MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama Daily News and Alabama Public Television are partnering to expand coverage of state education issues with the hiring of Trisha Powell Crain, the state’s premiere education reporter.
Crain, whose education statistics reporting made her a household name throughout Alabama’s education community, will start full time as Senior Education Reporter at ADN in mid-October. She will also be on contract with APT to bring her valuable reporting to the broader television audience through the Capitol Journal and Spotlight on Education programs.
“Trish’s education reporting has been invaluable to this state during a time of significant change and uncertainty,” said Todd Stacy, ADN publisher and host of Capitol Journal on APT. “As we look to expand our coverage of education issues, there’s simply no one better to turn to than Trish.
“An important part of our audience is Alabama’s political and business leadership, to include elected officials from Montgomery to Washington, who will benefit from more accurate, reliable and non-biased reporting on the state’s education and workforce. That’s why this partnership is so valuable. We are delighted to have Trish as part of the team and can’t wait to get started.”
Crain’s first day will be Oct. 14. She recently left al.com after nearly eight years.
She has previously appeared on APT multiple times to explain education topics but will now play a role in shaping the network’s education news coverage.
“We are thrilled to welcome Trish Crain as Alabama Public Television’s new Education Reporter,” APT Executive Director Wayne Reid said. “Trish brings a unique and valuable perspective, having been a strong advocate as a parent for her children in Alabama. Her deep understanding of the state’s educational landscape and commitment to reporting on issues that matter most to our students and families will be an asset to APT. We’re excited to have someone so dedicated to the well-being of Alabama’s children, and we know her work will reflect her passion for making a positive impact on education throughout the state.”
The addition is also an opportunity to highlight APT’s array of resources for teachers, students and parents.
“Alabama Public Television’s Educational Services department provides free resources, assets, and support to educators and caregivers across the state,” said Dr. Briana Morton, APT’s vice president of educational services. “We are excited to welcome Trish Crain and her impressive experience writing about education throughout Alabama. We’re eager to collaborate with her to foster positive conversations and support educators in their essential work. ”
The intersection of politics and policy has been ADN’s focus since its inception in 2018 and, by hiring Crain, ADN can give more needed attention to the education issues that are often priorities in legislative sessions.
Her work will continue to focus on numbers.
“To me, data is important because that’s where you find both the bright spots and the needs,” Crain said.
Data drives instruction and it drives many decisions in Montgomery, she added.
“Lawmakers, policymakers, they’re often charged with making big decisions that can turn a ship, or defund a ship, and the data needs to be there for them to make those big decisions.”
Data will be key to discussions as lawmakers consider a new funding formula for K-12 education in the state and what programs are helping students learn better.
“Data is a measurement of one point in time,” Crain explained. “But I like to look at trends over multiple years. How are kids in the Black Belt doing? Are they doing better than they were 10 years ago? What does the population look like? And what kind of implication does that have for closing schools.”
Perry County now has only two traditional public schools and a charter school. Sumter County will soon only have two schools on a shared campus.
“That has real implications,” she said. “The landscape changes, the opportunities change for kids.”
Crain’s entry into journalism nearly 20 years ago was non-traditional. She was a single mother of three school-age children in Hoover, where she grew up when she started looking for evidence of student success and achievement.
“I started sharing that evidence, almost writing research papers, but short and sweet, ‘Here’s what the data shows,’” Crain said. “I found there was a real appetite for that kind of information. Educators really appreciated that information.”
Crain created the Hoover School Connection in 2006 and the Alabama School Connection in 2009. She delved deeper into statewide issues and became a regular fixture at Alabama State Board of Education meetings. In 2016 was hired by al.com.
Crain joins the reporting team of Stacy, who launched ADN in 2018, Mary Sell, who joined in 2019, and Alexander Willis, on staff since early 2023. The outlet is currently in the process of hiring a Washington D.C.-based reporter to cover Congress.
“I’ve watched as Alabama Daily News has expanded and deepened its coverage and grown up,” Crain said.
“Alabama Daily News has become a real authority that lawmakers and decision makers look to when shaping policies and laws that impact the daily lives of people in this state. Education, to me, is the foundation on which all of this is built and I believe I can contribute to the conversation.”
While Crain’s coverage has focused on K-12 education, her work for ADN will include community colleges, universities and workforce development.
“I want people to have choices and reach their full potential. Maybe that’s pie-in-the-sky, but I think we’ve come a long way in how we talk about education in the 20 years I’ve been involved. And I enjoy helping people understand what’s happening in education.”