Regional Education Reporter

Hearst • Houston, TX

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Houston Chronicle is seeking an ambitious education reporter to cover one of the country’s largest and most dynamic public education systems. This reporter will examine the policies, demographic shifts and political forces reshaping schools across the Houston region, helping audiences understand not only what is changing, but what those changes mean for students, families and educators. Moving beyond a traditional district beat, this reporter will focus on the suburban districts where many of the Houston region’s biggest education stories are unfolding. The reporter will identify emerging trends across districts, produce accountability journalism that serves families and connect local developments to the broader forces reshaping public education in Texas.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of relevant journalism experience covering education, government, public policy or another complex accountability beat.
• Is an aggressive, source-driven reporter who consistently breaks news and develops deep relationships across communities and institutions.
• Is comfortable interpreting data, budgets, legislation and public records and translating complex issues into accessible journalism.
• Understands how education intersects with immigration, economics, workforce development, housing and demographic change.
• Has strong news judgment and can move confidently between fast-paced breaking news and longer-term reporting
• Thrives in a collaborative newsroom and enjoys working across teams to produce ambitious journalism.
• Brings curiosity, creativity and a strong digital mindset to storytelling, using a range of formats to reach and engage audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Is fluent in Spanish or has professional working proficiency strongly preferred, with the ability to develop sources and conduct reporting in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Lead education coverage across Greater Houston, focusing on the systems, policies and regional trends shaping public education rather than a traditional district-by-district beat.
• Develop ambitious reporting from major districts including Aldine, Cypress-Fairbanks, Katy and Spring ISDs, using those communities to illuminate broader regional and statewide issues.
• Track enrollment trends, demographic shifts and student outcomes, with particular attention to immigrant students, multilingual learners, and students receiving special education services.
• Break news on major developments affecting schools across the region while producing scoops that explain why decisions matter to students, families and taxpayers.
• Produce a mix of breaking news, scoops and utility content that breaks down complex topics.

Benefits

• Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism
• content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites — HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com
• magazine, television and newspaper brands
• investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed