Education Writers Association honors 2 Post reporters Monday, February 28, 2011; 8:28 PM Bill Turque, a reporter for The Washington Post, has won first prize for print beat reporting in a national contest held by the Education Writers Association. Valerie Strauss, also a Post reporter, won second prize for Journalism Blogging. Turque, a member of the newspaper's metropolitan news staff, won the award for large media markets for his coverage of the D.C. Public Schools. Efforts at reform in the District's public schools attracted national attention during the tenure of school superintendent Michelle Rhee, who recently resigned. Strauss, also a member of the metropolitan news staff, writes a blog called The Answer Sheet, which covers major issues in education from both a local and national perspective. The association's annual competition seeks to honor coverage of education in print and broadcast media. The group received 345 entries and handed out 59 awards. "In lean times, it's especially important to recognize journalists who are managing to produce high-quality coverage," said association executive director Caroline Hendrie.