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 | Mar 23, 20262nd ESA ballot initiative filed, leaving out income caps while still requiring accountability
A second ESA-related ballot initiative has been submitted, aiming to get accountability in front of Arizona voters in but without an income cap.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 20, 2026Arizona treasurer says ESA platform review isn’t related to spending controversy
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee said the announcement that her office will review the ESA marketplace system is unrelated to recent reports of misused funds within the program.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 19, 2026Arizona treasurer seeks changes in ESA marketplace to protect taxpayer dollars
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee said Thursday she is looking to make changes to the state's ESA marketplace system to avoid misuse of taxpayer dollars.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 18, 2026Arizona Senate education committee moves ahead with antisemitism, adoption education bills
Arizona teachers could be banned from sharing material deemed antisemitic and required to discuss adoption any time sex education is taught under bills approved Wednesday by the state Senate Education Committee.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 17, 2026Arizona Supt. Horne dismisses report of rampant improper ESA spending as ‘ridiculous’
Arizona’s ESA school voucher program is a subject of recent controversy, with different numbers being used to measure spending on banned items.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 16, 2026Here are all the Phoenix-area schools closed or scheduled for closure in recent years
Arizona is seeing an increasing number school closures. Here's a list of Valley schools that have been closed or scheduled to close in recent years.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 16, 2026Arizona’s education to workforce pipeline could be improved for both students, employers
Arizona’s postsecondary attainment levels have been steadily rising, but is it enough to cover the state’s job openings?
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 12, 2026Peoria Unified School District approves closure of 2 elementary schools
The Peoria Unified School District approved the closure of Kachina and Pioneer elementary schools after the 2025-2026 school year.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 12, 2026Arizona teachers say bills on antisemitism, sexually explicit content are too vague
Arizona teachers and union advocates gathered at the state Capitol to speak out against legislative actions that could restrict classroom content.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 11, 2026Scottsdale Unified may close 2 or 3 more schools to cover $6.5M budget gap
The Scottsdale Unified School District is weighing whether to shutter two or three additional campuses to erase a $6.5 million budget shortfall.
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ARIZONA POLITICS NEWS | Mar 9, 2026Bill would require firearm safety instruction in Arizona K-12 classrooms
Two Republican lawmakers in Arizona want to require all K–12 students to take a firearm safety class every year.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 9, 2026ASU program helps instructors learn how to teach students about ethical use of AI
ASU’s AI-Informed Writing Classroom helps faculty explore the ethics of AI writing, gather student feedback and prepare pupils for the workforce.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 6, 2026ESA fraud charges being referred to metro Phoenix prosecutors for potential charges
The Arizona Department of Education has been referring ESA fraud cases to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office as well as the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 6, 2026Could helping schools understand Arizona education policy change classrooms for the better?
A new education program called Permission Granted is working to clarify state policy and how it could be applied in the classroom.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 4, 2026Phoenix school locked down for reported gun on campus
Sunland STEAM Academy was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after a student reported a weapon on campus.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 4, 2026Proposed Arizona ballot referral would block teachers unions from organizing on campus
Arizona voters might be asked to ban school districts from using public money and resources to support teachers unions.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 3, 2026GCU helping Arizonans enter semiconductor industry through free program with TSMC
GCU is partnering with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for a free course that could end in a job offer with TSMC Arizona.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Mar 2, 2026Can Arizona boost 3rd grade reading proficiency from 36% to 72% in just 4 years?
Only 36% of Arizona third graders are reading proficiently, according to the Arizona Progress Meter. What can be changed to boost that percentage?
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 26, 2026Is Arizona’s ESA school voucher program neglecting students it was created for?
Some parents and experts say Arizona's school voucher expansion has made it harder on the original ESA beneficiaries: students with disabilities.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 25, 2026Arizona Republican introduces bill that would create school voucher-like tax credit
The Arizona Legislature is considering a bill that would create a tax credit for families with students who don't go to public schools or receive ESA voucher funds.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 20, 2026Peoria Unified parents concerned about how proposed school closures might affect services
The Peoria Unified School District Governing Board heard from the community Thursday night ahead of the potential closure of two K-8 schools.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 19, 2026How Arizona’s decline in cigarette smoking is costly to its early childhood education agency
Arizona’s early childhood agency is reliant on tobacco taxes, so funding is falling as cigarette smoking declines.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 17, 2026New legislation could limit teachers’ ability to protest — and their privacy
Two lawmakers are working to pass legislation that would limit teachers’ ability to protest during school hours. Here are the details.
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ARIZONA EDUCATION NEWS | Feb 16, 2026East Valley school for neurodivergent kids boosts students’ confidence through basketball
PS Academy, a Gilbert school, is helping neurodivergent students gain more confidence with every dribble of a basketball.