The staff that made up AASA’s Conference Daily Online in San Diego included some savvy journalism professionals plus the bright-eyed sparkle of three high school journalists, all of whom were making their debut in the real-time arena of deadline reporting.
Somehow, the morning-to-night news operation, operating in the bowels of the San Diego Convention Center outside the notice of the 3,600 participants in this year’s conference, dutifully captured the program highlights and some of the hidden gems of the 2020 National Conference on Education.
The staff generated dozens of articles about keynote speakers, topical sessions and award winners, along with photos produced by Lifetouch, a handful of video clips daily and a reflective blogsite filled with the sharp observations of four superintendents. A lively conference Twitter feed (#NCE2020) led readers to the site.
Perhaps the most remarkable facet of our coverage was the involvement of three scholastic journalists from the San Diego area as intern reporters. In total, they reported on 15 conference sessions during the three days, gaining invaluable experience and new writing and reporting skills to take back to their school publications.
Here’s the full rundown of Conference Daily Online staff, and their status during the rest of the year.
Editor in Chief: Jay P. Goldman (editor, School Administrator magazine, AASA)
Managing Editor: Juli Valentine (digital content editor, AASA)
Web Assistant: Stephanie Compton (consultant, Penrose, N.C.)
Senior Editor: Emily Gersema (assistant director of media relations, University of Southern California)
Senior Reporters: Liz Griffin (managing editor, School Administrator magazine, AASA); Scott LaFee (media relations director, UCSD Health, San Diego); Dan Howe (public information coordinator, San Diego Unified School District); and Lesley Bruinton (public relations coordinator, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Public Schools)
Intern Reporters: Carina Muniz (sophomore and scholastic journalist, Bonita Vista HS, Chula Vista, Calif.); Alexa Vazquez (sophomore and scholastic journalist, Bonita Vista HS, Chula Vista, Calif.); and Amanda Zhang (junior and scholastic journalist, Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego)
Videography Coordinator: Jimmy Minichello (director of communications, AASA)
Photography (by Lifetouch): Heather Dehn, Alex Vetsch, Kimberly Lyddane, Derek Schroder, Jill Flemming, Fidel Michel and Xavier Hernandez
Bloggers: Paul Freeman, superintendent, Guilford Public Schools, Guilford, Conn., and AASA Governing Board member; Kevin McIntyre, superintendent, Milford Public Schools, Milford, Mass.; Kristine Morris, superintendent, Union Elementary School District 62, Tolleson, Ariz.; and Jill Siler, superintendent, Gunter Independent School District, Gunter, Texas
