Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of AmericaÍs most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven, in that we believe that every child deserves an excellent education, and that a strong press is vital to making that happen. Yet we are also fiercely independent, in that we do not take a position on the best path for achieving equity. Because we believe that education is fundamentally a local issue, our coverage is rooted in local communities. To date, we report from and about five locations: Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, New York, and Tennessee. As a nonprofit, ChalkbeatÍs support comes from a diverse mix of sources, including sponsors who pay for opportunities to share messages with our readers and donors who believe in our mission. As most local news sources shrink, creating more so-called ñnews deserts,î Chalkbeat is building a sustainable model that is local, substantive, and independent.