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Education Reporter

Bridge Michigan, the state’s preeminent public policy online news site, seeks an education reporter to amplify our award-winning coverage of the state’s K-12 schools and colleges.

The ideal candidate already has a deep background in education and can elevate Bridge’s journalism to new heights. We seek a reporter with a track record of great scoops, clips and knowledge of databases and computer-assisted reporting.

The ideal candidate has an investigative mindset and is a generous teammate, joining a growing newsroom that is dedicated to producing great journalism, making public policy relatable and preserving reporters’ work-life balance.

You’ll be joining a team that already has one great education reporter and a team of reporters and editors who will bend over backwards to help you produce the best work of your career. We will support you with training, mentorships and generous budgets for travel and records requests.

We are adding an education reporter because of overwhelming interest from our readers —and because it’s important in a state with middling test scores and college graduation rates.

We seek someone who can cut through the jargon of education-talk, uncover what works —and what doesn’t —in classrooms and provide possible solutions.

This is not a breaking news job, although deadline stories are required. Bridge Michigan’s brand is built on revelatory enterprise, and we will give you the time and space to produce those stories.

Bridge Michigan is one of America’s great civic news organizations, with secure funding and a clear mission to improve Michigan through our reporting. We are committed to lifting diverse, often ignored voices and covering the state in an equitable manner —but we are also zealously nonpartisan and committed to questioning conventional wisdom in our reporting.

The entire Center for Michigan team is expected to dedicate themselves to improving Bridge Michigan’s people-first culture, public outreach and journalistic excellence.

Position Requirements

• Minimum of seven years’ experience in journalism, including significant experience covering education
• A portfolio of work that demonstrates both policy knowledge and investigative journalism, as well as a working knowledge of database reporting
• A creative mindset, deep knowledge of education. Knowledge of Michigan is a plus, as is a willingness to get out of the office and into classrooms throughout the state.
• A commitment to fairness, seeing all sides, a willingness to be surprised and follow facts.
• A collaborative mindset and generous spirit. We want our reporters to be aggressive, but they need to be good co-workers.
• Strong leadership skills and a willingness to mentor fellow reporters

Bridge Michigan has offices in Lansing and southeast Michigan. This is not a remote job, and the successful applicant must be based (or move) to Michigan. Otherwise, we are flexible and trust reporters to determine their best work environments.

How to apply

If you’re interested in applying, please submit an application to jobs@bridgemi.com and write “Education Reporter” in the subject line. Include a resume, a detailed cover letter explaining how you would approach the position, including coverage areas, and four to seven work samples. Candidates should submit their application by March 14.

About The Center for Michigan and This Position

Bridge Michigan is a publication of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Michigan. All staff of Bridge Michigan are employees of the Center for Michigan.

Founded in 2006, the Center for Michigan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Michigan better through high-quality, nonpartisan journalism and engagement.

The Center for Michigan offers competitive salaries, eligibility for an end-of-year performance bonus and flexible work arrangements. The expected base salary range for this position is $75,000 to $92,000 annually. Our offices have a casual environment and we respect work-life balance. Benefits at the Center for Michigan include:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance (90% employer paid for employee and eligible dependents)
• Telehealth services (100% employer-paid for employee and eligible dependents)
• 1% 401(k) match
• 4-6 weeks of maternity/paternity/adoption leave
• Minimum three weeks paid time off per year
• Eight paid holidays
• Monthly phone stipend
• Annual professional development and subscription allowances

The Center for Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity in its workforce, creating an inclusive environment and building an organization that better reflects its communities and encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disabilities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The Center for Michigan will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), age, disability/handicap, height, weight, marital status, familial status, veteran status, citizenship or any other classification protected by federal or state law or local ordinance.