On Sunday, December 17, 2017, my pastor Darryl K. Webster said, “Our community is dying because kids don’t dream and kids won’t dream because the adults in front of them stopped dreaming.” During his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “I have a dream today,” but many people, including…
Author: Educator Barnes
Innovation Restart: Potential Partner Presentation
On Wednesday, January 4 at 6 p.m., Matchbook Learning presented its education model and potential plans they would like to implement at Wendell Phillips School #63 if the IPS Board of School Commissioners approves them as the restart partner. In the audience were parents, grandparents, current middle school students, community partners including Stand for…
Dear President Trump, children aren’t bargaining chips
On September 5, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced DACA protections for undocumented youth who were brought to America as children by their parents would end and Congress had six months to resolve the issue and pass legislation. To make matters worse, on December 29, 2017, President Trump tweeted: The Democrats have been told, and…
Do We Need to Mandate Cursive Writing or Should We Mandate Keyboarding Instead?
For several years, State Senator Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, has introduced a bill that would mandate teaching cursive writing in elementary schools. Currently, teaching cursive writing is a local decision. Many schools state they are preparing students for the 21st century and helping them become global digital citizens. Whether we like it or not, technology…
DeVos’ Department Gives Feedback in Response to Indiana’s ESSA Plan
Fall 2017, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) submitted its ESSA plan to the U.S. Department of Education. On December 22, 2017, Devos’ Department sent feedback to IDOE about the plan. Below are some of the areas of concern about Indiana’s ESSA plan: English Language Proficiency Long-term Goals IDOE proposed tracking the number of students…
Indy/Ed’s Top 10 Posts of 2017
It has been a great year for Indy/Ed. We appreciate our readers and those of you who have engaged us in conversation and shared our pieces with your networks. Here are the ten most viewed posts from Indy/Ed this year. 1. Teachers Quit Principals Not Schools 2. Dear Senator Franken, this isn’t #SNL. It’s…
Winter Break Option: Kwanzaa Celebration
Arguably the roughest weeks for teachers are the weeks between Thanksgiving break and winter break. When the school bell rings on the last day before break, students have two weeks to spend at home with their parents. For parents, the thought of having their children at home for two weeks might bring anxiety. Yes, parents…
Winter Break Option: The Children’s Museum on Christmas Eve
Arguably the roughest weeks for teachers are the weeks between Thanksgiving break and winter break. When the school bell rings on the last day before break, students have two weeks to spend at home with their parents. For parents, the thought of having their children at home for two weeks might bring anxiety. Yes, parents…
We Need Solidarity to Improve School Lunch Programs
A little over a week ago I read the article, “Should I make my kids participate in the school lunch program as a form of class solidarity?” by Chris Stewart and inside I screamed, “Hell no.” We don’t need class solidarity around our current school lunch program; we need solidarity to blow it up and…
IPS Innovation Restart: Heart to Heart
On Wednesday, December 13, 2017, at 6 p.m. at the John H. Boner Community Center, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) held a Heart to Heart meeting with families from Washington Irving School 14, one of two schools recommended for innovation restart. The boundary for Washington Irving School 14 is large; it includes six homeless shelters and…