The Texas Tribune - K-12 Reporter

The Texas Tribune seeks a K-12 reporter based in Houston to help cover how transformational changes in public education across the state impact students.  This person will work alongside our established, Austin-based K-12 reporter and other members of the education and data visual teams to cover how Texas is preparing children for a fulfilling future.  

We are adding a second K-12 reporter at a pivotal time. Texas is poised to have the nation’s largest school choice program after officials put $1 billion toward the rollout of education savings accounts that allow families to use taxpayer funds for private school and homeschooling costs. The state’s education agency has taken over several school districts where campuses had years of poor academic outcomes for students.  And local school administrators  are struggling to balance budgets as inflation, stagnant state funding, enrollment drops and disdain for property taxes hamstring finances.

This reporter will heavily focus on Houston and the surrounding region but will help cover statewide trends and developments. The ideal candidate demonstrates an ability to tell stories through the experiences of children, parents, teachers and their communities. They distill complex education challenges and policy moves into accessible information for Texans. The reporter is expected to act urgently during breaking news as well as produce insightful analysis and compelling accountability stories that provide a deeper understanding of how policies impact classrooms and communities. The reporter must have a good nose for news, a passion for getting out into the world to report and a knack for source building. The ideal candidate dives into data for trends and insights, experiments with new storytelling formats and collaborates with our award-winning photo, data visuals and audience teams to produce high-quality journalism that informs Texans.

The person in this position will be part of the team keeping a vigilant eye on the evolving role of state leaders,  such as those with the  Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education. The job requires keeping a keen eye on education issues during the biennial sessions of the Legislature and during elections.

Responsibilities:

• Identifying and pitching breaking news, features and explainers
• Writing and updating stories on the news of the day
• Collaborating with other journalists across departments and formats 
• Moderating panel discussions and representing the Tribune at public events
• Occasional travel and work on nights, weekends and holidays

Qualifications:

• At least three years of journalism experience preferred
• An ability to break down complicated education policy
• Terrific news judgment
• Ability to work under tight deadlines
• A passion and talent for jumping on breaking news
• Impeccable reporting, fact-checking and writing skills
• Experience reporting with data and spreadsheets
• A strong familiarity with journalistic ethics and libel law
• A desire and ability to collaborate with other colleagues
• Spanish-language proficiency preferred

We know there are great candidates who won’t check all of the boxes, and we also know you might bring important skills that we haven’t considered. If that's you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

The salary for this position will depend on experience. The minimum is $62,000.

Location

Houston, TX- Remote

Benefits

This job is full-time and has the following benefits:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance
• A cellphone stipend
• 20 days of paid time off each year
• Up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, plus four weeks of additional job protection
• 401(k) matching
• Support for professional training and attending industry conferences
• Remote work flexibility

How to Apply

Submit your application by May 8th, along with a résumé and cover letter summarizing your previous experience and telling us why you want to work at our award-winning news organization. The Texas Tribune is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We can't wait to hear from you!

About The Texas Tribune

Here’s what you should know about the Tribune. From day one, we’ve had disruption, innovation and risk-taking in our DNA. We’re ambitious as all get out but still have the punch-above-your-weight mentality of a scrappy start-up. We believe we can meet the demands of our audience and our own expectations for excellence without breaking the bank — or our staff. We understand not everything is a story for us — we have to make choices — but we’re always looking to expand our boundaries. 

We’re non-profit because the challenging economic reality for media these days obligates us to find a different way, reliable and sustainable, to fund serious journalism. We’re nonpartisan because we live in the United States of Confirmation Bias — and we don’t need to be part of the problem. We don’t need to be yet another source of information affirming the voices and perspectives that are already in people’s heads. At the same time, nonpartisan is not non-thinking. We call B.S. when B.S. needs to be called.

The Texas Tribune seeks to ensure that its newsroom and its news coverage reflect Texas by including a wide range of perspectives from people of different backgrounds, ideologies and experiences.

Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.