Job Description

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.

Key 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.

We’re Looking for Someone Who

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

About the Houston Chronicle:

The Houston Chronicle, recognized for its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, serves its 2.3 million residents with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites — HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com, along with our magazine, television and newspaper brands.  Our mission is to spark conversations that inspire action to create a better Houston.  All our content and the innovative business solutions we provide invite Houstonians to join conversations about a community we’ve been committed to covering and helping prosper for more than 120 years. The community we all call home.

About Hearst Newspapers:

With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate. 

At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.  

Be a part of something bigger – your headline awaits.

Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at [email protected].  Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.

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