Arizona Daily Star reporter Genesis Lara's top 5 stories of 2022
We are sharing Arizona Daily Star reporters' and photographers' favorite work from 2022.
Lara joined the Star in October 2021. The following are her top stories from this year because they deal directly with some of the challenges that students and teachers faced, as well as school programs that enhanced students' learning experiences.
(5) updates to this series since Updated
Districts distribute stipends to teachers, who have been feeling the pressure of pandemic issues including staffing shortages.
Staff shortages in TUSD meant teachers often took on combined classesFor Star subscribers: With staffing shortages at schools throughout Arizona expected to continue into the foreseeable future, TUSD says it has focused on retaining staff while hiring more workers.
At one such summer camp in Tucson, elementary-aged students worked on building projects with STEM kits. Next door, a group had just finished making glow-in-the-dark lightsabers. Arizona offered the camps for free this summer.
Two months after TUSD leaders said security changes would be made to some campuses, they refuse to release details. Says an expert in public records law: "Parents and everybody else has a right to know."
Students at Tanque Verde High School are now able to delve deeper into learning about ranching and farming after the school received grant money to build a new barn and improve its greenhouse.
Our reporters, producers and photographers chose their top 5 pieces of work from 2022. Here are their selections: