Chalkbeat now has a new look — and a public health sister site

Three logos, one blue, red and pink on a white background.
Chalkbeat, Votebeat and Healthbeat logos (Civic News Company)

Welcome to the new Chalkbeat!

If you’re a regular reader, you might notice that things look a little different here today. Nothing about our stories or the functionality of our site is changing, but we have a new look that we hope you enjoy: simple, modern, and with the work you know and love front and center.

Why? It’s always nice to feel fresh at the start of a school year. But more importantly, the change comes as we launch a new sibling site. Meet Healthbeat, which is officially launching today to cover public health.

Healthbeat reporters will be digging into issues that shape our collective well-being, from infectious diseases to air and water quality and food safety. And they will be bringing the Chalkbeat (and Votebeat) model of national and local reporting to bear on public health at a time when it’s badly needed. Healthbeat will start with bureaus in New York City and Atlanta as well as national reporting in partnership with the great folks over at KFF Health News.

I hope you will check them out, starting with editor in chief Charlene Pacenti’s introduction to Healthbeat’s work. You can also sign up for Healthbeat’s newsletters here.

— Sarah Darville, Chalkbeat editor in chief

The Latest

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Superintendent Alex Marrero earned 73.5 points out of a possible 100 on his evaluation, which the school board approved Thursday.

The agreement makes the payment contingent on receiving $552.4 million in surplus tax funds proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

The sale of 148 pieces of fine art, which have been kept in storage, will fund a roughly $1 million endowment for arts education

The school board vote on Thursday marks the end of a yearslong attempt to dispose of the facility, which opened as a high school in 1968 but also served as a middle school.

To address Philadelphia’s severe teacher shortage, educators and advocates want to inspire more high schoolers to go into the field through hands-on opportunities.