Inside ChalkbeatTeaching & ClassroomTeachers and teaching

You’re invited: Hear true stories told by local teachers at this storytelling event

By 
MJ Slaby
 | October 12, 2023, 11:30am UTC
woman holds microphone and talks
Makayla Imrie shared her story of surviving her first year of teaching at a story slam hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy and Chalkbeat Indiana in September 2019. The teacher-focused storytelling event will return on Nov. 16 in Indianapolis. (Screenshot Chalkbeat Staff)

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The infamous “teacher voice” — we all know it, and now you can hear directly from local educators about the times they may have needed to use it.

Join us for the “Don’t Make Me Use My Teacher Voice” teacher story slam from 6 to 8 p.m Thursday, Nov. 16, at Ash & Elm Cider Company, 1301 E Washington Street in Indianapolis. The event will be hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy along with Chalkbeat Indiana and Indy Kids Winning.

Teachers Lounge Indy was formed to help early-career teachers build community, said organizer Ronak Shah. The group last hosted a story slam in 2019. Since then, many in the group have moved on and are no longer early in their careers.

However, Shah said a current teacher encouraged him to bring the event back, so he revived it.

To attend, register here for a free ticket on Eventbrite: https://ckbe.at/3FSCr6z.

Also, if you’re an educator and want to tell your story, contact: teachersloungeindy@gmail.com.

(Teachers Lounge Indy)

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

The Latest
Starting next spring, Illinois high school juniors must take the ACT exam to graduate

Illinois high school juniors will have to take the ACT to graduate starting spring 2025. This comes at a time when most colleges and universities are again requiring students to take entrance exams for the admissions process.

By 
Samantha Smylie
and
Becky Vevea
 | May 15
Preschool funding, school food, and other key education issues take center stage at budget hearing

Council members questioned officials as the looming expiration of federal COVID relief money threatens to shave $808 million from the Education Department’s budget.

By 
Julian Shen-Berro
 | May 15
Chicago Public Schools pitches safety plan calling for restorative justice — and locked classrooms

The district’s plan calls for training on alternative discipline practices and aims to focus on the “root cause” of student behavior.

By 
Reema Amin
 | May 15
To help address teens’ mental health needs, Colorado to launch Youth Mental Health Corps

The program will train young adults ages 18 to 24 to act “as navigators serving middle and high school students,” according to state officials.

By 
Melanie Asmar
 | May 15
The number of out-of-school, out-of-work Black teens in Chicago more than doubled during the pandemic

Roughly 12% of Chicago residents age 16 to 24 are not working or in school. Black teens are most impacted.

By 
Mila Koumpilova
 | May 15
Read Thurgood Marshall’s powerful 1953 argument in Brown v. Board of Education

Representing families challenging school segregation, here’s what the NAACP’s chief legal counsel told the high court.

By 
Thurgood Marshall
 | May 15