KTAR News 92.3 Reporter Stories

Arizona lawmakers Mitzi Epstein and Matt Gress both want to raise teacher salaries, but differences in how education funding should be spent is leaving the two political parties at a stalemate.

The Arizona State Board of Education voted to remove bonus points from the state's school letter grade system.

The Arizona State Board of Education approved new requirements for teacher certificates, focusing on English language classes and CTE courses for students below 9th grade.

31 school districts will no longer have school board positions on the November ballot after the races were deemed 'non-competitive' and canceled

Sen. Gallego met with Head Start leaders today to discuss a new proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would remove the program's standards,

In this wide-ranging interview, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joins KTAR News to address severe mental health and supply crises aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, rising national debt, and Western water shortages. He also weighs in on local Arizona campaigns and reveals he is actively considering a presidential run in 2028.

Its the first day of school at Arizona State University and the school passed an important milestone- 200,000 enrolled students!

Pro and Anti Prop 212 groups are weighing in on the ruling that removed the measure from the ballot.

The legality of prop 212's signatures is being questioned by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. The group claims the Protect Education Act committee does not have enough valid signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

Phoenix Children's has a new simulation center that allows parents and staff to get an up-close look at the hospital's training programs. 

The Peoria Unified School District is removing 3 books from its K-8 curriculum. Parents are accusing the school of removing them following DEI guidelines, and the NAACP is filing an official complaint.

A new ESA platform helps users catalog purchases, which could help cut down on alleged fraud in the system.

KTAR Eduction Solutions Reporter Shira Tanzer reports on a five-part series highlighting the Arizona teacher shortage and possible solutions to fix the issue. 

The five parts:

1. Current Data
2. How did we get here
3. Teacher's perspectives
4. ESAs/other factors
5. Solutions

The Arizona State University dining hall workers union is suing the college over alleged first amendment rights violated related to the groups' protests near ASU campuses. 

The ESA accountability measure set to appear on the ballot will now have to be rewritten before it appears in front of voters after a judge's ruling. 

The last part of KTAR's teacher rentention crisis series focuses on solutions from teachers and elected officials that could help keep educators in the classroom. 

The Arizona Department of Health Services is reminding parents and teachers about the dangers of heat exposure for students starting school.

The Phoenix Union High School District announced students at 17 of its 24 schools will automatically be enrolled in a free school lunch program.

How does the school voucher program and other alternative schooling options impact Arizona's ongoing teacher shortage crisis? 

What do teachers view as the largest obstacle when it comes to staying in the classroom? Former and current educators weigh in. 

How did Arizona's teacher retention crisis get so bad? Looking back at Covid-19, Red for Ed, and how the problem grew over the past decade.

What is the current state of Arizona's teacher shortage? Taking a look at the numbers and how the shortage is influencing the education system. 

Chad Wilson gives an update on how students participating in CTE courses are transported to EVIT campuses after nine districts and the trade school wrapped up its legal action.

Leighanne Harrison, a kindergarten teacher at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School in Phoenix, won the ‘Pay Tribute to a Teacher’ award for August.