This month, I had the opportunity to be a presenter for the Keep Indiana Learning Summer Conference. My presentation was called “Embracing Equity to Strive Towards Excellence.” There are many school leaders who are now beginning equity work or are in the early stages of the work but aren’t sure how to do the work…
The 21st Century Scholars program has been ensuring students from low-income families could access a college education for decades. The deadline for this year’s application is June 30. The program began in 1990 and offers qualifying students up to four years of college tuition. To qualify, students must: Be an Indiana resident Be enrolled in…
Gavin Grimm, now 22, filed a lawsuit when he was a teenager after being told he could no longer use the male restroom at his school. Grimm, who is a transgender male, believed that his rights were being violated. The school told him he could either use the female restroom or use a private restroom….
The coronavirus pandemic put a strain on the education profession. Teachers shifted from in person education to remote education with no notice and had to figure out how to make it work so students could learn. This was on top of trying to survive the pandemic and care for themselves and their loved ones. The…
When my identical twin sons were born, I wanted them to be exposed to the resources in our city. I purchased annual memberships to the Indianapolis Zoo, The Children’s Museum, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. As my boys grew older, I began ending memberships. The Indianapolis Zoo went first since my sons were no…
Malcolm X was once asked if he believed the United States was making progress. He replied and said: No. No. No. No. I will never say that progress is being made. If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress. If you pull it all…
The African American Excellence in Education Awards has taken place for the last five years. It is an opportunity to lift up Black educators who exude excellence. This year, the awards ceremony took place during the InnoPower Minority Business Week. Over 300 Black educators, both certified and classified, have been honored over the last five…
This year marks the fifth year of the African American Excellence in Education Awards. Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the hard work of Black educators, who sometimes might get overlooked. Black excellence is more than a hashtag; it is happening in schools across the nation including Indiana. Over the last five…
Marion County Public Health Order 14 went into effect on June 8 at 8 a.m. This impacts school guidance for summer school and summer programming. One constant during the pandemic was the shift school staff had to make due to the health orders. Schools are still expected to have at least three feet of social…
Is there anywhere that Black people can be safe and not criminalized? This is a question that some Black educators have when at their school. Franklin Township teacher, Craig Jordan, experience brings this question to the forefront. Indy Recorder reported that Jordan, a Black male teacher, was handcuffed by school security after being accused of…