Sarah Aida Gonzalez is the youth and families reporter at WNYC. She has dug deep into data and documents to reveal systemic inequalities in New Jersey’s foster care system, and into how the state prosecutes minors and disciplines federal immigration detainees.
Her investigative and feature reporting has received national awards by the Education Writer’s Association, SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and PRNDI, and several regional Edward R. Murrow awards. Her investigation into Florida charter schools turning away students with severe disabilities received an Online News Association award for Innovative Investigative Journalism.
Sarah graduated from Mills College in Oakland, CA in 2009. She grew up on the San Diego/Tijuana, Mexico border.
Sarah Gonzalez appears in the following:
One By One, the Trump Administration Nixes Environmental Rules
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
On Tuesday, Scott Pruitt signed a proposal to roll back the Clean Power Plan — one of 52 regulations that the Trump administration has sought to undo.
'Everybody Has Been Devastated': Evacuees Plead for Help as Wildfires Torch California
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
More than 15 wildfires are still blazing across Northern California. About 25,000 evacuees are waiting to learn if anything more than ashes remain of their homes.
Scientific Uncertainty Grows in the Trump Era
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
How is America's leadership in science being challenged by policies under the Trump administration?
Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Echoes a Bitter Fight in the 90s
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Border fences, deportations, and putting “America First.” It all happened in the 1990s, and it started in California.
Who Will Live on the Islands of Trash?
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
In a special new series from The Takeaway, science fiction writers imagine what the world will look like in 2067. Today, we hear from author Kristen Simmons.
Why The Harvey Weinstein Story Was Covered Up for Decades
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
As more celebrities come forward with allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, another story is unfolding.
After a Fatal Stabbing, Students and Parents Question a Bronx School's Safety
Thursday, September 28, 2017
The incident is renewing questions about whether metal detectors should be placed in schools.
High School Football Players Go from 'Taking a Knee' to Forming a Chain
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
“We knelt because we were in pain. We were hurt. But it comes a time when men and women need to stand and fight through the pain and hurt,” said the Woodrow Wilson High head coach.
To Prevent Suicides, GW Bridge Is Getting a Fence
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Ten people have died jumping off the bridge this year and police say they've prevented 45 other suicide attempts, a slight uptick from the year before.
The Mayor Wants to Force Big Buildings to Be More Energy Efficient
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Mayor de Blasio said he asked the owners of large buildings in New York City to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They didn't. Now he wants to force them to by law.
NYC's First District-Wide School Diversity Plan Gets Pushback
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
The city says 67 percent of seats should go to students who are living in temporary housing, learning English or on free or reduced-priced lunch. But critics say it won't work.
NYC's Youngest Students Help Kick Off New School Year
Thursday, September 07, 2017
Doors are open for New York City's public-school students who now include 3-year-olds.
Local Students, Colleges React to the End of DACA
Tuesday, September 05, 2017
"I felt so ashamed for . . . thinking that a person like him would even reconsider keeping this program," said DACA recipient and Washington Heights resident Mary Soto, who liked Trump.
NYC Students 'Outgain' State Peers, But Racial Performance Gap Remains High
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Test scores are in. Gains were modest, but students in grades three-through-eight did show more improvement, compared to state peers, on both the English and math tests.
How MS-13 Is Affecting Immigrant Communities
Thursday, August 17, 2017
In a 3-part series with NPR, Sarah Gonzalez explores how MS-13 members on Long Island target unaccompanied minors.
Undocumented Teens Say They're Falsely Accused Of Being In A Gang
Thursday, August 17, 2017
The clothes and colors students wear to school, the classmates they speak to and what they're suspended for is being used as evidence in immigration court that students are affiliated with MS-13.
Despite Escaping To The U.S., These Brothers Are Still Terrorized By The MS-13 Gang
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
After two Long Island brothers were chased by gang members with machetes, police gave their family a 'panic button.' Then, the family found out the oldest son is on a list of suspected MS-13 members.
ICE Is Arresting Teens Based on Bogus Claims, Says ACLU Lawsuit
Friday, August 11, 2017
The lawsuit claims the Trump administration is falsely accusing immigrant teens of gang affiliations in a concerted effort to deport them.
MS-13 Gang Crackdown Relies on 'Questionable' Evidence From Schools
Monday, August 07, 2017
WNYC has documents showing how police build cases against suspected gang members based on information they could only find inside the schools — and some of it is supposed to be private.
Advocates Warn of a School-to-Deportation Pipeline
Tuesday, August 01, 2017
Advocates says immigrant students are being suspended from school for alleged MS-13 gang affiliation based on "flimsy evidence." But it's strong enough to land them in immigration court.
