The noble profession of teaching has changed in the state of Indiana. Standards, accountability, and politics have altered my career. It's time to weigh in, speak out, and reflect. So my journey begins.
What will I discuss? Let's explore the tip of the iceberg:
- As a fourth grade teacher, I have been stuck with one leg in the Indiana Academic Standards and the other in Common Core State Standards for quite a few years. It's clearly a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. I plan to compare and contrast these two sets of standards to help others understand how political decisions affect learning and teaching in Indiana.
- Two years ago I explored the new RISE teacher evaluation system in a website, Teachers RISE Above. I considered ways teachers could collect evidence to demonstrate proficiency in nineteen competencies outlined in RISE. Since then, I have experienced one round of RISE myself and would like to share some insights on how it affects teaching in Indiana.
- Over the past 31 years of teaching in Indiana, I have seen many trends, programs, and policies come and go. What works? How can we as Hoosiers work together to ensure high quality educations for our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors? I have some ideas.
