K-12 Education Reporter

The Seattle Times, a family-owned news organization and one of the nation’s premier regional news sources, is hiring a K-12 education reporter. This reporter is expected to produce a steady stream of daily and enterprise stories covering Seattle Public Schools and other Puget Sound-area districts. In addition, the reporter will cover statewide education policy, funding, trends and other issues as required.

This reporter should watchdog school districts, be comfortable parsing data, highlight inequities in education and explain what works and what doesn’t in the classroom. The reporter should bring new voices to our coverage, to consider engagement as you work, and coordinate closely with photographers and graphic artists to add impact to stories.

Knowledge of education trends, policies and challenges at the state, local and federal level is essential.

Responsibilities

Be curious and widely read about education issues, and be ready with a diverse, ever-growing story list that mixes daily stories with longer-term enterprise and watchdog pieces.
Write with authority based on understanding of your subject matter.
Take on new challenges. Produce enterprise stories and stay ahead of news by anticipating or uncovering developments.
Master new tools and write with a digital-first approach when warranted. (I.e., writing short updates in breaking-news situations.)
Work closely with photographers and graphic artists to illustrate your stories.
Be a good team member. This reporter will work alongside the Education Lab, a community-funded reporting team. We pride ourselves on trusting and supporting each other, and being flexible during unexpected moments of need.
Model unimpeachable ethics and standards.

Qualifications:

We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive newsroom, and we encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. If your profile doesn’t match this job description exactly, you may still be a candidate for this position. Please let us know how your skills and experience relate to the role and its objectives in your cover letter.

Experience: A minimum of four years’ reporting experience, preferably at a metropolitan daily news organization. You should have at least a year with a specific emphasis on education.
Education: College graduate or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience filing public records requests and analyzing databases to find your own story ideas.
A demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in story choice, sourcing and framing.
Strong command of standards, ethics and the mission of journalism at The Seattle Times.

Compensation: The full salary range for this position is $60,000 to $101,500. We typically pay between $60,000 to $85,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

Benefits:

Medical, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance
Employee assistance program
Optional life and AD&D insurance and long-term care insurance
401(k) plan with employer match
10 days of annual vacation accrual, increasing with tenure up to 20 days
10 days of annual sick accrual; unused sick pay accrues to an extended illness bank
9 paid holidays
Internet stipend for predominately remote employees
Subsidized transit cards
Complimentary Seattle Times subscription
Wellness program
Parental leave options