Arizona Luminaria is thrilled to announce that Shannon Conner, an experienced Tucson-based reporter and editor, is joining our newsroom covering education solutions supported by a grant from The Arizona Local News Fund.
Starting in April, Shannon will report on K-12 education in Tucson and Southern Arizona. Her work will highlight community members working on systemic challenges and inequities for and with Arizona students, their parents and educators.
This role is made possible by the Arizona Media Association’s Arizona Local News Foundation through its new Arizona Community Collaborative.
“This is one of the most ambitious efforts in Arizona’s history to empower local media and tackle one of our state’s most pressing challenges,” said Chris Kline, president and CEO of the Arizona Media Association and Arizona Local News Foundation. “With immediate effect, this collaborative will dramatically expand community conversation and launch new discussions about how to improve Arizona education for students of all ages. We are setting out to prove that collaboration at scale can create a better future for all Arizonans.”
Shannon brings three decades of journalism experience editing and covering high school, college and professional sports; and metro news. Prior to joining Luminaria, she was the sports editor at the Arizona Daily Star, the night sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and a reporter and editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Idaho Press-Tribune. When reporting, she covered the Olympic Trials, the NFL, Final Fours, high school cross country, and almost everything in between.
“My Southwestern roots run deep and I am exhilarated to be part of this dedicated team. As a journalist I’ve covered our communities for decades, and am excited to branch out in new directions,” Shannon said. “As a parent I’m eager to explore what’s important to our students, and how they’re engaged in education. And as an Arizonan, I will cast a wide net and make connections across communities. I am thrilled to be part of the diverse work at Arizona Luminaria.”
Shannon brings years of first-hand experience to the education beat: Parenting two kids in public and charter schools; participating for more than a decade in parent-teacher organizations; and teaching for 12 years as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Arizona.
“Shannon is a champion for local news and strengthening education systems for students and teachers,” said Dianna Náñez, executive editor and co-founder of Arizona Luminaria. “We’re thrilled that she’ll bring her enthusiasm and expertise to a new education beat focusing on Southern Arizona people and communities working on solutions to address complex problems.”
Shannon joins a collaboration of 15 new reporters across the state seeking to boost local news.
“When we first launched Arizona Luminaria three years ago, we heard from many parents, teachers and civic leaders who stressed the critical need for more in-depth and community-centered education news,” Náñez said. “Please reach out to Shannon, as she develops coverage that aims to better inform and build conversations around how to improve education for all students, especially our state’s most vulnerable children, who can thrive when supported by equitable systems that value and invest in them and their future.”
Outside of work, Shannon can be found running trails in the Tucson Mountains, baking her grandmother’s pecan rolls or scouring the Sonoran Desert for the best vegan tacos.
“Our mission is to take readers inside Arizona’s schools and into communities, spotlighting both the challenges our children, families and educators face — and the successes they’ve created,” Shannon said. “Supporting children and education is the foundation of our shared civic life and I am passionate about helping people understand what’s happening, why it’s happening and how they can get involved.”
We encourage our readers and community members to connect with Shannon and share story ideas, feedback, and local insights. She can be reached at [email protected].
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