Advertisement
Nakylah Carter - Data Reporter, Education
Nakylah Carter

Data Reporter, Education

My goal is to simplify the complex, and my passion is to connect with every audience through my storytelling and search for the truth. I am a Chicagoland native and went to the illustrious North Carolina A&T State University for undergrad. Before joining the Times, I earned a master’s degree specializing in data and investigative journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism. There, I worked as the editorial graduate assistant for Investigative Reporters & Editors. I have bylines in various publications, from The Marshall Project and Good Morning America to Triad Business Journal and ABC News, but I am now in the sunshine state, where I am elated to tell stories about education in partnership with Open Campus. When I’m not coding or writing, I love movies, anime, reading, hiking, and TikTok (I am Gen Z, sorry).

  1. UF’s presidential salary has exploded in the last 20 years. Here’s why.
    • The Education Gradebook
    The University of Florida on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Gainesville.
  2. Florida college enrollment projected to increase for third straight year
    • The Education Gradebook
    Students walk at Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus on Oct. 8. Florida schools like Hillsborough College have seen enrollment gains this fall, according to a new study.
  3. Hillsborough schools rank second in nation for book removals, report says
    • Data
    These books were among those removed from Orange County schoolrooms in 2023 out of fear they violated new state laws. A new report from free expression advocacy group PEN America found that Hillsborough County had the second-most book titles pulled out of any school district in the United States during the 2024-25 school year.
  5. UF steady, other colleges rise in new U.S. News & World Report rankings
    • The Education Gradebook
    Florida State University's campus, as seen in 2024. Florida State rose in the 2026 edition of U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges rankings.
  6. DeSantis says crosswalk art is a ‘safety hazard.’ Studies say otherwise.
    • The Education Gradebook
    Part of a painted safety crosswalk sat outside Tampa's Plant High School on Aug. 26. Safety crosswalks at several Tampa schools, including the ones at Plant, were targeted for removal by the Florida Department of Transportation.
  7. Tobacco use in Florida schools spiked this decade. The culprit? Vaping
    • The Education Gradebook
    A digital sign stating you must be over age 21 to purchase tobacco products is seen on display at a smoke shop in Brandon on Aug. 23. Tobacco incidents in Florida schools has largely risen over the past decade, with a particular explosion in the use of electronic cigarettes, or vaping.
  8. With hugs and high-fives, excited Tampa Bay students go back to school
    • The Education Gradebook
    Principal R. LaMarr Buggs welcomes families to the first day of school at Turner/Bartels K-8 in Tampa on Monday.
  9. Pinellas school leaders rally community over federal funding cuts
    • The Education Gradebook
    Camp Read Strong, created by the Pinellas County School District, is a week-long day camp dedicated to building reading skills for boys in grades 3-5. The district is bracing for what happens if federal funds aren't released.