Kate Payne
Education ReporterKate is an FSU graduate and worked at WFSU Public Media as a multimedia reporter before heading off to Iowa Public Radio. At IPR, Kate served as the Eastern Iowa Reporter, responsible for covering an important region for the state. While at IPR, Kate distinguished herself by breaking news about theIowa Democratic 2020 caucuses, reporting on a book ban of sorts at Iowa prisons, and real-time breaking news of the aftermath from a devastating derecho. Also, Kate was a driving force behind IPR's election year podcast, Caucusland. Reach Kate at kpayne@wlrnnews.org
Person Page
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Roughly a third of students at Florida Atlantic University are the first in their families to go to college. For many of them, walking onto campus can feel like crossing over into a whole new world.
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Each year, people across South Florida gather to remember the 17 people who were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For the victims' families, marking the day doesn't get easier. But seeing the community come together to honor their loved ones can be a source of strength.
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Miami-Dade County school board members agreed that more oversight of their own spending is needed — following the arrest of former member Lubby Navarro, who is accused of running up more than $100,000 in unauthorized charges on her district credit cards.
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The National Rifle Association has lost more than a million members in the years since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Organizers with the gun control group March For Our Lives say it's proof that survivors from Parkland and beyond "are a force to be reckoned with."
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Broward County Public Schools plans to combine or close at least five schools, due to years of declining enrollments. Some two hundred people filed in the auditorium at Fort Lauderdale High School on Thursday night to have a say in those decisions.
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Brad Levine announced his resignation as chair of the board of Florida Atlantic University, saying criticisms of his leadership had become a 'distraction'. The board also voted to extend the employment deal for interim president Dr. Stacy Volnick after it emerged she didn’t have a formal contract.
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Years of enrollment declines, a booming market of alternatives to traditional public schools, and the looming sunset of federal COVID funds are pushing Broward officials to make some hard financial decisions — including closing or combining schools. Now, the district is holding community town halls on how to move forward.
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A Florida official told WLRN scholarships for the descendants of victims of the racist attacks on Rosewood and Ocoee will continue. That's even as state schools are banned from using public funds on programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
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In her nearly two decades in the classroom, Melissa Abril-Dotel has worked to make sure her students are seen, heard and celebrated. Now she gets to share that philosophy across Miami-Dade County.
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Four finalists are vying for the top title. Tuesday's awards ceremony is the culmination of a months-long process and it’s a moment some teachers have been working towards for years.
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The vote comes just days after former School Board Member Lubby Navarro was arrested for allegedly racking up more than $100,000 in charges to school district-issued credit cards to pay for her own personal expenses.
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Borrowers who initially took out less than $12,000 in student loans could soon get them forgiven by the federal government. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal explains to WLRN how — and says 'please apply.'