Education Reporter, Richmondside

Job Description

About the role

Richmondside, a digital local newsroom serving the community of Richmond, CA., launched in June 2024, is looking for a tenacious, versatile and experienced reporter to cover education and the challenges and triumphs of local youths.

You will primarily report on the West Contra Costa Unified School District, but you’ll have time to pursue significant stories related to Richmond’s charter schools, Contra Costa College, and various education and youth-focused nonprofits in the community.

You will also be responsible for occasionally producing some general-assignment stories. This could be, for example, a quick-turn breaking news story, a profile of a Richmond community member, an “explainer” on how an aspect of local government works, information-resource posts, such as how school budgets work, as well as other features and investigations. 

Richmondside is committed to providing fair, in-depth coverage of education because,  during our listening work in the community, Richmonders told us this issue is important to them, and because schools are community focal points. We take a holistic approach to education reporting, from examining district policy to covering what’s happening at the classroom level. Our coverage seeks to understand the root causes of systemic challenges and centers the perspectives of students and families, as well as teachers and administrative leaders. Stories range from features about individuals who are making a difference at the grassroots level to analyses of the larger, sometimes hidden, dynamics shaping student outcomes.

The 22,000 students in the West Contra Costa County School District live in a region that’s historically been marked by economic, social and environmental injustices and disparities. You’ll examine how these challenges affect schools and their communities. You’ll look at the impacts of school policies and school board decisions, helping parents and students better navigate their options. You will provide insights into what is and isn’t working in Richmond schools. You’ll produce hard-hitting accountability stories, pulling together academic policy, archival research, data analysis, lively interviews and fluid storytelling to illustrate the impact of policy decisions. And you’ll get to work on fun, creative features, for example by profiling outstanding students and teachers. 

Despite not having a staff reporter devoted to covering education, Richmondside has already set a high bar for the beat. We have published dozens of articles that have informed the community about the news that impacts them most, such as the sudden shutdown of one of the district’s oldest schools; an unprecedented delay approving a new budget after parents said the district wasn’t adequately serving vulnerable students; and a civil-rights lawsuit that seeks to hold the district accountable for ongoing systemic inequities.

It’s an exciting beat, and there’s much more to come: You’ll be joining us as the school district is recruiting for a new superintendent; contending with low test scores; and is cutting its budget to avoid a fiscal takeover by the state.

About Richmondside

Launched in June 2024, Richmondside is published by nonprofit news organization Cityside, which also operates newsrooms in Berkeley (Berkeleyside) and Oakland (The Oaklandside) and covers the local food scene through East Bay Nosh. Richmondside has quickly established itself as a reliable source of independent, trustworthy journalism in a community that has lacked a dedicated daily local news source for years. Our readership base is growing rapidly. We already average more than 14,000 visitors a month and more than 3,600 people subscribe to our weekly Richmondside Report newsletter. 

We amplify community voices, uncover the root causes behind systemic issues, and deliver real, actionable information. Our journalism is guided by our founding values.

Richmondside’s Editor-in-Chief, Kari Hulac, has held editorial leadership positions at the Bay Area News Group and Contra Costa Times, including Editor of The (Hayward) Daily Review and Features Editor of The Oakland Tribune. She was also a Senior Editor based in the East Bay at local online news network Patch. As a former education reporter in Oregon and California, she has a particularly deep understanding of this beat and was a first-place national winner of the prestigious Benjamin Fine education reporting award early in her career.

The Education Reporter will play a key role on our small but growing team. We currently have a full time staff of two: Editor-in-Chief Kari Hulac, and City Reporter Joel Umanzor, and work with a roster of regular freelance writers and photographers.

The position reports to the Editor-in-Chief and is based in the East Bay. Richmondside uses co-working spaces in Richmond, Berkeley and Oakland. We have a hybrid work schedule, with select in-office hours required. The Richmondside education beat is supported by funding from the Chamberlin Foundation. 

What you’ll do

• Report and write an average of two to three stories a week, including breaking news, in-depth features and service-oriented pieces;
• Attend and report on WCCUSD school board meetings, and other community meetings;
• Stay current on state and national education trends, policy decisions and academic research; 
• Cultivate sources on the Richmond education beat and in the wider community
• Be an accessible, leading source of information on your beat; 
• Write with authority, speed, clarity and accuracy;
• Display excellent time-management skills and journalistic rigor when meeting  tight deadlines; and
• Collaborate with Cityside’s audience engagement team and director of community journalism to find creative ways to reach and serve as many parts of the community as possible, such as through live events and other in-person engagements, text service and email newsletters

What we offer

The salary range for this position is $76,000–$90,000 a year, with a clear and transparent rubric for determining where a candidate falls on our scale.

Some benefits are subject to a waiting period.

• $1,000 a year in professional development stipend
• 75% of costs are covered for medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
• 401(k) retirement plan with a company match
• 20 paid personal days
• 18 paid sick days
• 13 paid holidays
• End-of-the-year break between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
• Up to six months of paid family leave
• $100,000 life insurance coverage

Cityside is committed to being an organization where people feel great doing their job and can do their best work. We support our employees' right to bargain, and work in partnership with the Pacific Media Workers Guild. In fall 2024, Cityside marked a major milestone, the signing of its first collective bargaining agreement with the Cityside Guild.

About Cityside Journalism Initiative

Cityside is an award-winning nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization in the Bay Area whose mission is to strengthen democracy through local reporting that matters to residents. Cityside currently operates newsrooms in Berkeley (Berkeleyside), Oakland (The Oaklandside) and Richmond (Richmondside), and covers the local food scene through East Bay Nosh. 

Cityside is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse organization and a work environment that is safe and inclusive for all employees. We recognize that people of color, gender-expansive people, the LGBTQ+ community and people from working-class backgrounds have been marginalized in journalism organizations. We believe that historically underrepresented communities must be centered in our work, and we strongly encourage applicants from these identities to apply. 

Candidates from all spectrums of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, socio-economic background and levels of physical ability are welcome to apply. Cityside values a wide range of experience and encourages candidates to submit their applications even if candidates do not meet all preferred criteria.

Job Requirements

Required qualifications 

• Five-plus years of reporting experience
• A track record of producing high-quality journalism, ideally in a daily local newsroom environment
• A commitment to ethical, accurate and inclusive local reporting: You know how to build up and maintain relationships with sources, are a thorough researcher and fact-checker and an astute interviewer
• A solid understanding of, interest in, and comfort with reporting on education, youth and local government
• Ability to pitch compelling, relevant and doable story ideas that are on mission, both verbally and in writing
• A fluid writing style: Your copy is clean, and you sweat the details — proofreading and checking facts — before turning in a draft
• A solid understanding of how to obtain and use public records.
• Familiarity with social media platforms and experience using them as a tool to monitor news and develop sources
• The ability to synthesize and present complex information in a highly accessible, engaging and clear manner for a wide range of audiences
• Cultural competence: The awareness and knowledge to ensure that our reporting reflects the diversity of Richmond’s people and communities and the communication skills to collaborate across lines of difference while maintaining empathy
• An eagerness to take on challenging, complicated or controversial topics
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills. You are professional, thoughtful and flexible, bringing a positive and collaborative spirit to your interactions with coworkers — including at Richmondside’s sister newsrooms with whom you may occasionally work on co-reported stories —  and with members of the public
• A radar for legal, ethical and editorial sensitivities related to your reporting
• Commitment to self-improvement: You continuously work to become a better reporter and writer
• Openness to public speaking, from radio to TV to live events, to amplify your work and Richmondside
• Must be authorized to work in the United States
• Live in or near Richmond, or be willing to relocate to the city or nearby (living in the Bay Area is a requirement)

We’re especially interested in candidates who …

• Have education reporting experience, especially in California
• Are personally grounded in underserved communities represented in Richmond, which include Latino, Black and Asian American communities
• Speak Spanish and/or a language other than English
• Have demonstrated experience in any of the following:
  • community engagement
  • data-driven reporting
  • multimedia storytelling
• Have some experience with Newspack or another WordPress CMS
• Have a driver’s license and access to a vehicle

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