The first half of the 2021–2022 school year has been about playing catch up. Two years ago, the school year was cut short in March. Last year, many schools were dealing with the back and forth of virtual learning and in-person learning. In the wake of severe learning loss for many students, the first half…
With tears flowing from her eyes, a parent hear words from her child she never wanted to hear, “Mommy, I didn’t think my teacher hated me!” A third-grade Indianapolis student spoke those words to her mother after overhearing her Pike Township teacher talking negatively about her on Zoom. An Indianapolis mother is dealing with the trauma she…
COVID-19 rocked our school the first week of our opening this school year. We started the year with three staff members out due to the COVID-19 protocol. Unsure of what to do, I decided to do something that I do not think many in my position would have done. I stepped up, and I stepped…
The most important goal teachers should ensure is that students can read and comprehend well when they graduate from high school. It is as simple as that; there is no excuse for a child to go to school for twelve years (thirteen if you count kindergarten) and not leave with the ability to read. It…
How many of you all have asked the question, “How are principals doing during this time?” Since March of 2020, when our education system was turned upside down, I have not heard many asking principals how they are handling everything. They talk about how teachers are on the front lines risking their health and the…
The word empathy became a buzzword last year in many education spaces. Empathy, as defined in the Webster dictionary, means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It was crucial last school year as many reponed for the first time to show empathy. We showed empathy towards teachers, students, and parents. The…
Education remains one of the Black community’s most enduring values. It is sustained by the belief that freedom and education go hand in hand, that learning, and training are essential to economic quality and independence. ~ Marian Wright Edelman On Thursday, September 9, 2021, The Center for Black Educators Development will push a call to…
Like many educators, I thought this school year would be different than the last school year. While there are many more students in the building than the previous year, we still are still suffering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it impacts student learning. Many schools are four to five weeks into…
The releasing of shackles, the breaking of glass ceilings, and the crossing of boundaries come through education. It is through education where one can receive liberation. Today, we celebrate what would have been the 165th birthday of one of the most incredible educators in history, Booker Taliaferro Washington or, as we know him, Booker T….
In 2018, Tindley Summit Academy, where I’m principal, jumped almost ten percentage points in proficiency rates in English/Language Arts and five percentage points in math on ISTEP, a previous Indiana state standardized test. In 2019, the first year of ILEARN, a new state test, we had just 16% of proficient students in English and 21% proficient…