13 Education Solutions Reporters in Arizona Come Together for Two Important Education Topics
PHOENIX — This summer, 13 Education Solutions reporters, funded by the Arizona Local News Foundation and Report for America, have been taking a closer look at two of Arizona’s most important education topics: the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and teacher retention.
The topics were selected collaboratively by the journalists after spending more than a year reporting exclusively on education in communities across Arizona. The group of journalists collectively wrote more than 30 stories on the two topics which include articles in English and Spanish.
Journalists participating in the collaboration
ESA
- Graham Krewinghaus, Nogales International (Nogales)
- Stacy Mantle, Independent News Media (Phoenix)
- Sisko Stargazer, KAWC (Yuma)
- Dylan Wickman, Today’s News-Herald (Lake Havasu)
Teacher Retention
- Shannon Conner, Arizona Luminaria (Tucson)
- Camila Espinoza, Univision Arizona (Phoenix)
- Nohelani Graf, 12 News (Phoenix)
- Alan Hunt, The Daily Courier (Prescott)
- Isabela Lisco, 13 News (Tucson)
- Jesselle Ortegon, Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff)
- Samantha Rea, Times Media Group (Phoenix)
- Shira Tanzer, KTAR News (Phoenix)
- Erick Trevino, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
As part of the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative program, the stories featured below—along with more than 2,000 other education stories—are available for any Arizona news organization to republish or repurpose. Click here to explore the full collection.
Support local journalism and more collaborative projects like this one, consider a donation to the Arizona Local News Foundation.
ESA Stories
Daily Independent:
The Arizona education guide–Public schools, charters, ESAs, tax credits and school choice explained
Following the money: How Arizona pays for public school students
Federal tax credit could add another layer to Arizona’s school choice system if state opts in
Following the money: What Arizona’s growing ESA spending really means
KAWC (Yuma):
Deep Dive: Do Arizona ESAs really save the state money?
How Arizona’s ESA program works — and why debate over it persists
Inside the choices Arizona ESA parents make
In Yuma, ESAs make private school more affordable — but choice still has limits
Arizona’s ESA debate reveals a deeper question: What is education for?
Nogales International:
‘We’re being pitted against each other’: Nobody likes how heated the ESA debate has gotten
Teacher Retention Stories
12 News (KPNX):
Tackling teacher retention: Inside the Arizona districts beating the odds
How a West Valley district has such a high teacher retention rate
Tackling teacher retention with a holistic approach
Tackling teacher retention: The hard decisions districts face
Following the money: What Arizona’s growing ESA spending really means
Arizona Daily Sun:
Looking at recent teacher retention efforts from Coconino County and its largest school district
Teacher Retention: The K-12 teachers who continue to choose Flagstaff Unified School District
Arizona Luminaria + 13 News (KOLD):
An introduction to Arizona’s teacher retention crisis
Keeping teachers in the classroom: Examining Southern Arizona solutions to a nationwide crisis
Arizona’s Teacher Residency Program helps keep educators in the classroom
Second jobs can keep Tucson teachers in the profession, but at what cost?
Arizona Republic:
Rural Arizona districts offer housing to attract teachers
The Daily Courier:
Back to school in Prescott: How much will teachers earn this year?
Prescott on a teacher’s salary — a balancing act
Young teachers face Prescott economic challenges
KTAR News:
Better pay would be a start for fixing Arizona’s teacher shortage, but it’s not the only solution
How did Arizona wind up with a decade-long teacher shortage — with no end in sight?
Times Media Group:
Arizona teacher turnover outpaces nation’s rate
Univision Arizona:
La emergencia educativa de Arizona: ¿Por qué los maestros abandonan las aulas?
The Education Solutions Collaborative is made possible through the generous support of Potoff Private Philanthropy, Grand Canyon University, The Burton Family Foundation, Report for America, Center for the Future of Arizona, Flinn Foundation and the Scripps Howard Fund.
For media inquiries or questions: Rudy Rivas, Director of Foundation Projects rudy@azmedia.org
About Arizona Local News Foundation
The Arizona Local News Foundation exists to connect communities with more local news and information that drives our state forward. Backed by nearly 400 local media brands that are part of the Arizona Media Association and overseen by its own independent board of directors, the Foundation funds programs that ensure information is more accessible and impactful in every Arizona community. The Arizona Media Association is a non-profit corporation that acts as the official trade association for Arizona’s local radio, TV, print and digital industry. The mission of the Association is to futureproof community connection by amplifying the unique role local media can play in every Arizona neighborhood.