Schools are an integral part of every community; however, too many times, the community gets left out of the education conversation. This needs to change. High performing schools are great for the community and the children that are educated in those schools. Community members should be able to have their voices heard. In Washington Township,…
Author: Educator Barnes
Superintendent Accuses Parents of ‘White Supremacist Thinking’
Dr. Devon Horton, Evanston/Skokie District 65 superintendent, and former IPS superintendent finalist, accused a few parents in his district of having “white supremacist thinking.” This accusation is in response to emails from those parents who expressed concern about having no in-person option for their children. In response to those concerns, Horton said: In the world…
Classroom Lessons Should Not Be Based on Social Media Trends
Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate, read her poem “The Hill We Climb” on Wednesday at President Joe Biden’s Inauguration. Her poem provided hope for what we, as Americans, can aspire to in order to move the nation forward in a positive direction. Some students might have watched the poem recited live if…
Biden Dissolves the 1776 Commission
On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States of America. Shortly after his inauguration, he began issuing executive orders. One of those orders dissolved the 1776 Commission. This commission was a counter to The New York Times’ 1619 Project. The 1619 Project aimed to provide…
Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
The pandemic was the last straw for some educators, and they walked away from the classroom. Before the pandemic, teachers across the country were leaving the profession for a variety of reasons such as teacher pay, school culture, and workload. To ensure vacancies are filled, it is important to have a steady stream of people…
The School Employee at the Capitol Last Week is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
I’m a huge “Twilight Zone” fan. During the pandemic, my husband, sons, and I spent time together watching episodes on Netflix. We have always watched episodes during the annual Syfy channel “Twilight Zone” marathon on the first day of the year. There are two episodes, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” and “The Shelter”…
Prioritizing Teacher Diversity & Equity Should be a Priority of the Newly Appointed Indiana Secretary of Education
“When was the first time you had a Black teacher?” or “How many Black teachers have you had?” are questions that have been asked across social media multiple times. Regardless of whether the respondents had finished school decades ago or were recent graduates, many respondents have had no Black teachers or only a few. If…
U.S. Secretary of Education Resigns After Capitol Violence
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tendered her resignation a day after a mob of President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building. DeVos is the second member of President Trump’s cabinet to resign. In addition to the two cabinet members’ resignations, several White House officials have also resigned. In her resignation letter to Trump, DeVos…
Indy K12’s Top Ten of 2020 – Part II
It was great to recap some of our most popular pieces over the last week. Now, it’s time for part II of our countdown. Check out the top five popular articles of 2020. 5. If You Want to Keep Diverse Educators Like Me, Make Sure a Diverse Does Not Push Me Out the Door by…
Throwback Thursday: A Look Back at Our Most Popular Pieces of 2020 Not Written This Year
When it comes to the written word, some words resonate longer than others. They strike a chord in the hearts of the readers. The pieces below are our top pieces for 2020 that were not written during this year. 5. Frontloading Vocabulary is a Key to Reading Comprehension by Educator Barnes – August 12, 2019…