As an educator, I used to be a little nervous when parent/teacher conferences came around. I wanted to ensure I provided parents with the right information to help them support their child. When my children began kindergarten during the 2016-17 school year, I realized parents are just as nervous as the teachers. Most schools are…
Opening arguments are set to begin in federal court over Harvard University’s admission system. Harvard, like other Ivy League schools, has a notoriously difficult admission process. However, the latest case centers around whether or not the admission process is more difficult for members of certain groups than others. In this case, that group in question…
It’s election season. As it currently stands, Republicans control every single part of the government. The President, House, and Senate are Republican-held. The recent appointment of Brett Kavanaugh ensures that the Supreme Court will have a conservative majority for at least the next few years, meaning that all branches of the government are right leaning….
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In Indiana, the law requires all school employees and volunteers to receive bullying prevention and intervention training. Schools also teach students about bullying too. Some years back, I was sitting in one of these trainings at a staff meeting. At the end of the training, the presenter asked if…
In what has become a near-weekly occurrence, Kanye West is in the news for a reason other than his music. This past week Kanye West doubled down on his controversial embrace of President Donald Trump and his ideas. Kanye West is far from the only celebrity to come out as a Trump supporter, but there…
October 10, 2018 marks the 26th anniversary of World Mental Health Day. Honestly, I’m a mess right now. Hours before I wrote this piece I found out my great uncle had passed away. I was just at his 89th birthday party on Saturday and I had planned to spend time with him next week. …
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick recently announced that she would not seek re-election. Additionally, she offered her opinion on the controversial subject of vouchers schools excluding LGBT students and employees. Lost in the shuffle was the unveiling of DOE’s Legislative Priorities. The priorities are broken down into three categories: student learning, school improvement,…
Each year on October 5, the anniversary of the signing of UNSECO/ILO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/International Labour Organization) 1966 recommendation concerning the status of teachers, World Teachers’ Day is held. This year’s theme is “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher.” When I attended the National Association for…
Back in August, Shelly Fitzgerald, a guidance counselor at Roncalli High School says she was given the choice to resign from her school or dissolve her marriage because her school was a Catholic school, and her marriage was a same-sex marriage. The ensuing backlash has attracted national attention. Now the state superintendent has weighed in…
Indiana State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick announced that she would not seek re-election. While sharing the Indiana Department of Education’s 2019 priorities, McCormick shared the news that she would not pursue a second term in office. McCormick cited the structure of the government as her primary reason for wanting to leave the position when her…