Jonaki Mehta
Jonaki Mehta is an LA-based NPR correspondent covering education with a focus on students with learning differences. Mehta has covered discrimination against students with disabilities, the benefits of integrating disabled students into general education classrooms, and the integral role federal dollars play in rural school communities.
Before joining NPR's Education Desk, Mehta was a producer for All Things Considered. She has covered breaking news stories around the country about reproductive rights, hurricanes, deadly wildfires, and mass protests. She was part of the award-winning team that told stories from Taiwan, exploring issues of identity as the island faced a consequential election. She also produced stories in Ukraine in the days leading up to Russia's invasion. As the show's west-coast producer, she covered nature, culture, and music across California — including as a founding member of the show's "First-time Grammy nominees" series.
Mehta attended undergrad at UCLA where she found her love for radio stories, hosting a news and culture talk-show. She has worked for Marketplace, LAist, and a number of publications as a freelance producer and reporter. She was once a kindergarten teacher in Oakland, California, which instilled in her the utmost respect for educators.
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Siblings Cody and Kaleigh Brendle have grown up with the right to community integration. Now, they worry those protections for people with disabilities like them are being eroded. -
The disability community has long worried about what would happen if special education oversight moved from the Education Department to another agency. Now, those moves are becoming more real. -
The Education Department has long collected civil rights data about things like bullying, harassment and disability services in schools, but it hasn't made the latest information public. -
Kids with autism can be 160 times more likely than other children to drown. Florida is dedicating state money to a program that prioritizes swim lessons for these kids. -
Federal law requires most museums and other buildings to be accessible to people with disabilities. But access to what's actually inside is often still limited. -
The moves to the federal departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, respectively, would further dismantle an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to close. -
Some students with disabilities rely on assistive technology to learn, and they worry it could be swept up in the movement to get screens out of schools. -
A fast-growing number of special educators nationwide are using AI to create customized education plans. Despite the risks, some research shows it could improve the quality of teachers' work. -
In her first appearance on Capitol Hill this year, lawmakers questioned Education Secretary Linda McMahon about students' civil rights and cuts to federal education spending. -
Schools, colleges and other public institutions originally had until this week to make online content accessible to people with disabilities. Now, the Justice Department has delayed that deadline.
