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Mariana Dale
What I cover
I explore and explain the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school. Our K-12 education system has not always provided each child the same opportunities to succeed, but I believe all kids have the capacity to learn and find a meaningful place in the world.
My background
I started at LAist in 2019 as the early childhood reporter where I quickly realized that what we think of as education starts well before a kid steps into a classroom. Health, access to child care and nutritious food are a few of the many factors that shape young people’s lives. My reporting on the disparities in maternal mortality taught me that inequity can lead to deadly outcomes but also that there is a groundswell of community support pushing to change harmful systems.
I grew up in Arizona, where among other things, I reported on education, saguaro cactus and questions from people like you. I’m proud to mentor emerging journalists through Next Gen Radio and various education programs.
My reporting has earned a national Edward R. Murrow award, Hillman Prize and accolades from the L.A. Press Club and the Online News Association.
My goals
I want to help families navigate their child’s education, explore the challenges that prevent schools from creating an environment where all students can learn and highlight solutions.
Best way to reach me
I love to hear questions and ideas for stories about schools and the opportunities in our community for children to learn and grow. You can reach out by email at mdale@laist.com.
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California was the first state to create a family leave benefit in 2002. The rest of the county is still trying to catch up.
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L.A. parents passing on Dodger fandom to the next generation and handling meltdowns and winning with grace.
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The view of one advocate? “I hear this mantra that the child care system is broken and I frankly would argue that it’s never been broken, it's just been severely underfunded.”
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A long-standing San Pedro nature class for parents and young children now offers activities in Spanish and Mandarin.
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Sixty percent of California children under have five speak a language other than English at home — so educators gathered tools to help them thrive.
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‘We Need Help’: Early Childhood Educators Navigate Shifting Safety Guidelines As COVID-19 Cases RiseSome early educators are re-evaluating how to protect kids and their staff as a new school year starts amid a surge of delta variant cases. We talked to health experts and looked at L.A. County’s newest guidelines.
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California committed to make an early education program available to every 4-year-old in the state over the next five years. But Los Angeles school districts aren’t waiting to expand their programs.
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We know L.A.’s kids and their families come from all different backgrounds. We want to hear about children’s books that reflect our diversity.
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Relatively few children’s books each year represent children of color, not surprising given that the publishing industry is mostly white. The two women behind Lil' Libros are trying to change that.
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After almost two decades of organizing, California child care providers voted unanimously to ratify their first labor contract. It includes pay increases for more than 40,000 people — mostly women — who care for California’s kids.
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Thanks to a new contract, more than 40,000 of California’s historically underpaid family child care can expect higher wages next year.
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About 40,000 California family child care providers expect to see higher wages by at least 15% next year.
