About
Shira Tanzer is the education solutions reporter for KTAR News 92.3 FM. She joined KTAR in 2021 and previously worked as a reporter for Cronkite News, the Jewish News, and interned at ABC15. Shira has lived in Arizona since 2013 and brings a strong focus to local education issues in her reporting. She’s also passionate about hockey, music and horseback riding. In 2024, she earned her degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
Expertise
- Education reporting
- Broadcast journalism
- Arizona local news
Education
- Arizona State University – Bachelor’s degree in Journalism (2024)
Certifications
- FAA Remote Pilot’s License
Achievements & Awards
- Reporter and anchor for Cronkite News
- Intern at ABC15 in Phoenix
Social Media Profiles
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 17, 2026School board protest halts business in Phoenix district
Two Cartwright members are using a school board protest to block agendas, leaving votes on safety, lunches and contracts in limbo.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 17, 2026Apache Junction offers a la carte public school classes for ESA families
The FLEX program lets ESA students take individual public school classes, join lunch periods and access sports or electives in Apache Junction.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 15, 2026Arizona superintendent hopefuls debate ESAs, education funding and teacher pay
Kimberly Yee and Teresa Leyba Ruiz agreed that the Empowerment Scholarship Account program needs guardrails, teacher pay should be raised and AI should be permitted in the classroom with limits.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 14, 2026Sen. Ruben Gallego unveils 4-part plan to restore America’s public education system
The Arizona Democrat wants to increase education access, improve teacher retention, protect funding and create new workforce pathways.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 10, 2026Scottsdale Unified School District weighs more closures as enrollment declines
District officials presented three potential plans involving seven schools during the latest board meeting.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 8, 2026ASU named 1 of 8 schools to train manufacturers in new nationwide initiative
The Foundry School is a State Department initiative that aims to develop the next generation of manufacturing workers.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 4, 2026Republican candidate Andy Biggs wants to expand ESA options for rural and disadvantaged students
Biggs said he also has plans to improve public schools, including addressing campus infrastructure issues if he becomes governor.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 2, 2026U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling praises Arizona’s workforce pathways
Sonderling was impressed with how West-MEC works with local companies to make sure students are trained with the same equipment and systems they will use in their future careers.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 2, 2026ASU is helping kids in a juvenile detention center get a head start on college degrees
The new ASU program allows students with a high school diploma or GED to complete college-level courses.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 1, 2026ASU is now offering 3-year bachelor’s degrees for education students
The faster option for elementary education or special education is designed to make teaching careers more accessible.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Sep 1, 2026Phoenix district taps fellowship to bring male teachers of color into classrooms
Five fellows will teach in Phoenix's Creighton district this fall as part of a national push to reverse the decline of men in American classrooms.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 31, 2026Chandler English language teacher wins ‘Pay Tribute to a Teacher’ September award
Monica Garcia, a 28-year English language development teacher at Hamilton High School, plans to use the $2,500 prize to stock classroom supplies.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 28, 2026New ASU medical school welcomes inaugural class, combining engineering and medicine
Students who graduate from the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering's four-year program will earn two degrees.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 25, 20261 in 10 Arizona schools could lose full letter grade with removal of bonus points
The Arizona State Board of Education voted unanimously to update the A-F system to make it more fair.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 24, 2026Teaching requirements for dual-language and CTE classes are getting stricter
The Arizona State Board of Education voted to approve changes to the Arizona Department of Education certification guidelines for teaching assignments at its meeting Monday.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 21, 2026Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego ready to ‘get into the fight’ against proposed changes to Head Start
The Democrat met Friday with local providers and parents who are worried about how federal officials want to alter the early learning and development program.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 18, 2026ESA reform Prop 212 won’t make Arizona voters’ ballot, per a court ruling
Prop 212, which would have put ESA limitations in front of voters, lacks enough valid signatures to qualify for the Arizona ballot.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 18, 2026Phoenix Children’s uses model patients to teach healthcare workers new skills
The mannequins have advanced anatomy and physiological responses that real patients would have.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 17, 2026NAACP to file complaint after Peoria Unified pulls books on people of color from K-8 classes
The West Valley NAACP is taking action after Peoria Unified cut Frederick Douglass, A Raisin in the Sun and Summer of the Mariposas from K-8.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 17, 2026New app helps Arizona ESA families check purchases, avoid fraud accusations
Pathfinder lets parents scan items to see if they're allowable under the Empowerment Scholarship Account program and tracks receipts for the state.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 13, 2026Dining hall workers suing ASU over First Amendment right to protest working conditions
Workers gathered outside of Gordon Commons on Thursday to share their thoughts on the issue and call for increased pay and healthcare.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 12, 2026Arizona ESA accountability proposition must be rewritten to be included on the ballot, judge rules
Judge ruled the measure's wording misleads voters by calling ESAs a 'school voucher program' and omits key provisions on enforcement and oversight.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 11, 2026Arizona health officials urge heat safety as students return to school
AZDHS says kids should hydrate before school, take shaded breaks and avoid peak heat during recess, sports and outdoor activities.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Aug 11, 2026Better pay would be a start for fixing Arizona’s teacher shortage, but it’s not the only solution
Elected officials and teachers are looking for ways to correct the retention issue and stabilize the state's education system.