National Education Reporter

USA TODAY is hiring an education reporter to cover breaking news and deeply reported national enterprise. Education is one of the nation’s most high-profile areas of concern, with debate over every aspect of how children are taught and nurtured.

This reporter will capture how education is evolving after a pandemic, how education is funded, the role of technology in schools and how culture wars shape how students learn, among other topics.

We are looking for a reporter who will break news and balance dailies alongside longer-term reporting fueled by data, public records and revealing interviews.

We want a journalist with big ideas and the skills to bring those ideas to life — someone who can coax people to share information they weren’t supposed to give a reporter.

A language other than English and a strong understanding of underserved communities is a strength for this reporter, given that many schools remain segregated, and more than half of all public-school students nationwide are young people of color.

The reporter will be joining USA TODAY’s award-winning education team. The ideal candidate can work independently but also collaborate regularly with reporters across the newsroom.

This role also will entail working occasionally with staff across the USA TODAY Network, which includes more than 200 daily newspapers.

Candidates should have a track record of covering education or policy issues on a regular basis and a portfolio that reflects deep reporting and examples of strong storytelling.

This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the US, except for Alaska and Hawaii or based at our headquarters in McLean, VA. If you live near one of our local newsrooms, you may have the option to use that as a base of operations.

We are a digital-first news organization. We want someone who wants to try new ways of reaching an audience, such as through YouTube, TikTok Instagram and more. An understanding of audience metrics is helpful.

Job Level: National News Reporter III

Minimum salary: $72,000

Responsibilities

Deliver compelling stories, scoops and exclusives that inform and engage our audience.
Provide thoughtful, in-depth reporting.
The ability to write quickly under deadline.
We're seeking a superb storyteller with a flair for conversational writing and the versatility to experiment with a variety of story formats.
Collaborate across the USA Today Network, teaming up with reporters, editors and visual journalists to create multimedia content that will help us grow audience.
Package and optimize stories to help them reach the widest possible audience.
Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
Perform other duties as necessary.