Times team that tracked coronavirus cases across the United States. Her work has also appeared in CalMatters, the Detroit Free Press, VICE, NBC News, and other outlets. She received her master’s degree from the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University.
There are nearly 4,000 outstanding claims currently in a queue that stretches back more than a decade.
Hochul’s budget includes $37 billion for education, but the state Education Department is slamming one policy change as “educational malpractice” and a political retreat.
New York’s comptroller has flagged 22 school districts as fiscally stressed — up sharply from last year.
No lawmaker will take credit for the proposal, but its quiet circulation has sparked fierce debate over state control of religious education.
Yeshivas and other nonpublic schools face a looming deadline to prove they offer an education similar to the state’s public schools. A proposed bill would loosen those rules and potentially delay the deadline.
Governor Hochul’s budget allocates only a fraction of what the state Board of Regents suggested for three state-owned Indigenous schools.
A New York Focus investigation finds that the state can take up to seven years to resolve complaints against educators.
The governor’s proposal could leave 24 districts with less Foundation Aid than expected. The one-house budgets aim to fix that.
Student performance in math and reading is still below pre-pandemic levels, according to new data — but on par with the national average.
Hochul proposes school funding updates and a climate funding alternative. A prominent lobbying firm racks up fines.
The governor also wants to make some community college programs free. But she didn’t touch the thorniest issue: the school funding formula.
New York Focus education reporter Bianca Fortis reflects on the most important education stories in New York this year, and what to keep an eye on next year.
New York’s push for electric school buses by 2027 has districts across the state struggling with voter approval and funding.
A review of Trump’s first term, along with his campaign promises and details found within Project 2025, indicate what’s to come in New York.
Here’s a simple explanation of a complicated and archaic formula — and why the state is updating it.
Years of shortages have led to a staggering problem across the state, with few solutions on the horizon.
The mayor and governor have long hailed their partnership. Will it survive federal corruption charges?
Hundreds of Child Victims Act cases have been filed against New York schools, some over accused serial offenders that could leave districts with tens of millions of dollars in liability.
We’re collecting stories from teachers across the state.
In rural school districts where doctors are hard to find, in-school telehealth services seemed like a good solution. Then New York state stopped funding them.