Indianagram_June2023

The BEST of 2022-2023

School is out, and you made it! As you settle into your summer routine, I want to share with you three R’s to consider when successfully transitioning your mindset from this school year to the next – Rejoice, Rest, and Rejuvenate.

Rejoice

Teacher and students are gone. Meetings, emails, and phone calls diminish. Yes, those may be reasons to celebrate. However, my thinking goes in a different direction. What can you rejoice about as successes this year? When conducting end of year evaluations with my assistant principals, I always ask for them to indicate “points of pride” so those can be included in my overall assessment and final comments. As a school leader, what points of pride can you highlight for yourself, to your superintendent, and to your staff?

Rest

This is all about self-care. Being refreshed and well-rested upon return to school will only help our teachers have a smooth transition back. When you are less stressed, your teachers are too. Use your vacation days and be flexible with your work schedule. Find extended time to unplug completely from school. Before doing so, ask yourself what is it that you really need to fully benefit from your time away. Sleep? Time with family? Uninterrupted time to devote to your hobby?

Rejuvenate

How can you create excitement heading into next school year? Get out of the building and work offsite at a coffee shop, café or public library. A change of setting may spark innovation and help you focus on the task at hand. I also like to meet with my administrative team early in the summer to brainstorm beginning of school year tasks. This creates shared ownership, focus, and energy for the return of students and staff. Lastly, I also send two summer updates to my staff. I share information about new staff, give updates about our construction project, and also begin talking about priorities for the coming school year. I want my staff to stay connected with what is happening over the summer so I can build momentum for their return!

As I write this final Indianagram article, I wrap-up my year as IASP President. It has been one of the greatest joys of my career to serve in this leadership role for the past 12 months. I have traveled across Indiana attending various IASP events. I consider myself lucky to have met so many talented and innovative leaders who are working so hard each day to do what is best for all students. I am honored to serve with you and call you colleagues in this profession. I also want to extend my gratitude to the IASP staff. Todd Bess, Tim McRoberts, Tiffany Barrett and the IASP team are the reason why our state organization is one of the strongest and most well-respected among our peers. Lastly, I welcome Crystal Thorpe as the incoming IASP President. I am blessed to have worked with Crystal on the Executive Committee over the past two years, and her humble spirit and courageous leadership will be a huge asset to advancing IASP’s mission of serving ALL principals and ALL students.

I wish Indiana school leaders a summer filled with joy, rest, and rejuvenation!

Matt Shockley IASP President

This issue of the Indianagram is titled, “The Best of 2022-2023,” and inside there are great insights from our members and partners. Do you know what is also the “Best?” The entire series of the Indianagram. Having joined IASP in 2010, I know how we approached this journal since I helped produce and edit it at that time. The evolution of the Indianagram has seen the inclusion of the AP Connection, an editorial board to formalize our topics and increase member contributions, and then the links within each article that take you to additional resources or information. All of this, plus items I’m sure I’ve missed, add up to a fantastic resource that is delivered to you each month. Sometimes I worry a little that it has so much that it is going to be hard for you to digest everything, but I also know that you need the information, and that you will uncover ways to ensure you and your staff stay current with educational issues, trends, and legislative matters.

I’ll also borrow from Dr. Jenner’s article, as she states that YOU are the best part of this last school year. Within this issue are fantastic examples of programs, videos, and resources, and each of these come alive due to the people behind them. This legislative session brought additional items to implement, and as we traveled the state to talk about these, numerous times you had ideas of how to best work with the new laws so students and staff could be successful. This “can do” approach occurs each day as you encounter local or building level issues that need attention. You are the reason that a school is successful, and I’m not diminishing all the work of everyone else, but you make it happen. The program, video, and resources are tools that you employ at the right time and in the right way, and this elevates the positive impact in countless ways.

My last “Best” is to thank our outgoing President, Matt Shockley. Each IASP President provides countless hours to the association, and to me, as we work with you and our students to deliver advocacy and leadership development, and to provide you with the support you need and want. Matt has helped guide IASP along with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, and we thank him for everything. Each year the President travels to a lot of District Meetings, writes for the Indianagram, steps forward to serve on state-wide committees, and answers my emails, calls and texts with patience and guidance. The best part (yep, one more Best), is that he continues as our Past President for 23-24, while we welcome Dr. Crystal Thorpe as our President. Both Matt and Crystal, with their expertise and roles, offer exceptional leadership to our Executive Committee and Board, and I am confident that the upcoming year will be another remarkable one for IASP. Know that we will be there to support you as you prepare to reopen your buildings for the fall semester.

The best to you as you enter the summer. On behalf of the education profession, we appreciate you and your leadership.

Dr. Todd D. Bess

IASP

Executive Director

Future Indianagram themes

August: What’s New

September: Supporting College and Career Readiness

October: Behavior

November: Be Thankful!

January: Technology in Schools

February: Be Kind!

March: March Madness

April: Safety

May: End of Year Reflection, Growth, & Celebration!

June: The BEST of 2023-2024

Share your thoughts on the Indianagram: https://forms.gle/sCmLHwnh4aYcTJdr8

IASP Executive Committee

Matt Shockley President

Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe President-Elect

Dr. Holly Arnold

Vice President

Aimee Lunsford

Past President

Amy Niemeier NAESP State Representative

Dave Strouse NASSP State Coordinator

Steve Baker

Liaison to the DOE

Dr. Daniel Peo Assistant Principal Liaison

UPCOMING EVENTS

IASP hosts events throughout the year to support the growth and development of Indiana school administrators and students. Each event is intentionally designed to encourage and engage all participants in the pursuit of learning!

Find A Full List Of Events at www.iasp.org/Events

Special thanks to our Platinum Corporate Sponsor

Best of 2022-2023

Dr. Katie Jenner Indiana Secretary of Education

It’s safe to say that the best part of the 2022-2023 school year…was YOU! Over the course of the academic year, I was able to visit many, many schools across the state. And along the way, I was lucky enough to meet students, teachers, administrators, and school staff who, over and over again, reaffirmed why our work is so important.

While we know a good teacher never picks “favorites”...and I am certainly not planning to do that with all of the schools I visited, but I would like to highlight (and celebrate) several across the state that are making a positive impact for students!

Kicking off the school year, we had the pleasure of celebrating with Nancy Hanks Elementary Principal Jody Schmitt as she told us that 100% of their students passed I-READ 3 in 2022…and stood alongside Eastside Elementary School Principal Dr. Val Scott as we announced a historic investment in literacy for the state of Indiana, and the state’s goal of having 95% of Indiana’s students pass IREAD-3 by 2027.

Standing alongside students and educators, like Angela Fowler at Grassy Creek Elementary and Brittany Tinkler at Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary, as they were named Milken Educator Award winners was certainly a highlight…and Tara Cocanower of Bluffton High School was completely shocked when an anti-bullying convocation turned into a celebration naming her as 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year!

Benjamin Bosse High School Principal Aaron Huff and Princeton Community High School Principal Amy Stough showcased the outstanding work of a powerful community partnership with Toyota to create the 4T Academy, which allows students to engage with on-thejob training and hands-on learning in advanced manufacturing production during their junior and senior years.

From the students at Washington High School learning about cybersecurity, encryption, and robotics to the kindergarteners at Daleville Elementary School experimenting with coding toy mice, STEM integration was on full display as something every student should have the opportunity to experience.

As she welcomed me through the doors, Crawford County High School Principal Brandy Stroud shared that they had just begun offering the Indiana College Core, making them one of 141 schools to offer the 30-credit-hour block of general education courses that transfer among all public institutions and some private colleges in Indiana… an incredible achievement for this rural district, which allows their students to save time and money, all while offering a direct pathway to enrollment.

Perry Central High School students and Principal Jody French showed off Commodore Manufacturing, a studentowned and operated manufacturing facility right on their campus. With over 40% of the job opportunities in the county found in the advanced manufacturing field, they are working to fill the needs of their local workforce, all while working toward the completion of the Next Level Program of Study Industrial Maintenance pathway or a Department of Labor-approved Apprenticeship National Certification.

Second grade students in the dual language immersion program at West View Elementary School gave presentations on Central and South American countries to Principal Eric Ambler and me in Spanish, and Head of School Mariama Shaheed shared that students at Indy Global Prep Academy experience dual language immersion and project-based learning as a part of their comprehensive curriculum.

Student agency is the name of the game at the Signature School and Burris

Laboratory School. Signature School

Principal Jean Hitchcock emphasized the importance of rigorous coursework and the opportunity to experience the world, while also allowing students the freedom of choice within their schedules during the school day. Similarly, Burris Principal Abigail Comber spoke about how their innovative May Term allows students to have a little fun, but still learn important standards and skills by taking classes that incorporate calculus into chess, learn how to create a podcast, or spend time creating a mural displaying the facets of the school’s history.

And last, but certainly not least, I had the opportunity to celebrate the STRIVE program…an impactful collaboration between the South Bend Boys and Girls Club and South Bend Community School Corporation, School City of Mishawaka, and Career and Success Academies. Through this in-person learning program, students split their time between remediation and enrichment. The program focuses on individualized literacy and math instruction, aligned to Indiana Academic Standards, and also includes an entrepreneurship program aligned to Indiana’s Employability Skills Standards.

Again, there is so much more I could highlight today, and I am already looking forward to hitting the road again next school year to celebrate more of the good teaching and learning happening in Indiana! Elevating the educator profession starts with us, and I hope you also take some time this summer and next school year to celebrate the work happening in your school. As always, thank you for all that you do for students. Have a great summer!

From the AP Lens: Being #Intentional as You Grow

Dr. Dan Peo Assistant Principal Avon High School IASP Assistant Principal Liaison

Mr. Drew Graber Assistant Principal Churubusco Elementary School

You did it! You are reading this, and we have arrived at the end of the 2022-2023 school year! Take a moment to pat yourself on the back for all your time, heart, and hard work as you worked tirelessly to support your students, staff, and families! As we celebrate the “Best of 2022-2023” in this issue of the Indianagram, I am so excited to introduce Mr. Drew Graber, Assistant Principal at Churubusco Elementary School, the creator of #TrenchTalkTuesday that many of us follow and participate in on Twitter. While reflecting on this year, these Twitter chats have been a source of inspiration and affirmation, and if you haven’t had the chance to join the conversation, there’s no time like the present. Searching #TrenchTalkTuesday on Twitter will open up the many conversations that we had this year, and I know you’ll find a rich treasure trove of content. Hats off to you, Drew, on creating this forum for school leaders! Take it away!

“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”

-Michael Josephson

Cue the music… that’s right, we are at the end of the school year, and by golly, it’s been a great one!

I am confident that the 2022-2023 school year/journey has brought us, school leaders, a variety of great joys, learning experiences, and moments of sheer insanity. This lovely edition of the AP Lens will bring to your awareness just some of the many gems the school year gifted us, but more or less will encompass my journey (Drew’s) of professional development, connections, Twitter, and everything in between.

Why TrenchTalkTuesday?

As with anyone who’s ever ventured into something new, there’s always a learning curve to navigate. As a newer school administrator who enlisted in leadership on the rebound of the COVID shutdown, it’s been a wild ride and curve indeed. The learning curve I wish to expound on was my interest in expanding my professional learning network on Twitter.

Now, before you decide to stop reading this article, because I know that Steve Sherohman brought us some great insights on social media in May’s edition of the AP Lens (Great job, Steve!), let me just acknowledge that I will do my best not to make this article purely about Twitter and social media.

For quite some time, I have been dabbling in Twitter and not really knowing how to use it in meaningful ways. Twitter chats didn’t make a whole lot of sense; you’re limited to only 3 complete sentences, and I found that my grammar & ELA skills take a back seat to the essence of what I want to share or extract from others.

It was on an early August evening, that I had decided that it was time to create a platform that made sense to me that was simpler, low maintenance, and targeted towards what I wanted to talk about (I know, it’s very selfish). This great idea for starting my own chat became a reality with the creation of #TrenchTalkTuesday. Why such a name? I am a previous reading/ELA teacher, so by default I am already a fan of alliteration, but I always found myself talking about how much I missed the classroom as an administrator, but that I wanted to stay rooted and in the trenches with my teachers and staff in my leadership.

So, creating a platform that had trenches infused just made sense to me as a teacher.

From that point on, once a week, I began using a one question/ thinking stem to post to educators/leaders throughout the state of Indiana, but also to other leaders in other states. What came from this leap of great faith and stretching on the curve will remain as one of my favorite professional development endeavors I’ve partaken in as an educator. In the past 9 months since initiating this Twitter platform, I’ve hosted around 40 weeks of discussion centered around various topics. The Twitter chat has field participation from over 200 different educators and leaders throughout the state of Indiana and the nation, with a total accumulation of over 500 responses to prompts and questions since its creation last Fall. It’s not the metrics that provide me with the greatest insight for how this platform has been impactful, but by the content & discussion that’s been spurred by those willing to dive in and share.

#TrenchTalkTuesday Topics?

Again, I am not using the AP Lens as a platform to promote my Twitter cred or following, but to share with you some of the topics I’ve covered this school year on this platform, the great connections and learning I’ve made, and more importantly the synthesized message I have to share with you about the 20222023 school year. For the sake of this section, I have grouped the content of discussion around three sections: (1) school culture topics, (2) responsibilities in leadership, and (3) the intrapersonal landscapes of leaders.

School Culture Topics

Throughout the school year, I tried to be more targeted with my culture-based questions. It seems like in much of the professional literature on leadership, a great emphasis is placed on school leaders cultivating the building’s culture in order to

promote student achievement, safety, and the overall wellbeing of staff and students. So by being more targeted with culture-based questions, I wanted to extract and open up from other leaders exactly what they are doing in their trenches to promote their culture.

In October, we dove into the importance of cultivating schoolwide discipline structures that promote healthy cultures. Assistant Principal at Avon High School, and previous author on the AP Lens, Dr. Aaron Willis weighed in and shared that “creating a positive school culture entails all educators and students to understand or be competent of the depth of one another’s culture…and to ensure the processes of student discipline are equitable”. So much beauty and resonance in this response for leaders and educators to grasp. Whether you’re on the culturally-responsive bandwagon or not, the brass tax of cultivating a healthy school culture starts with the cultures of your students and staff. We’ve got to be intentional about creating spaces where students are known, valued, and considered in the disciplinary/learning process. Assistant Principal and Evansville native Shannon Strieter put in plainly that it’s our responsibility as leaders to “build relationships & trust with students, staff, families, and community members… knowing each other”. Shannon is simple and eloquent on this point. You cannot cultivate cultures or environments without the legwork that relationships provide.

And where does the interaction of school culture & safety come into play? DeKalb Jr./Sr. High School assistant principal, Carrie Wisehart, stated previously in January that safety requires “intentional climate and culture emphasis - upstream prevention.” So if leaders are interested in keeping their school’s safer, they will naturally attend to the culture and climate of their buildings? Absolutely. This idea is not new, but was a buzzing idea surrounding many of the culture based questions. Amy Lunsford, previous president of IASP, weighed in that “strong culture is rooted in safe and secure environments.” We cannot disregard the profound impact we have, as leaders and educators, when we ensure that our learning environments are safe. The overarching theme of these conversations is that culture has legs & success leaves clues. If we are serious about cultivating healthy school cultures, then how our students and staff feel,contribute, and belong to the school matters.

Responsibilities in Leadership

I will keep this section more concise than the previous one, because as you know, the responsibilities that weigh heavy on the shoulders of leaders are ever-growing and always important for our buildings. I would like to share just a few underlying themes and discussion points that came about this school year from discussions shared by building leaders throughout our state on this topic.

When it comes to the responsibility that we play in making sure our teachers are at their best, Fayette Central Elementary’s principal, Kirsten Phillips, shared that one of our highest priorities is to “respect… give autonomy to the professionals they’ve trained to be” and that the best leaders “live in the trenches with them and are their biggest fans.” Obviously, you’d have to know that a tweet like this is going to get some love from myself, using a word like trenches, but Kirstin is right.

We, as leaders, have a responsibility to nurture the self-efficacy of our teachers, serve alongside them in the trenches and become their biggest fans. They are the curators of magic and possibility, day in and day out in the classroom. We have such great power and responsibility as leaders and it’s intentionality on our parts, not random chance, that gets the job done in this area of leadership.

When it comes to responsibility that we have as instructional leaders and coaches, especially when we are not blessed with instructional coaches, Kouts Jr./Sr. High principal, Tom Stoner, points out that leaders are “honest in a caring manner when it comes to feedback… careful not to attack but careful to address needs.” The key idea to hold onto here is the addressing of needs of those under your care and supervision. One of the toughest parts in my journey into leadership was losing direct impact on children in a classroom; however, I have found that having a direct impact on the people who make the direct impact on students, matters much more. We, as leaders, have a responsibility to make sure we are caring for our people, coaching them up, and on the tough days, holding them accountable out of love and need for themselves and our students.

Another consistent theme that resonated throughout this school year was the responsibility of school leaders to lead everyone in the building, with a special emphasis on instructional support staff. Oftentimes, these amazing individuals do not get the attention, respect, or due diligence of care they deserve as employees. There was an overabundance of responses by leaders like Tr-Central’s assistant principal,Scott Frye, who emphasized that we “need to spend more time talking with our aides… developing and maximizing their strengths and use their knowledge of students.” Leaders are responsible for everyone in the building and the facts are clear, every adult in the building has influence and the capacity to impact our students. So the catchy term “all means all” should apply to our leadership mindset of what we owe every single adult in our building. Again, this was a trend worth noting and one that I hope we can all be attentionally looking to develop in our buildings.

Intrapersonal Landscapes of Leaders

In short, leaders are people too. We have our faults and we know it. Sure, we have to be the rock and solid foundation for our schools most of the time, but that doesn’t mean there are days where we struggle internally and have vulnerable conversations with ourselves about who we are and what our true “whys” are for enduring such a calling.

One of my favorite topics of discussion centered around internalization was when leaders were asked to articulate three verbs that describe their “why” in the trenches. Anytime we can operationalize ourselves, our values, and what we do, we discover more accurate interpretations of who we truly are (thank you Brene Brown). Union County High School principal, Warren Cook, hit this one on the head when he shared his three verbs were “liveliness… communicating… interacting.” Each of these three are so imperative for leaders, but the term liveliness struck the biggest chord for me. We, as leaders, have to have a strong passion and enthusiasm for what we do. When you

study Mr. Cook and the amazing things he’s doing at his school, you won’t be shocked to see him operationalizing this value through his actions and messaging he shares with his students and staff everyday, “leave it better than UC (Union County) it”. As leaders, we need to be intentional and pay attention to our actions, behaviors, and things we are operationalizing in our trenches, because these are the true clues to what guides us in our important work.

The vulnerability it takes for leaders to take on tall tasks or new roles is not new. It’s an ever revolving door in many buildings when it comes to leaders and oftentimes, its our teachers and staff who become the custodians of the building. So when I see consistent outpouring of leaders being vulnerable about this reality and how difficult it can be, it warrants attention. Milford School (K-8) principal, Michael Casey, shares that he celebrates that “I became a building principal for the first time in 2022. The one thing that I am still working through and leaning on daily, is that I am the fourth principal in five years at the building I lead now. I am learning to take it one day at a time.” Becoming the “new” boss is never easy, but when it’s compounded by a high transience rate of leadership, it can be a daunting task. What I appreciate most about Michael’s comments is his keen awareness of his building’s past and what they have gone through, but more importantly, his commitment to becoming the stable and strong leader needed for his building. I have had the added benefit of working with, and learning a great deal from, this amazing leader, and know that great things are in store for Milford School under his leadership. It’s a combination of intentional vulnerability and courage that leaders need to demonstrate when it comes to issues or realities like these that matter and was just one of the ongoing themes in this year’s #TrenchTalkTuesday discussions.

A Synthesis of 22-23 Sprinkled with Some Advice for Leaders

So, what golden nuggets of wisdom did 2022-2023 bestow on us? That’s a great question to ponder. I’m sure as you read my account of different trends and topics that I fielded in my Twitter discussions and connections with other educators, several may have resonated with you and what you came away with this school year. It would be remiss of me to not point out the obvious: our jobs as school leaders ain’t getting any easier - but that’s been a trend from our rearview for quite some time now.

Oftentimes though, I think it does take a more personal and intrapersonal look at things to truly come away with points of emphasis. I think, on a grander scale, many school leaders are starting to see that COVID-19 did have some benefit in exposing potential blindspots that we needed to address: being aware of teacher burnout & mental health, optimizing and rethinking the role of technology in student learning, and knowing that school safety is best cultivated from within the building through the creation of intentionally safe places to work and learn. As school leaders, we may look at this school year as the year we were finally able to take a breath and really get down to business of ensuring high levels of learning for all of our students. The 2022-2023 school year may be the year that the “science of reading” really did take hold in your buildings and showed significant impacts for your students’ reading skills, but also served as a springboard for ongoing growth

amongst your teachers and staff. It may be the year that caused you to scratch your head at interesting legislation that came down the pipeline and that you now get to (yes, it’s a privilege) figure out to navigate.

Take your pick!

I have no doubt that this school year had varied and nuanced meanings to whomever is reading this article, but I feel confident in expressing that I believe all who journeyed and survived/thrived this school year have one thing in common: a great feeling of relief that summertime provides as we all unplug and recharge for the coming year.

Secondly, there’s one last truth I wish to bestow in my closing. I believe this underlying truth is best captured by a quote from management guru Curt Kampmeier:

“If you’re going to grow, you’re going to have to be intentional.”

Treading out into the unknown, like I did with Twitter, takes intentionality. For you though, it may not be dabbling in the Twittersphere that gives you the source of growth you are looking for. It may involve being intentional about connecting with your colleagues in new or meaningful ways. It may be pursuing a partnership with others through various PLNs or other organizations like IASP (I really suggest Indiana New Administrators Leadership Academy for the newbies). It may quite possibly be disengaging from your work life and being more intentional at home and with your family, learning more deeply about what centers or anchors you in your why. Whatever decisive action you take to better yourself here in the near future, possibly over the coming summer break, be intentional about it. Be courageous and aim to be better each and every day.

It is my greatest wish that we, as leaders, find peace in the journey we’ve set forth on. As we close shop on this school year of 2022-2023, I hope you can find renewal in this time to find intentional ways to grow, better yourself, and have faith that the next school year will be one you’ll remember and be more intentional about in your important work.

Cheers to you and thank you for all that you do in the trenches of our schools for your staff, students, communities, and the future of our great state. Journey well, friends!

Mr. Drew Graber can be reached at: grabera@sgcs.k12.in.us.

Follow Mr. Drew Graber on Twitter: @_Drew_Graber

#TrenchTalkTuesday

Leveraging School Health Data to Improve Academic Outcomes for Children

We make your existing student health data usable in the MTSS process

Provide schools their Academic Health Score

Provide schools their Academic Health Cliff Score

Provide schools support with IDOE Health Reporting

Transcribe and code existing student health data from the school nurse or school based health center

Provide schools professional development on use of health data and health professionals in their existing MTSS processes

Support schools in leveraging Title funds to pay for school nurses

Fundable by Title, ESSER, SIG, and Part B

IDOE approved as an evidence based best practice

Learn more at www.healthdataproject.org or email us info@healthdataproject.org

Infinite Capacity Community Partnership Series: Celebrating IDOE STEM Certification and Green Ribbon District Sustainability Honorees

Krista M. Stith Infinite Capacity, LLC

Rachel L. Geesa Infinite Capacity, LLC

At Infinite Capacity, we wanted to send our congratulations for well-deserved success to this year’s IDOE STEM Certification awardees of the 2022-2023 school year. We are so happy to share in the excitement of your recognition for your hard work and dedication in supporting the STEMcapableness of your students, teachers, school leaders, and school community!

Below are the 2022-2023 awardees of the IDOE’s STEM Certification program (Indiana Department of Education [IDOE], 2023):

■ Barker Middle School, Michigan City Area Schools (Recertified)

■ Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, MSD of Wayne Township

■ Beveridge Elementary School, Gary Community School Corporation

■ Canaan Community Academy

■ Eastern High School, East Washington School Corporation

■ Edgewood Middle School,Warsaw Community Schools

■ Glen Park Academy, Gary Community School Corporation

■ Graham Creek Elementary, Jennings County School Corporation

■ Helfrich Park STEM Academy, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (Recertified)

■ Jasper High School, Greater Jasper Consolidated School Corporation

■ Kennedy Academy, South Bend Community School Corporation (Recertified)

■ Loogootee Middle School, Loogootee Community School Corporation

■ Maconaquah Elementary, Maconaquah School Corporation (Recertified)

■ Memorial Park Middle School, Fort Wayne Community Schools

■ Mt.Vernon High School, MSD of Mt.Vernon

■ Mt.Vernon Junior High School, MSD of Mt.Vernon

■ The Academy of Science & Entrepreneurship, Monroe County Community School Corporation (Recertified)

■ South Ripley Junior High School, South Ripley Community Schools

■ Union City Junior/Senior High School, Randolph Eastern Community School Corporation

■ Washington High School,Washington Community Schools

■ Weisser Park Elementary, Fort Wayne Community Schools

■ Wes-Del Elementary School,Wes-Del Community School Corporation

■ Wes-Del Middle/High School,Wes-Del Community School Corporation

This year, we are also happy to share that Carmel Clay Schools was nationally recognized as one of the 11 school districts in the country to be a Green Ribbon District Sustainability Honoree! The Green Ribbon Award school program is an initiative that was established by the U.S Department of Education in 2011 to recognize schools that excel in environmental sustainability, health, and education. The program seeks to inspire and challenge schools to improve their environmental and health standards while at the same time promoting a healthy and sustainable learning environment for students and teachers. The Green Ribbon School shares a summary of Carmel Clay’s Achievements:

“Carmel Clay Schools (CCS) has a comprehensive and distributed model of responsibility that infuses a sustainability ethic into every aspect of the district culture. The District Strategic Plan prioritizes the expansion of environmental initiatives through continuous improvement in the design, construction, and maintenance of all facilities; ongoing refinement of the efficiency of daily operations; and the implementation of energy-saving measures in each department that produce positive results for the environment and save money. Smart technology includes auto shutoff for lights, water, and computers throughout the district. Environmentally preferable cleaning products are used in every building. To date, the transportation department has replaced 24 gas-powered buses in its fleet with alternativefuel vehicles and recently added the first total-electric school bus in Indiana. School campuses include native plants and grasses, bike trails, water features, rain gardens, water collection barrels, community gardens, and outdoor

learning labs. School cafeterias compost meal preparation waste. Since 2005, the district has supported the CCS Green Team, a network of parents, staff, and students at each of the 15 school campuses who have a passion for encouraging habits and initiatives that protect the environment. In its 11th year, the annual community wide holiday lights recycling drive has collected over 11 tons of light strands for recycling. The K-12 curriculum includes opportunities for students of all ages to explore the impact of humans on the natural environment through courses from Project Lead the Way to AP Human Geography. The district Wellness Center provides a convenient, no-cost option to employees for acute, preventative, and wellness-focused primary care” (U.S. Department of Education, 2023, p. 24).

If you are interested in pursuing Green Ribbon, schools and districts are evaluated based on three criteria:

■ environmental impact and energy efficiency,

■ student and staff health, and

■ environmental education.

Under environmental impact and energy efficiency, schools are evaluated on their ability to conserve energy, reduce water usage, and minimize waste. The program seeks to promote the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. The second criterion, student and staff health, focuses on ensuring that schools provide a healthy and safe learning environment. This includes measures such as ensuring that the school’s drinking water is safe, providing healthy meals and snacks, and promoting physical activity among students and staff. Finally, the environmental education criterion evaluates the school’s efforts to integrate environmental education into their curriculum. This includes incorporating sustainability themes into classroom learning, organizing environmental events and activities, and promoting outdoor education. Schools that meet these criteria are recognized with the Green Ribbon Award, which serves as an endorsement of their commitment to environmental sustainability, health, and education. In addition to the award, schools receive national recognition and support from the Department of Education and other partners.

Again, congratulations to these Indiana schools and districts for pursuing a rigorous application process with the Indiana Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. We hope that these programs continue to evolve their high quality programming to support STEM-capableness of their students!

Infinite Capacity LLC is dedicated to inclusively fostering personal and professional growth for educators, leaders, and community partners through innovative educational practices. Consulting services to assist with IDOE STEM Certification are available for school and district-level support. Please e-mail us at contact@infinitecapacity.com for more information. Our book, Leadership in Integrative STEM: Strategies for Facilitating an Experiential and Student-Centered Culture, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Rowman & Littlefield

References:

Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). (2023). STEM education. https:// www.in.gov/doe/students/stem-education/

U.S. Department of Education. (2023). Highlights from the 2023 Honorees. https://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/index.html

Best Principal I Ever “Trained”

Dr. Michael Shaffer Associate Clinical Professor Director of MAE in Ed Leadership and Building Level Licensure Program Ball State University

I am going to lay it right here on the table at the outset, “trained” is in quotes for a reason. This principal was one of my interns through the BSU Masters in Ed Leadership program, but I didn’t teach her in any of her other courses, so the amount of training I did in a real teaching kind of way was limited. I was an urban principal in a large district, she was in a smaller district teaching middle school language arts when she went through her internship.

The district for whom I was working was trying to fill two final AP jobs and we were fresh out of applicants. I mentioned to my boss that she had done well in her internship, and he told me to get her to submit an application that day. He called her in for an interview, and that was when something I had never seen happen before, happened. He hired her on the spot.

Before she even had a chance to call me and tell me about the interview, he called me and said, “Shaffer, I hope she is as good as you say, because I just hired her, AND... since I have not filled the Assistant Principal position in your school, she’s coming your way!”

Fortunately, I had been totally honest about her talent and abilities because now she was my responsibility. I called to tell her the news. “When can I start?” she said, and we were off to the races! In my first conversation with the new AP, I relayed to her my “philosophy” of how we should work together – she would have some major responsibilities in attendance and discipline but that I didn’t want her to become bogged down with just those two things because those were not the only jobs she would need to know as a principal.

“My job, as I see it, is to teach you everything I know about being a principal (which will take about five minutes),” I said, “and to brag on the things you do really well so that when a principal opening comes up in the district, the Central office will think of you first!

I will never forget the first day with kids. We were making the rounds through the first grade hallway, and there, just down the hall, was a small brown pile of something. “Is that what I think it is?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied, “some poor little first grader literally just had the poop scared out of them on the first day. Not that unusual. You call Dave (the janitor), and I will guard it so that no one steps in it until he gets here.” Once that obstacle was cleared, we were ready for anything else the year could throw our way!

This new AP was a fast learner, recognized the areas in which she needed extra skills and training, and went to work in learning them. She devoted herself to really learning elementary literacy and made that a priority. I recognized that

it was not going to take much in the way of advice from me to help her become a talented principal. One thing I always tried to do was that any time a major decision came up, I not only involved her in the process, but also explained to her how I came to the decision, and why I was thinking the way I was. Other times I would ask her why she thought I made the decisions I made. She rarely missed the reasons.

The district was starting a new walk-through protocol, and my supervisor told me that I should have the AP accompany me on a number of classroom “snapshot” short visits and then discuss in the hallway immediately after observing to determine what we both had seen in the visited classroom. I imagined the process of aligning our walk-throughs to get similar results would take between ten and twenty co-visits. We tried one together, and our results recorded on the walkthrough app were identical. We did two more, and achieved the same result. Just like that, she was ready! That year, we did 1,500 classroom walk-throughs between us.

The most important thing was that every single day a new principal was growing out of an Assistant Principal who was not only encouraged to learn on the job but given the opportunity to experiment, to grow through doing new things. Other Assistant Principals even questioned her, “Why do you get to do all the things you are doing as an AP?”

“Because Doc believes it is his job to prepare me to become a principal, so he wants me to experience everything there is to know about being a principal,” she replied.

The great news is that it worked! I left the next school year to take an Assistant Supt job and she transferred to a Title I school to gain that experience, and her next move was to the highest poverty, lowest performing school in the district which she turned around from an F to an A in three years’ time, transforming not only the academics but also the faculty and staff culture!

It’s been twelve years this summer since we started working together, and I could not be more proud of the great work she has done. I am purposely avoiding mentioning her name, because this story is not mine alone.

Great principals like she has become happen when we who love this career take the time and make the effort to share what we have learned with “the younger generation.”

And so to this principal I am writing about, You know who you are, and I will always be proud of the work you are doing because you are an incredibly better principal than I ever was. Rock on, we need more just like you!

IPLI Updates

Dr. Kelly Andrews Director Indiana Principal Leadership Institute

IPLI is a premier professional development opportunity for the practicing principals of Indiana. We are here to support you, encourage you, and provide growth in your leadership as we learn together, lead together, and connect.

IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity #5

IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity is a formal yet intensive professional development program for IPLI graduates beginning their 5th year. ELO allows IPLI Elite Graduates to dig deeper into topics covered during the IPLI experience. Threeday-long seminars will let you dig deeper into leadership topics that will support you throughout the year. Choose one or attend all three seminars….whatever works in your busy schedule. However, you deserve a day of learning and connecting.

Themes vary yearly so that graduates can enroll in ELO multiple times. IPLI ELO participants are encouraged to bring teacher-leaders to the seminars when appropriate. This year’s theme will be “Leaders in Action,” featuring the following speakers: Dr. Rhonda Roos and Dave Weber.

The Fall Seminar in September will be on the ISU campus, and we are planning a cohort reunion. You will not want to miss this opportunity to reconnect. We are calling all mentors, past and present, to participate with special pricing just for you! We hope to see you there.

Registration for IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity #5 is Open: http//indianapli.org/ipli-extended

IPLI will celebrate ten years of serving principals at the 2023 Summer Seminar, including Cohorts 10, 11, and ELO#5. Keynoting this year will be Dr. Peter DeWitt discussing Collective Leader Efficacy. Additionally, our principals will hear from Dr. Todd Whitaker, Annette Breaux, Dr. Mario Acosta, and Kim Campbell. The learning, collaboration, and networking will be an amazing launch to another decade of serving principals.

Over the last twelve months, having a statewide principal professional learning community to support Indiana’s school leaders as they have met the academic challenges has been invaluable. IPLI met the needs of Indiana principals by increasing mentor contacts, developing and sharing resources, and intensifying regional networks of support.

As Director of IPLI, I am excited for the future of schools in Indiana as the aligned system for principal professional development has never been more significant. INALI, IPLI, and IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity meet the need. IPLI is grateful for your ongoing support, trust, and dedication to education and educators during these challenging times showing Indiana’s commitment to growing our schools and students.

Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update

Susan Miles Officer, Kids Caring & Sharing TM Riley Children’s Foundation

Celebrating our Next Generation Philanthropists

Eleven outstanding graduating seniors were selected in the sixth annual class of Riley Children’s Foundation’s Next Generation Philanthropists. Out of the thousands of students participating in Riley fundraising efforts across the state, we are proud to recognize these students for their significant contributions and commitment to serving the children and families who need Riley Children’s Health.

■ Boonville High School – Markie Lance, principal Mike Whitten

■ Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School – Jimmy Dapp, principal Gregory VanSlambrook

■ Carmel High School – Alexis Clark, Allison Wolf and Samantha Schleeter, principal Tim Phares

■ Fishers High School – Alaina Koley, principal Jason Urban

■ Seymour High School – Brandon Rodriguez-Salas, principal Greg Prange

■ University High School – Mena Morcos, principal Alicia LaMagdeleine

■ Westfield High School – Abigail Pahls, Laura Shupe and Lila James, principal Alicia Denniston

Thank you to the school administrators who make it possible for Indiana K-12 students to develop leadership skills and exercise their passion for service.

The Best of KCS 2022-2023

Indiana K-12 students and school staff certainly put the “fun” in fundraising this year! We are busy processing the many gifts arriving before the June 30 recognition deadline and the accompanying notes show that there is no lack of imagination when it comes to school efforts and incentives. I mention here just a few schools doing amazing things to support Riley kids and families.

Peifer Elementary (District 1) and Akron Elementary (District 2) administrators and Riley coordinators spent some time on school rooftops when their school families exceeded their fundraising goals. Special precautions were needed for an overnight rooftop stay for one administrator who sleepwalks!

South Central Elementary (District 2) students and staff enjoyed a high-decibel pie-in-the-face celebration after more than doubling their debut 2021-2022 KCS gift and securing over $15,600. That’s nearly $35 per student!

Madison Elementary (District 2) hosted not one, but two Riley bike-a-thons in a calendar year to accommodate pandemic scheduling blips and the Ride to Riley bike riders, representing Schmucker Middle School (District 2), North Side Middle School (District 2) and St Thomas the Apostle School (District 2), saluted their school’s Riley support with their annual 2-day bike ride from Mishawaka to Indy.

Grissom Middle School’s (District 2) Riley Trivia Night returned to accompany their Hoops for Riley and Walk for Riley fundraisers while Penn High School (District 2) hosted their first Turkey Legs competition.

Student ceramic artists at Concord Community High School (District 2) participated in the 24th annual Potter’s Marathon raising an amazing $36,000 to exceed $500,000 in total giving! Even the superintendent and some school board members tried their hand at “centering clay” during the 24-hour pottery creation marathon.

Fifteen North Side High School (District 3) staff members laced up their dancing shoes to join student dancers and choreographers for the annual Dancing with the North Side Stars Showcase in April, including a cameo appearance from the school principal. The Legends raised $7,000 for the kids at Riley.

MSD Bluffton Harrison (District 3) secured their 16th consecutive Red Wagon Corporation title with all schools achieving Red Wagon status ($1 per student). Bluffton-Harrison is the only school corporation in the state to have achieved this participation level every year since the recognition began in 2007-2008.

Terre Haute North High School (District 8) raised more than $47,000 through both Dance Marathon and Tackle Cancer fundraising initiatives. With nearly all Vigo County Schools participating in Riley fundraising activities this year (gifts still coming in as of this writing), the corporation has raised their highest cumulative gift for Riley exceeding $64,000.

Indianapolis North Central High School (District 7) hosted another successful online Riley campaign in 2022-2023 raising more than $45,000 while Clay Middle School (District 5) secured nearly $14,000 online for Riley.

Wapahani High School (District 6) and Columbus Signature Academy at Central Middle School (District 9) both hosted Riley carnivals as part of their awareness building and fundraising campaigns earning $3,291 and $8,100 respectively.

Schools enjoyed spirit weeks, staff jeans days, hat days, movie nights, coin wars, concession sales, Riley Miracle Minute bucket passes, Grandparents’ Day photo booths, dodgeball tournaments, dances and so much more – all in the name of kids who need the special pediatric healthcare that only a comprehensive children’s research hospital like Riley can provide.

If your school is planning to sponsor a Riley Red Wagon with your gift this year, please submit your $4,000+ gift before June 30 as sponsorship in 2023-2024 rises to $5,000! Make your check(s) payable to the Riley Children’s Foundation and send to:

Riley Children’s Foundation

Attn: KCS/Susan Miles

P.O. Box 3356

Indianapolis, IN 46204-3356

Thank you for your enthusiastic and dedicated efforts to provide for Indiana’s children.

KGR Law Briefing: “Best of” the 2023 Indiana General Assembly Session

Seasoned legislators have already called this session one of the most tense they’ve experienced – and for good reason. With the many budgetary and social bills passed, those in the education profession will be deeply impacted by bills that have now gone into law. We at KGR work with IASP at the Statehouse, but we also anticipate some of the new laws will turn into KGR Legal Help Desk (LHD) questions. To get ahead of those, this article addresses the “best of” the action items prompted by the new laws.

1001

The “budget bill” is always the centerpiece of any “long” session occurring in odd numbered years. While HEA 1001 includes the K-12 budget for the next biennium, it also contains a fund for “curricular materials” coupled with a prohibition for public schools charging for these materials. Items such as curricular books, technology, and software are clearly off-limits. You should know of any guidance from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), but know that ultimately it will be a court (or a future general assembly) that clears up any ambiguities. In the meantime, when in doubt of whether something is a “curricular material” run it through the definition: (1) systematically organized material (2) designed to provide a specific level of instruction and (3) in a subject matter category. And don’t forget to get an opinion on the constitutionality of fees that do NOT meet the definition of “curricular materials.” We anticipate some LHD inquiries on this one…

1002

HEA 1002 is another new law that makes some significant changes. 1002 takes aim at career and technical education. First, it establishes the concept of a Career Scholarship Account (CSA) and gives the IDOE the ability to approve career courses and apprenticeship programs. For the 2024-2025 school year, certain school corporations must include instruction for all students regarding career awareness, including Career Navigation and Coaching (CNC). To support this, all public high schools are also mandated to hold at least one career fair during school hours. But perhaps most pressing: there is a new mandate to have 30-minute meetings with schools and third parties (which can be waived if schools participate in a CNC).

1447

One of the other major pieces new laws to affect school operations is HEA 1447, which provides new regulation on social matters related to students. First, it covers personal analyses, evaluations, and surveys conducted by third party vendors. The bill specifies that schools may not record, collect, or maintain the responses to surveys in a way that would identify an individual student. However, there are some broad exceptions to this rule, including any surveys gauging satisfaction with school programming, technology platforms, or curriculum. You should work this summer to ensure you comply.

Another important part of 1447 are the provisions related to school libraries. There are three (3) new mandates just on that topic (all effective January 1, 2024): (1) create or update procedure for procuring a school library catalogue; (2) establish and publish on the school

website a catalogue of content in the school library; (3) create or update library content removal request procedure.

1492

HEA 1492 includes some changes to the uses of the newly renamed Secured School Fund. This includes expanding the grant’s use for items such as student support services, K9 units, and anti-bullying measures. In terms of more pressing action items, the law mandates a school district to: (1) ensure a qualified school safety specialist; (2) develop or update plan for each school and the entire district (Safe School Committee); and (3) participate in formation of county-wide School Safety Commission.

1558

While the provisions of this law don’t go into effect until the 2024-2025 school year, HEA 1558 does hold some provisions that could greatly modify the way that reading is taught in classrooms. It mandates schools to adopt a curriculum aligned with the science of reading and that reading based on the three-cueing model is dropped. Additionally, 1558 requires that schools differentiate salary increases to teachers who possess a literacy endorsement.

1608

HEA 1608 brings another round of mandates, this time concerning issues of sexuality. It states that a school or school employee may not provide any instruction on human sexuality to a student before the 4th grade. Additionally, 1608 requires a school to notify a parent in writing if their child requests the school to change names, pronouns, or titles.

Séamus Boyce Attorney

Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP

Cole Bergman

Education Law & Policy Summer Intern

Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP

486

Last (for this article) but not least, SEA 486 contains regulatory relief for public schools. Specifically, 486 removes mandates to provide training on criminal gangs, homeless students, and seizures. The removal of the mandate for labor discussions perhaps got the most attention of anything in the session. School leaders now have the flexibility to manage a healthy relationship with their employees in the way that makes the most sense for their schools. Perhaps the biggest immediate impact is the regulatory relief provided for the teacher evaluations. For the most part, public schools have discretion on the details of the teacher evaluation system so long as it is still with the same four-point mandated scale and held annually.

Special thanks to our Silver Corporate Sponsors:

Conclusion

The Indiana General Assembly always provided plenty of new things to do or at least consider. This year was far from an exception. Time to get your summer school done and figure out a plan to comply with the new laws.

We at the KGR Legal Help Desk are here to address legal issues for IASP members. Until the next KGR Law Briefing, stay legal!

Cole is KGR’s education law and policy summer intern for 2023. He is from Garrett, Indiana and will be a senior at Wabash College in the 23-24 school term where he serves as the student body president.

11025 East 25th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46229

1-800-285-2188 or 317-891-9900

www.iasp.org | iasp-info@iasp.org

With the cost of living going up, is your life insurance coverage enough?

Inflation affects your life insurance financial protection

As you can see, the cost of goods and services continues to rise. That means it will continue to cost more to live in the future. Is your life insurance protection keeping up?

Your family may need to use life insurance benefits to live on if you should pass, but if inflation continued at a rate of 3.75%, $100,000 of coverage will be worth less than $60,000 in real dollars in 15 years.

If you’d like to review your life insurance coverage to make sure it will truly help your family, click or scan the QR code to contact your local Horace Mann representative for a free life insurance needs analysis.

Horace Mann Life Insurance Company underwrites Horace Mann life insurance products. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only, and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment, tax or legal advice.

Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to provide services aimed at familiarizing association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. For more information, email your inquiry to association.relations@horacemann.com

IM-003900 (5-23)