AL.com education journalists Trisha Powell Crain, Rebecca Griesbach and Savannah Tryens-Fernandes were named finalists for national education journalism awards for 2022 coverage of Alabama schools.

The reporters work for AL.com’s Education Lab team, which was formed in 2021 to cover schools and education issues around the state.

Crain and Griesbach contributed to a national project about teacher shortages around the U.S. in 2022. Journalists from The Post & Courier, The Associated Press, The Hechinger Report, The Seattle Times and The Dallas Morning News assessed shortages — and explored how schools around the country were assessing them.

Uncertified teachers fill holes in schools across Alabama, U.S. What does that mean for learning?

Teacher shortages in Alabama, US are real, but not for the reason you heard.

“This is an excellent package of expertly-reported, well-written stories illustrating an often abstract problem too often described superficially. I especially loved the piece about Alabama. This is the kind of package of stories the collaborations category was created for– and the kind of thoughtful and well-executed collaboration the country would be better served to have more of,” a judge wrote.

The reporting project was developed by AL.com and the seven-newsroom Education Reporting Collaborative, which has tackled other big issues facing schools and students around the country, including reading, community college drop out rates and more.

Tryens-Fernandes was a finalist for feature reporting for her project that explored Alabama children’s experience at one the country’s first LGBTQ-focused public charter school. Video producer Amanda Khorramabadi also contributed to the package.

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“This story is beautiful and heart-wrenching and essential. And just so thoughtfully done,” a judge wrote.

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