Today is World Teachers’ Day. Teachers deserve to be recognized daily. Many times when we have celebratory days, weeks, or months, it points to the bigger issue that whoever we are recognizing is not getting recognized enough. It will take more than a day in October and a Teacher Appreciation Week in May to make…
My husband, sons, and I attended the Washington Township Parent Council Network (PCN) meeting on Wednesday evening. I hadn’t attended one of those in person since before the pandemic. PCN is an outside organization that seems to have insider access to district leaders and officials. I selectively attend their meetings when there are issues that…
Last week, IPS released its Rebuilding Stronger Proposal to the community. WFYI reporter Eric Weddle shared highlights of the plan in the article “IPS would close 7 schools under expansive restructure proposal.” I encourage readers to read his thorough article. Weddle shared that the proposal includes: Closing seven elementary school buildings next summer, including three…
As a former English teacher and school librarian, my favorite week of the school year was Banned Books Week. I made it a point to incorporate it into my lesson plans, not because I wanted to force students to read banned books but because I wanted them to be aware of why censorship is an…
At the beginning of the school year, the English language learner (ELL) teacher reviews the home language survey. If parents note that another language is spoken at home, the student might receive English language learner services. This also means there is a chance the parents do not speak English. As the ELL population continues to…
The lying flat or tangping (躺平) movement sweeping across China among young professionals was covered by the media last year. Lying flat means workers are doing their jobs and going home, not burning the midnight oil. Recently, in America, the buzzword has been quiet quitting. It has been described in two ways, (a) doing the…
After wrapping up the Labor Day three day weekend, Washington Township parents awoke to transportation disruption on Tuesday, September 6. At 7:32 a.m., the district sent the following message: Families and Staff, We have several drivers absent this morning and many unfilled routes. Please expect delays. If you have the ability to take your child…
After teaching English for eight years, I transitioned into another role. I became an elementary English language learner teacher. I also switched school districts and went from Wayne Township to Washington Township, where I live. Once I joined the district, it was suggested that we share student successes and happenings regarding teaching and learning on…
Chalkbeat Indiana recently reported that Purdue Polytechnic and Believe Schools hope to expand into Pike Township. Both public charter school networks submitted letters of intent to the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation (OEI), which authorizes charter schools. Pike Township, located on the NW side of Indianapolis, currently has no charter high schools in its…
This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Learning Sciences Institute (LSI) Conference in Orlando, Florida. I believe many aspects of the conference could and should be incorporated into the school setting. Teachers shouldn’t have to travel states away to be treated like professionals in other fields. Additionally, some schools recognize the need to…