Natalie La Roche Pietri
Education ReporterNatalie La Roche Pietri is the education reporter at WLRN.
Before joining WLRN, Natalie interned at the Boston Globe on the Great Divide, a team dedicated to investigating race, class, and inequality in Boston-area schools.
She covered general news as an intern at the Miami Herald, and reported on camera covering politics in Washington, D.C, as an NBCU Academy Diversity, Equity and Inclusion fellow.
Natalie graduated from Florida International University with a double major in digital communications and English. She was the managing editor for Caplin News, a student media digital publication at FIU, and president of the Society of Professional Journalists at FIU.
Originally from Venezuela, Natalie grew up in Broward and speaks fluent Spanish. You can reach her at nlarochep@wlrnnews.org and follow her on X at @natalaroche.
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The Education Commissioner is proposing the removal of a district-by-district cap on how much money can go toward vouchers. The proposal could leave some school districts with zero mandatory dollars coming from the state. -
Districtwide, there are more than 61,000 empty seats. Almost 80% of that happened over the last decade. Since operating underenrolled schools is costly, closures are a popular — but contentious — way to find savings. -
Golden Glades Elementary, Myrtle Grove Elementary, Carol City Middle, Lorah Park Elementary and Hammocks Middle could be shuttered. Southside Preparatory Academy could become a K-12 (it is currently a K-8). -
Most school board races were decided in August’s primary election. However, one seat in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties went to runoffs after no single candidate received more than 50% of votes in their respective packed races. -
Leading up to election day, South Florida school superintendents ran voter information campaigns making a case for how the measure has provided a strong financial cushion to hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents. -
The annual haunted house created by students at a South Florida micro-school hinges on a topic they feel deserve more attention and alarm. -
The councils and trusts, which have chapters in 14 Florida counties, are at risk of losing $278.1 million over the next two fiscal years if the measure passes. By the second year of having less local property tax, saving some services may mean cutting others. -
Florida is supporting Young Musicians Unite with a grant of $600,000 investment to help place music teachers in schools and make high-quality music education more accessible for 5th through 12th grades. -
The Lucy Project focuses on high-need schools. The share of 3rd graders who are "proficient or above" at the five schools with the new hubs is less than 55% at each school, according to state data from last school year. -
Their visit Thursday to South Florida comes just after the FDA announced a new agency program to research prevention and treatment for brain and nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's and other dementias. -
The schools where the program will be tested haven’t been chosen yet. Considerations like demonstrated student need, existing student health and a school's capacity to implement and sustain the program will influence the decision. -
South Florida schools fear voter confusion between Amendment 3 and popular school funding referendumIn an environment where voters are struggling with soaring gas prices, high grocery prices and steep housing and rent costs, South Florida school superintendents are making the argument that approving the local referendums helps provide a strong financial cushion to hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents.
