Last Wednesday, Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson gave the first-ever State of the District address. Similar to the State of the Union address given by the President of the United States every year, this speech was designed to give the community a broad overview of the current affairs of Indianapolis Public Schools. The address…
Author: Andrew Pillow
Indianapolis Public Schools Will Continue to Provide Free Meals During Fall Break (Times and Locations Included)
Many students depend on the meals that are provided during school. Indianapolis Public Schools has recognized this and will continue to provide meals to students in need over the break. From October 14 to October 18 IPS will serve lunch and breakfast at several schools around the city. Over 80 percent of IPS students qualify…
Chicago Teachers Union Authorizes Strike
The teachers of Chicago have voted to authorize a strike, at least the ones in the union did. The Chicago Teachers Union took a vote on Thursday to decide whether or not to move towards a possible strike. The answer was a resounding yes. Around 94% of ballots counted by 10 p.m. Thursday night were…
It’s Time for Schools to Address Vaping
A middle-aged man passed away in St. Louis from a lung illness tied to vaping last week. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this is the 8th confirmed death tied to e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, the CDC only expects this number to rise. Electronic cigarettes or “E-cigarettes” are battery-powered devices that allow users to inhale…
Standardized Testing Is Not Inherently Bad
It’s that time of the year when schools start receiving their standardized test grades from the previous year. With those grades comes complaints about fairness, and “teaching to the test” . . . and that’s for the schools lucky enough to get their scores as there always seems to be delays. These kinds of experiences…
IMPD Officer Seen in Shortridge High School Video Charged
Last month a video from Shortridge high school went viral because it appeared to show an officer punching a student. Authorities now believe they have enough evidence to charge the officer for his role in the altercation. IMPD Officers responded to Shortridge High School last month to assist following a large fight inside the school….
Should We Really Use Test Scores to Evaluate Teachers?
One of the biggest arguments in education right now is the role of testing. More specifically the scores yielded from the standardized tests and how those scores should be viewed and used. Within this argument, there are two clearly defined sides. The side that thinks scores should be used to evaluate teachers and schools and…
We Should Tell Students to Avoid Taking out Excessive Student Loans
Student loans have been a problem for a while, but we are now in the midst of a full-blown student loan crisis. College students are graduating with massive debts. 69% of the class of 2018 took out student loans, and they graduated with an average of $29,800 in student loans. This doesn’t include the loans…
Superintendent and Governor Don’t Want Schools Punished for Low ILEARN Scores
The first year of ILEARN is in the books. The results were not good. Scores were much lower across the state in comparison to the ISTEP scores families received previously. While scores for specific schools have not been made available to the public yet, students and families know their scores, and individual schools know their…
Virtual Education Can Be Done Correctly
With the advent of computers and internet technology, it was only a matter of time before it was put to use in schools. It seemed like a perfect fit. Schools are often under-resourced and understaffed. Computers can close those gaps. But unfortunately, due to scandals and bad results, the reputation of virtual learning has taken…