DearFriend,

WelcometoWattWay,thedigitalmagazineproducedbygraduatejournalismstudentsatthe
USCAnnenbergSchoolforCommunication.Inthisissue,weexploretheworldofchildren,
youthandschools.Fromchallengesfacedbynewteacherstotheimportanceandimpactof
earlyeducation,youwillfindstoriestoldinavarietyofways:broadcastreports,magazinestyle
articles,firstpersonessaysandnarratedslideshows,allofwhichthoughtfullyanalyzesomeof
thepressingissuesfacingpubliceducationtoday.

WehavealsotranslatedsomeofourpiecesintoSpanishandKoreanbecauseWattWayhas
expandeditsmaillisttoincludereaderswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish.Andbecauseour
magazineisalsoreadbyjournalistswhocovereducationfortheirprint,onlineandbroadcast
outlets,wehaveincludedalistofourfavoriteeducationanalystsandexperts,beginningwith
ourcolleaguesattheUSCRossierSchoolofEducation,oneofthenationsleadingcentersfor
thestudyofurbaneducation.FutureissuesofWattWaywillexpandthisoffering.

ThestudentswhoproducedthesecompellingnarrativesareenrolledinUSCAnnenbergsnew
graduatejournalismcourseoneducation,youthandlearning.InJ584,weexaminehistorical
issuesandhowtheyhavehelpedcreateforbetterorworsetheschoolswehavetoday.We
alsostudyanddiscussmanyofthesolutionsthathavetakenrootandblossomedinschools
acrosssouthernCaliforniaandthenation.Offeredforthefirsttimeinthe2007fallterm,this
classispartofUSCAnnenbergsnewmastersdegreeprograminspecializedjournalismsetto
fullylaunchinfall2008withotherspecializationsinreligion,scienceandurbanecology.

SeveralUSCAnnenbergcolleaguesassistedourefforts.OurthankstoGeoffreyBaum,assistant
deanforpublicaffairs,andMeganChaoandAndyMcHargue,WattWayspatientwebmasters,
fortheirassistanceinputtingWattWayontheweb.ChuckBoylesandMatthewLaheyinthe
USCAnnenbergFacilities&TechnologyOfficealsofasttrackeddigitalcameraorderstoaidour
students,andTimMillerofthefacilitiesofficehelpedwithequipmenttraining.MichaelParks,
thedirectoroftheUSCAnnenbergSchoolofJournalism,andPatriciaDean,associatedirector,
alsoassistedinavarietyofways.Withouttheirhelp,WattWaywouldnothavebeenpossible.
Thankyouforreading.

WilliamCelis
AssociateProfessor
USCAnnenbergSchoolforCommunication
USCRossierSchoolofEducation