A Closer Look at Education

By Martina Fern

Many parents in Buffalo and Western New York are frustrated. It’s difficult to maneuver through the maze of information about education, especially when some of it is contradictory, confusing or downright misleading.

With the help of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, WNED | WBFO wants to change that. In December, we embarked on a new initiative, Focus on Education. In addition to in-depth information on our radio station, WBFO-FM 88.7, and live television broadcasts of town hall-style meetings on WNED-TV, there are also a number of outreach events in the community.

Our goal is to provide quality reporting on the issues that concern parents, students, teachers, administrators and other community members. We are asking important questions, encouraging discussion and participation.

Senior reporter Eileen Buckley reports on emerging stories around education – you probably know Eileen’s voice from three decades on news radio in Buffalo and Albany. She holds a B.S. degree in Media Communications from Medaille College. Among the many awards Eileen has received over the years, she is particularly proud of the Edward R. Murrow Award for “Best Use of Sound,” and the Pinnacle Award from the Buffalo Broadcasters Association.

Eileen is joined by John Craig, Ph.D., our station’s vice president of education and outreach. John and his team will coordinate a number of events, both at the station and in the community. He has been working with schools, colleges, businesses and community partners for more than 26 years. John has a Ph.D. in Education Administration from SUNY at Buffalo and has taught at Niagara University, Buffalo State College and D’Youville College.

You can listen to Focus on Education on WBFO 88.7 FM, and watch special broadcasts on WNED-TV. Information on the broadcasts and the events can be found on our websites, www.wbfo.org and www.wned.org.