Melissa Manno

My Hearst fellowship is coming to an end, but I am excited to share that I am staying at the @ExpressNews as an education reporter. I love this beat and am thrilled to keep working in this immensely talented newsroom.

Sorry, Texas…you’re not getting rid of me that easily! 🤠

If you're a K-12 educator in New York, @nysfocus wants to know how you feel about technology in the classroom. Please take a few minutes to fill out our brief edtech survey before it closes on Nov. 11! nysfocus.com/2026/08/18/new…

A growing number of teachers are eliminating tech in their classrooms and returning to traditional pen-and-paper instruction.

“I have pretty much gone back to the way I was teaching when I first started,” said one Brooklyn teacher, who has been in the profession for 25 years.
@nysfocus nysfocus.com/2026/09/03/new…

A New York high school English teacher told me she teaches fewer books than she did 30+ years ago "because the kids simply cannot handle it." nysfocus.com/2026/08/26/new… @nysfocus

Many New York schools have shifted away from full novels toward excerpts to prepare students for state exams and accommodate lower reading stamina.

"In 10 years, we went from kids reading multiple novels in class to them having never opened a book," one New York City middle school teacher said. nysfocus.com/2026/08/26/new…