Lee Romney

Lee Romney spent 23 years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, developing an expertise in mental health, immigration, criminal justice reform, and Native American tribal lands. She took a buyout in late 2015 to freelance in-depth projects close to her heart and learn audio storytelling. Lee is now an independent journalist based in Oakland, producing in-depth sound-rich features. Her print work has appeared in The Guardian, EdSource and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Her award-winning radio pieces have aired on Radiolab, KQED's The California Report Magazine, Making Conatact and NPR's Here & Now. Her journalism has always brought underrepresented voices to light, and Lee believes radio is the perfect medium to highlight those voices.

Articles

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

G: The Miseducation of Larry P

In the state of California, it is off-limits to administer an IQ test to a child if he or she is Black. That’s because of a little-known case called Larry P v Riles that in the 1970s put the IQ test itself on trial.

Race and Equity

Environmental Health

Parents and guardians of students navigating the special education system or in need of services had an opportunity to network w

Let’s talk about black students’ struggles in San Francisco’s public schools

In a city that has been rapidly losing its black middle class, challenges for those who remain are heightened by poverty, isolation and systemic bias. But how does a journalist do more than just report on the problem?

Race and Equity

Environmental Health

How a reporter kickstarted the conversation on black students’ struggle for equity in SF’s public schools

As a journalist, I was out of my depth and definitely out of my comfort zone. But after weeks of furious planning I looked around the Hall of Culture — a gorgeous ballroom in San Francisco’s African American Art and Culture Complex — and realized we had pulled it off....

Race and Equity

Environmental Health

Behavior interventionist Marcus Bundy speaks with three-and-a-half year-old Kevin during the Shoestrings first official cohort.

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

Children & Families

SFUSD program intervenes early to keep kids out of special ed for behavior

The series has received support from the Fund for Journalism on Child Well-Being, a program of USC's Center for Health Journalism....

Race and Equity

Environmental Health

Aging

Panelists at the Learning While Black in SFUSD community forum

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

Children & Families

Healthcare Systems & Policy

Learning While Black: Community forum

Community members came together in March for a forum and roundtable discussion of what it takes to navigate San Francisco Unified School District’s Special Education system and to develop an action plan to support African American students with learning differences.

Race and Equity

Environmental Health

Poverty and Class

High school seniors Kamiah Brown and Benjamin Bennett, emcees of the African American Honor Roll celebration, review the program

Health Equity & Social Justice

Children & Families

African American honor roll student says when teachers set the bar high, ‘you gotta go get it'

The series has received support from the Fund for Journalism on Child Well-Being, a program of USC's Center for Health Journalism....

Race and Equity

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

Children & Families

One African-American family, half a century of experience in SF public schools

Some of San Francisco’s African-American families have attended public schools in the city for three generations. Here they share their experiences.

Race and Equity

Poverty and Class

Environmental Health

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

Children & Families

How can San Francisco support its most vulnerable black residents? Help them succeed at school.

Education reporter Lee Romney set out to explore the systemic inequities that have hampered African-American students in a fast-changing San Francisco.

Race and Equity

Poverty and Class

Environmental Health

Health Equity & Social Justice

Community & Public Health

Children & Families

A legacy of mistreatment for San Francisco’s black special ed students

The San Francisco Unified School District troubled history has plenty to teach us about what is and isn’t working for black students with special needs today.

Poverty and Class

Environmental Health

Karina Garcia, center, a new kindergarten teacher at Dr. George Washington Carver Elementary School, checks out the Joseph Lee R

SFUSD fires up Bayview teachers in hopes they will stick around

The series has received support from the Fund for Journalism on Child Well-Being, a program of USC's Center for Health Journalism....

Reporting Topics

Reporting Topics

Reporting Topics

Reporting Topics

Reporting Topics

Lee Romney

Articles

G: The Miseducation of Larry P

Let’s talk about black students’ struggles in San Francisco’s public schools

How a reporter kickstarted the conversation on black students’ struggle for equity in SF’s public schools

SFUSD program intervenes early to keep kids out of special ed for behavior

Learning While Black: Community forum

African American honor roll student says when teachers set the bar high, ‘you gotta go get it'

One African-American family, half a century of experience in SF public schools

How can San Francisco support its most vulnerable black residents? Help them succeed at school.

A legacy of mistreatment for San Francisco’s black special ed students

SFUSD fires up Bayview teachers in hopes they will stick around