Kristina Rizga

Contributing Writer

Kristina Rizga covers education for Mother Jones. Currently she's working on an immersion reporting project at Mission High School in San Francisco and other schools around the country. Her writing has been published in The Nation, Global Post, Grist.com and The Bay Citizen, among other publications. She'd love to hear your ideas on what education stories to cover. Email her at kristina@rizga.com. You can also follow her on Twitter.

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Kristina Rizga covers education issues and culture for Mother Jones. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Film Review: American Teacher
Wed Sep. 28, 2011 3:30 AM PDT

Kozol: Schools Still "Separate and Unequal"
Tue Jul. 26, 2011 1:58 PM PDT

Reforming the Education Reformers
Thu Jul. 14, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

States Leave No Child Left Behind Behind
Wed Jul. 13, 2011 11:30 AM PDT

The Biggest Cheating Scandal Ever
Wed Jul. 6, 2011 12:00 PM PDT

A New Way to Measure the Achievement Gap
Thu Jun. 30, 2011 3:15 PM PDT

What's the Best Way to Grade Teachers?
Wed Jun. 29, 2011 11:35 AM PDT

He Binded Me With Science!
Fri May. 27, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

will.i.am's Advice for Graduates
Tue May. 24, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

The Best American High Schools
Fri May. 20, 2011 4:00 PM PDT

California Teachers: Textbooks, Not Tax Breaks
Tue May. 10, 2011 2:53 PM PDT

SF Chefs Go Back to High School
Fri May. 6, 2011 11:22 AM PDT

Inflating Test Scores in Los Angeles?
Wed Apr. 27, 2011 10:07 AM PDT

Hijab in the U.S.A.: Readers Respond
Wed Apr. 13, 2011 4:26 PM PDT

Would You Support the 'Parent Trigger' Law in Your State?
Tue Apr. 12, 2011 12:00 PM PDT

What's Next, Hello Kitty Chainsaws?
Wed Mar. 30, 2011 11:50 AM PDT

Tattoos and Bribes in the Name of No Child Left Behind
Wed Mar. 23, 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Teacher Layoff Day at Mission High
Tue Mar. 15, 2011 9:00 AM PDT

Hijab in the U.S.A.
Wed Mar. 2, 2011 11:00 AM PST

Teacher Union Head Wants to Overhaul Teacher Tenure
Fri Feb. 25, 2011 2:00 PM PST

Questions for Diane Ravitch?
Fri Feb. 25, 2011 11:00 AM PST

Textbook Colonialism
Thu Feb. 24, 2011 11:00 AM PST

America's "Race to Nowhere"
Wed Feb. 23, 2011 4:00 AM PST

"Waiting for Superman" at Mission High, Part 2
Wed Feb. 16, 2011 12:00 PM PST

Questions for Arne Duncan?
Mon Feb. 14, 2011 5:07 PM PST

"Waiting for Superman" at Mission High (Part 1)
Wed Feb. 9, 2011 12:00 PM PST

Autism Rates Triple in California Schools
Mon Feb. 7, 2011 5:52 PM PST

Harvard Interviews, Undocumented Students, and Me
Fri Feb. 4, 2011 4:03 PM PST

'Parent-Trigger' Proponents Sue Compton's School District
Thu Feb. 3, 2011 12:12 PM PST

Realization of the Week: The Same Classroom Is Never the Same
Wed Feb. 2, 2011 10:15 AM PST

Closing the Achievement Gap, One 'A' at a Time
Fri Jan. 28, 2011 12:00 PM PST

Compton's "Parent-Trigger" Update: Read the Compton School District's Letter to Parents
Tue Jan. 25, 2011 7:33 PM PST

Compton's "Parent Trigger" Education Fight Heats Up
Mon Jan. 24, 2011 1:27 PM PST

Pedro's Scars
Fri Jan. 21, 2011 4:00 AM PST

Education Quote of the Week: Arne Duncan on No Child Left Behind
Thu Jan. 20, 2011 1:03 PM PST

How to Handle a "Challenging" Classroom
Fri Jan. 14, 2011 7:00 AM PST

Tea Party Backed School Board Kills School Integration in Raleigh, North Carolina
Thu Jan. 13, 2011 4:34 PM PST

What If Loughner Sought Mental Health Help in High School?
Wed Jan. 12, 2011 3:30 PM PST

Jerry Brown vs. the Parent Trigger Law?
Thu Jan. 6, 2011 1:26 PM PST

Does Creative Writing Help Kids Succeed?
Fri Dec. 17, 2010 4:00 AM PST

Why Mission High? A Brief Tour
Thu Dec. 16, 2010 4:00 AM PST

Why the US Education System Is So Fascinating
Wed Dec. 15, 2010 4:00 AM PST

'Parent-Trigger' Organizers in Compton Accused of Intimidation
Tue Dec. 14, 2010 1:05 PM PST

The "Parent-Trigger" Goes to Compton
Tue Dec. 7, 2010 5:49 PM PST

Good News, Wiretap Fans!
Wed Dec. 1, 2010 4:00 AM PST

Teachers Respond to 'Waiting for Superman'
Tue Nov. 23, 2010 6:15 PM PST

Cory Booker: The Art of Slashing Government Waste
Fri Nov. 12, 2010 7:08 PM PST

Closing the Achievement Gap: Race Still Matters
Wed Nov. 10, 2010 4:06 AM PST

Young Voters to Senate Dems: You're Welcome!
Wed Nov. 3, 2010 3:31 PM PDT

Arkansas School Board Facebooker: Gays Should Die
Wed Oct. 27, 2010 2:07 PM PDT

Everything You've Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong

Using test scores to evaluate teachers—the main issue in the Chicago strike—is deeply problematic, as I found out in a year of immersion in an inner-city high school.

September/October 2012 Issue

John Merrow: Trust Teachers, But Verify Success

A veteran education reporter reflects on four decades of covering America's schools.

Thu Aug. 4, 2011 2:10 PM PDT

Quit Your Job And Teach!

A former scientist and business consultant talks about why he took his MBA into the classroom.

Thu Jul. 21, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Inside Latvia's Gay Rights Battle

A new film documents Eastern Europe's most contentious battleground for gay rights.

Tue Jul. 19, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

Where the Class of 2011 Is Going

Portraits of Mission High School graduates.

Thu Jun. 2, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

What Standardized Tests Miss

Students and teachers at Mission High School weigh in on the California STAR Test.

Thu May. 19, 2011 10:00 AM PDT

The Untimely Death of a Green-Collar Job Trainee—and One Graduate's Triumph

Do green-collar job training programs really work? I followed East Bay Green Job Corps trainees for a year to find out.

Thu May. 12, 2011 6:45 AM PDT

One Undocumented Teen's Tale

Separated from his parents, accepted by 13 colleges, a Mission High wrestling star defies deportation.

Wed Apr. 20, 2011 11:00 AM PDT

The Battle Over Charter Schools

Meet the parents behind the nation's first "parent-trigger" school experiment in Compton.

Thu Apr. 7, 2011 3:00 AM PDT

The Education of Diane Ravitch

Should public schools fear billionaires? Is Finland a poster nation? An interview with the nation's leading education historian.

Thu Mar. 10, 2011 11:10 AM PST

Wendy Kopp's Lesson Plan for America

The founder of Teach for America talks about charter schools, Waiting for Superman, and what makes a great teacher.

Thu Feb. 10, 2011 11:00 AM PST

The Girl Who Broke My Heart

Yes, I made an aspiring astronaut cry. But then she returned the favor.

Thu Jan. 20, 2011 4:00 AM PST

What California's School "State of Emergency" Really Means

Will voters agree to higher taxes to save schools like Mission High?

Fri Jan. 7, 2011 4:00 AM PST

Can Glee Club Reduce High School Dropout Rates?

Maybe—if this choir teacher can keep his job.

Thu Dec. 23, 2010 4:00 AM PST

"Anti-Racist" Geometry Lessons Explained

Mission High principal Eric Guthertz talks test scores, "Waiting for Superman," and why teachers' unions aren't the problem with schools.

Mon Dec. 20, 2010 4:00 AM PST

Fast Times at Mission High

Scenes from an open house at one of San Francisco's lowest-performing—though rapidly improving—public high schools.

Fri Dec. 10, 2010 4:00 AM PST

How To Get Into College While Trying Really Hard

Scenes from a college essay writing workshop for high schoolers.

Wed Dec. 1, 2010 4:00 AM PST

Can the Youth Brigade Stop a GOP Takeover?

We check in with author, firebrand, and voting activist William Upski Wimsatt.

Sat Oct. 23, 2010 3:00 AM PDT

Tea Party, Meet Coffee Party

Coffee Party USA favors political cooperation over shouting matches. And it has more Facebook fans than the Tea Party.

Fri Apr. 16, 2010 11:45 AM PDT