K-12 Education Reporter

The Arizona Republic|azcentral.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a reporter interested in kids, communities and education policy to join an ambitious team covering K-12 in metro Phoenix. Arizona is a hotbed for education vouchers, the charter school movement, debates over what to teach in classrooms and culture war issues.

Arizona and the Phoenix area are vibrant, growing and diverse, and Latino, Indigenous and Black communities are a vital part of the cultural mosaic. Latino students make up a majority of students in many school districts, and the state is home to 22 federally recognized tribes. Tapping into the needs, successes and challenges of those communities as it relates to education is essential.

This is a daily beat focused on identifying important education topics that emerge in Arizona’s schools and school districts with an emphasis on how they affect students, families and teachers. It is a job where the reporter will identify trends and hot topics, pivot between different topics and consistently produce content that resonates with our current readers and helps us grow our audience and reach our goals.

Beyond covering the news, you will tap into your network of sources, public records, education data and personal stories to enrich your coverage. Ideal candidates can cut through jargon and break down what state and local policies mean for families. We need a reporter who isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions and doesn’t settle for limits set by PIO gatekeepers. Versatility is essential, as coverage will stretch from state education policy and politics to the needs of the state’s most vulnerable students.

You will work as one of two education reporters covering more than 3,000 schools and more than 200 public school districts, along with state and county education agencies, so communication and collaboration are critical skills.

The position comes with strong onboarding support, training opportunities and limitless career advancement.

Responsibilities:

Create content (articles, videos, photos and social media posts) about local news that accurately informs and engages key audiences and platforms.
Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
Produce watchdog journalism that leads to change.
Produce storytelling journalism that meets audience needs and interests on multiple platforms.
Contribute to the community’s greater good through impactful journalism.
Act as a public ambassador through community outreach.
Work toward becoming the community’s leading voice for news and issues.
Work with editor to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to better satisfy audience needs.
Collaborate with content team to provide all appropriate elements for stories (i.e., photos, videos and graphics).
Promote personal brand, colleagues’ brands and the institutional brand. Plan and execute engagement opportunities to reach audiences through content, community events and social media.
Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.

Requirements:

Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Two years of reporting experience in a newsroom.
Comfortable in fluid, fast-breaking, stressful situations.
Strong communication skills, news judgment and headline-writing ability.
Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and compassion.
Proficiency on social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, X/Threads, Instagram and Reddit, and experience engaging readers in this public space.
Energetic self-starter and a fast thinker who can spot stories that matter.
Ability to multitask and excel in a fast-paced environment under deadline pressure.
Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently with a team of journalists.
Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills and knowledge of AP style.
Command of media law and principles of ethical conduct.
Fluency in Spanish a plus.
This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer drug screen, motor vehicle record check and background check.

Application Instructions:

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

1. Your resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job and demonstrates your reporting experience.
3. Clips of your work.