Anna Colletto

Education Reporter

What I do here

I’m the education reporter for the Tulsa Flyer, which means I’ll be writing about what’s impacting students, families and educators in the area — always with useful information relevant to daily life. I’m here to answer your questions, uplift solutions and celebrate achievements in Tulsa education while unpacking complex issues.

My Background

I studied journalism and political science at the University of Missouri where I worked as the editor-in-chief of our student newspaper, The Maneater. There, I led a staff of 175 and transitioned the print-focused outlet to an entirely digital operation. Then, at the Columbia Missourian and KBIA-FM, I began reporting on higher education, housing and social justice. I won national awards for several of my stories at both outlets and later worked as a Missourian city editor and KBIA news anchor. I spent summers digging deeper into local news as a Cincinnati Magazine digital intern, Texas Tribune product fellow and Minnesota Star Tribune news and politics intern. I also worked as an investigative researcher for the Watchdog Writers Group, assisting Tulsa’s own Caleb Gayle on two book projects, including Black Moses, which tells the story of Edward McCabe and his fight for a Black state.

When I graduated in May, I knew I wanted a job covering my favorite topic: education.

My family is chock-full of educators: policymakers, teachers, principals, coaches, board members, volunteers and instructors. Life in my two hometowns — Orlando, Florida, and Loveland, Ohio — revolves around the schools. In Loveland, you’ll even find a few school board members who jokingly take credit for my journalistic career, and they’re partially right. Before heading to college, I spent two formative years as the board’s student representative, seeing the district wrestle with a years-long tax levy debate and the COVID-19 pandemic. That experience, and those of my family members, highlighted education as a community’s center, revealing its inequities, aspirations and strengths. So I came to Tulsa to explore just that.

I’m new to the city and bring no pretense of expertise. What I do bring is a commitment to inclusive, useful news and an eager curiosity about Tulsa’s communities. I’m here to answer your questions, and I can’t wait to get started.

Where can you find me in Tulsa?

You’ll probably find me taking your recommendations! I’m a budding regular at Tulsa’s farmers markets, River Parks trails, Magic City Books, Circle Cinema and the Philbrook. I’m building up my knowledge of the local music scene, so I welcome any and all suggestions on music venues to explore and shows to attend.

Journalistic ethics

I believe journalists should be trustees of the public, guided by accuracy and fairness. I don’t accept gifts or favors in exchange for coverage, donate to political campaigns, sign petitions or take a public stance on issues that may appear in our reporting. I recuse myself from stories in which I have a personal interest.