ASBA Media Awards Presented

The ASBA Board of Directors decided to make special media awards to two Arizona journalists who have demonstrated excellence in reporting as they brought critical issues related to public education to the forefront – each in very different and impactful ways, and each to very different and important audiences.

The main news anchor for Noticia Univision 33, Mary Rabago is an award-winning journalist for Arizona’s largest Spanish-language broadcast network. Public education has been a primary focus since “Con Mary Rabago” launched. She has dug deeply into issues from academic standards to why it’s important for parents and the community to defend public education, inviting education experts and recognizable community leaders and education advocates to break down the issues in ways most relevant for Hispanic audiences. Mary’s off-air role as a mom, and her continual quest to find the right balance between family and profession, make her someone infinitely relatable, as does her friendly, welcoming and approachable interview style.

Brahm Resnick, NBC 12 news anchor and reporter, broke the story early in 2014 of Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction making robocalls, which reached tens of thousands of Arizonans and advocated the use of private school vouchers – Education Scholarship Accounts.  Brahm relentlessly followed the story, and others that intersected with it. He dissected legislation introduced that would dramatically expand private school vouchers – and exposed the impact to the state budget. In addition, he has followed and reported on the ASBA-led Proposition 301 litigation and the impact the resolution and a settlement of the litigation would have on schools.