I watched YouTube of Jordan’s greatness. Kobe Bean Bryant, I remember. Kobe was the Jordan of my generation. It was January, and I remember going into my first-period weight training class as a senior in high school. The TV was on, and we watched the highlights of Kobe scoring 81 points against the Raptors. The…
I want to start a debate, maybe even a fight. I know most schools have bus transportation for students. Bus transportation may lead to better student attendance, but what if I told you not having buses for transportation meant more investment from parents. At Tindley, where I work, we do not have buses as a…
If you type into the Google search box “more black male teachers,” you will then be flooded with research about the importance of black male teachers. The articles will highlight the shortage and make a case to fill the need. The research will show the impact black male educators have on students. All these points…
Trauma in children refers to an event a child may describe as scary, dangerous, or life-threatening; this event could happen to them or someone they know. Children who are affected by trauma typically feel overwhelmed. Sometimes they feel helpless because there isn’t anything they can do about what happened. Children who experience trauma come from…
I recently came across a story where a school district’s policy stated they could ban parents from the school if they spoke negatively about the school district on social media. North West Hendricks School Corporation’s Parent Code of Conduct used to forbid parents from making rude or offensive comments about the school or staff. If…
I stumbled across a tweet from a high school classmate that resonated with me for a couple of reasons. First, this was something I emphasized to my teachers. Yes, we take the culture of our school seriously, and we do want to hold firm to our strict discipline policy; however, we are in the business…
We are entering our third week of 2020, and I had a chance to reflect on my goals for this year, my goals as an educator and as a principal. I was never one for New Year’s resolutions, but in a year where I want different results as a principal and educator, I figured it…
Today, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On this day, we celebrate his life and his legacy. We remember and are thankful for how we have progressed as black people because of his leadership during one of the most challenging times in history. Even though it has been 51 years since he was assassinated,…
Dear Kountry Kitchen, Let me tell you what you mean to me. Kountry Kitchen was my go-to soul food spot in Indianapolis. It recently became a place for me to clear my mind. A few months ago, I went through something professionally that had some personal ramifications, and it had me a little down. A…
Recently, I had to send a letter to parents at my school about how they should act when they are in the building visiting their scholars. We have an open-door policy that allows parents to come and visit their scholar’s class anytime as long as they stop by the front office and sign in. Their…