General Assignment Reporter / Education

The Chicago Tribune is hiring a general assignment reporter to break news and provide insightful enterprise coverage on education in the Chicago area. This reporter will be primarily responsible for covering K-12 public education across the region, serving as backup on breaking news in Chicago Public Schools when needed. The successful candidate will coordinate closely with suburban reporters following individual school districts and the CPS reporter to identify big-picture issues affecting schools, families and educators across the city and suburbs, from the ongoing effects of the pandemic on student achievement to controversies over curriculum. This reporter may also cover higher education topics and can expect to write multiple stories a week while chipping away at larger enterprise stories. Candidates should be highly self-motivated with a keen sense of urgency. They must be able to develop sources and write quickly and clearly with a commitment to accuracy. The successful candidate will work closely with editors on developing stories and improving copy on tight deadlines. Prior news reporting experience is required; about 1-3 years covering education topics preferred.