Laura Isensee has been named the new education editor at the Houston Chronicle, bringing more than 15 years of journalism experience across print, radio, podcasts, and digital media.

She will oversee coverage of Houston ISD, suburban school districts, Texas school voucher changes, and higher education.

Isensee’s appointment arrives as education takes center stage in Texas’s public debates.

She previously shaped local news at City Cast Houston and spent eight years as an education reporter at Houston Public Media, where she was named Beat Reporter of the Year by the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters in 2019.

Her reporting has appeared on NPR, Reveal, Marketplace, and in the Miami Herald, highlighting both policy and personal impact.

Isensee, a Greater Heights resident, holds degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University.

A dedicated mentor, she guides emerging journalists and is poised to lead the Chronicle’s education team through a pivotal era.