Sierra Blaser

Arizona Daily Star
K-12/Families Reporter

[Emily Bregel @EmilyBregel]

A cousin of Ousman Ceesay, the man police say killed two people outside a Tucson gay bar before shooting himself, said he never heard anti-gay sentiments from Ceesay, despite his growing up in a country that criminalizes homosexuality. @TucsonStar https://t.co/23gDBZSfMk

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

NEW: Up to 10 Tucson Unified School District schools may face closures or changes as part of a phased plan targeting declining enrollment and resource optimization.

Read more: https://t.co/u18VOD0k8A

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

NEW: The Trump administration proposed sweeping changes to Head Start, including larger class sizes, fewer student-teacher ratio limits, no mandatory disability screenings, English-only instruction and a lower administrative spending
cap.

Read here: https://t.co/RCvE3UnIab

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

NEW: Lisa Scott, an Esmond Station K-8 teacher who became a quadruple amputee after sepsis, was named Arizona's 2027 Teacher of the Year, the Vail Unified School District's first honoree in 35 years.

Read here: https://t.co/tYXIdv1JhS

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

BREAKING: ADE found that the Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind violated federal special education law in displacing blind, visually impaired and residential program students during its move to Oro Valley.

Read @PreranaRavindra and my latest: https://t.co/VEkZjbpFyM

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

Chronic absenteeism remains a challenge for many Pima County school districts years after COVID-19. My latest story looks at how schools are addressing the root causes, from better data tracking to family outreach. Read more: https://t.co/imCyvqY5jb

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

Pima County has the second-lowest teen birth rate in Arizona after declining 74% over the past two decades, according to a new data summary from the University of Arizona.

Read more: https://t.co/Fu14JBfSnC

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

Southern Arizona school districts will need to decide how to cover the cost of dual enrollment classes after Pima Community College approved new tuition for high school students.

Read more:
https://t.co/GoK1E0Lt30

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

The TUSD Governing Board approved more than $350,000 to fund six library media specialist positions beginning in the fall at six school sites after a push by board member Sadie Shaw to hire librarians at every district school.

Read more: https://t.co/MAHVAxbChc

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

A new warning at TUSD board meetings is raising concerns.

Before anyone addresses the governing board during public meetings, they are now being told defamatory statements might expose them to "personal legal liability."

Read more: https://t.co/Uad3liCiQU

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

NEW: TUSD is raising teacher salaries by $3,000 under a pay plan that includes a one-time bonus and higher pay for substitutes.

The teacher salary increases stem from the 15% Maintenance and Operations Budget Override voters approved last November.

More: https://t.co/JIkcq7g32w

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

@JustinESports Famous Sam’s!

[Whats Up Tucson @whatsuptucson]

Gofundme for funeral expenses related to UofA students death last night at Euclid and 2nd
https://t.co/qjCKDHyFKt

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

📍 First Court Sentencing Covered

Today marked a milestone in my reporting journey — I covered my first court sentencing for the Arizona Daily Star.

Read:
https://t.co/qQt6c6TR0g

[Prerana Sannappanavar @PreranaRavindra]

🚨: Interim Provost Ron Marx told faculty senators Monday the UA will have to discontinue certain activities involving "preferential treatment," to which he was asked, "What is the university doing to make sure that these mandates are actually legal?"

https://t.co/WslRLffUBT

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

NEW: Tucson groups come together for events across town in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Pretty proud of this one:

https://t.co/Ial4ofwXpj

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

If you saw a large group gathered on University this past Tuesday, read here to get caught up!

[Daily Wildcat @dailywildcat]

UA students and local community members gathered and marched on University Blvd. on Tuesday, March 18 to protest Israeli airstrikes on Palestine earlier that morning.
Read more:
https://t.co/BI2V2p7qx6

[Daily Wildcat @dailywildcat]

UA students and local community members gathered and marched on University Blvd. on Tuesday, March 18 to protest Israeli airstrikes on Palestine earlier that morning.
Read more:
https://t.co/BI2V2p7qx6

[Justin Spears @JustinESports]

Tough loss for Arizona, but Houston is probably the best team in college basketball.

Arizona can learn from this loss, but it should feel confident heading into the tournament. The Cats belong.

Now it just depends on matchups. 4 seed out west ain't too bad.

[Sierra Blaser @sierrablaser]

First time sports reporting, and what a big game to do it on, but I love a challenge! So privileged to be in KC with my sports editor at the Arizona v Houston game.

Read my top takeaways from last nights game here:
https://t.co/fMP38hCJ31