This past weekend a teenage gunman drove three hours to a Buffalo, New York grocery specifically to carry out a mass shooting against Black people. We know this because he said as much and recorded it. It was not an “apparent hate-crime” as we often hear said. It was a confirmed one. Unfortunately, the attack…
Everyone Has a Reason To Support Charter Schools
This past week was National Charter Schools Week. During this week charter school proponents rally, and advocate in support of charter schools. One has to ask the question: Why does such a thing require an advocacy week. Who is against them? Quick refresher: Charter schools are publicly funded privately ran educational institutions that cater to…
A Unified Indianapolis School System
Disclosure: I am a principal of a public charter school. The thoughts in this piece are mine and do not represent the thoughts of my charter school or its network. Recently, I had an opportunity to visit New Orleans as part of my Circle City Leaders fellowship with RISE Indy. While visiting, we had a…
A Look Back at My First Year as an Education Consultant
If you would have told me when I graduated from Purdue University in May of 2006 that I would eventually leave the classroom and start my own education consulting business, I would have laughed in your face and laughed hard. On May 11, 2021, that is exactly what I did. I started the education consulting…
The Most Important Teaching Job
Eleven years ago, I helped a child with a task, but he wasn’t getting it. I gave up and moved on to another child. That child also struggled and didn’t get it either. I felt like a complete failure. I kept wondering if there was a different action I could have taken to ensure success….
Churchill Downs is a Perfect Place for a Field Trip
It is May! These three words for Hoosiers are synonymous with the Indy 500. However, to our border neighbors down south, May means it is time for the Kentucky Derby which is another great race. I was born in Kentuckiana … Jeffersonville, Indiana to be exact. Jeff, as it is commonly known by locals, is…
Teacher Confessions: I Use Whole Class Punishments
You read the title right. I have nothing to hide. I am “one of those” educators. I am a teacher that punishes everyone for the actions of a few. Talking during the lecture? Silent lunch for everyone. Inappropriate use of technology? Nobody using chrome books today. I know these experts say those types of…
What’s Going to Happen When the Federal Education Money Disappears?
COVID-19 caused a lot of problems for school districts. Between staff absences and forced experiments in e-learning, school leaders are not going to have fond memories of the past couple of years. However, all of the additional obstacles faced during that time did bring one good thing along with it: Cash. In order to support…
Silencing Teachers is Not the Answer
After a long day of work, where work is not bringing a person joy, that person may lament about work on social media. Sometimes those people are teachers. I have been one of those teachers, and I am known to still pop off online today. Some of my employers did not care, but others did….
We Did Teach Y’all About Taxes in School
The tax deadline has passed. That means that it is time for the yearly deluge of memes about how “they” don’t teach taxes in school. You have probably seen this said on social media before. Typically, it is accompanied by some other random bit of information they learned with the implication being school only teaches…