The Indiana Freedom to Read Roundtable Event was held via Zoom on Thursday, April 28 at 8:00 p.m. The event was moderated by Chad Heck, Pike Township Librarian. The panel included an educator, a parent, a student, a state senator, and a book author. The aim of the discussion was to address the problems that…
“What do they want?” This question is asked any time an activity or event is abandoned that was created for the goal of inclusion and celebrating diversity. As my grandmother always said, “If you are going to do something, do it right.” Many diversity initiatives and events miss the mark. Let’s analyze what went wrong…
Last Thursday, I participated in a press conference held by the Indiana NAACP. I was proud to be part of the press conference because I knew what was being shared was of value to our community. The media attended. Some asked questions and some did not. Later, I began reading the comment section for some…
High school seniors at Tindley High School have to complete a capstone project before they graduate. Senior Morgan Wright held an art exhibit called “The Culture on 10th Street” on Saturday, April 16. The event featured student artists, photographers, and entrepreneurs. I attended this event with my sons because I believed it would make an…
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. has a program where people can sign up to adopt a block. The aim of the program is to encourage citizens to take ownership of keeping their neighborhood beautiful. In Batesville, Indiana, the Batesville Beautification League ensures that the areas around Batesville are well taken care of and full of flowers…
The first high school fair was held at the Global Village Welcome Center on Saturday, April 9, 2022. This event, backed by The Mind Trust, was an opportunity for families to learn about charter high schools. Families who believed their boundary elementary or middle school would not serve their children well can choose to send…
IREAD-3 is a test Indiana third graders take to assess students’ reading abilities. In 2021, a little over 80% of 3rd graders passed the test despite educational interruptions in prior years due to the pandemic. This school year, schools were given the option to have their 2nd graders take the assessment. Although some people might…
Central Library’s entry has famous writers’ names engraved into the limestone. I was not shocked to learn that the majority of those names consisted of white males. In an effort to diversify the engraved names, the Indianapolis Public Library added ten Black authors’ names. The 300 suggested additions were narrowed down to ten authors. I…
The goal of school is to educate children to help them have the foundational skills they need to pursue a career and become productive members of society. When I was a kid, I remember career days and the opportunity to learn about various professions. I also had the opportunity to complete reports about jobs I…
I am the mom of identical twin sons who are currently in fifth grade. Next year, they will be in 6th grade and will be attending middle school. For the majority of my education career, I have been a middle school English teacher. Middle school is a special place. It is the time when hormones…