Indy K12 – 2018

In January 2017, I began writing for Indy K12 (formerly called Indy/Ed), an education publication that is amplified by Brightbeam.  After being a writer for Indy K12 for a couple of years, I moved into the role of Editor-in-Chief.

I am humbled to be part of a network of educators and parents who are advocates for the least of these in the world of education. Below, you can read what I wrote in 2018.

To read my work from other years, click on the year: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, & 2017.

Don’t forget to check out my viral piece, “Teachers Quit Principals, Not Schools” which has been viewed over 1,000,000 times.

12/29/2018	2018: Indy K12 Top 12
12/27/2018	Obama Era Discipline Guidance is Gone, but We Can Still Fight Discrimination in the Classroom
12/24/2018	All I Want for Christmas: Shawnta Barnes’s Educator Wish List
12/23/2108	Winter Break 2018: Michigan Road Library Branch
12/22/2018	Teacher Attendance Does Matter, but I Still Unapologetically Take Days Off at My School
12/19/2018	Black with Kids: The Adultification of Black Children in School
12/18/2018	It Isn’t Happy Holiday for All Students
12/17/2018	Winter Break 2018:  Lights at the Brickyard
12/16/2018	Indy Town Hall: School Choice is the Black Choice
12/2/2018	If Dr. Ferebee Stays or Leaves, Some People Will Be Mad Either Way
11/23/2018	5 Tips for Teachers to Make It to Winter Break
11/22/2018	Stop Romanticizing Thanksgiving
11/21/2018	I’m Not a Costume: The Truth about Thanksgiving and Implementing Diverse Cultures Throughout the School Year
11/19/2018	Winter Break 2018: Winterlights
11/18/2018	If We Want to Diversify Professions, We Have to Provide Mirrors to Our Youth
11/17/2018	Body Safety Education in the Era of #Me Too
11/15/2018	Noblesville School Shooter Sentenced
11/10/2018	Indianapolis Education Association Union President Resigns After Being Accused of Mismanaging $100,000
11/4/2018	Review: Pipeline
11/3/2018	Teachers Who Dress as Mexicans and the Border Wall Have No Place in Education
10/26/2018	Birthday Invitation Policy Gives Students False Sense of Reality
10/25/2018	College Goal Sunday
10/24/2018	Do Schools Need a Book Character Day in October?
10/20/2018	Is the Student Lazy or Does the Student Have Dyslexia?
10/19/2018	Parents are Needed to Help Students Deal with Bullying (VIDEO)
10/18/2018	5 Tips to Have a Successful Parent/Teacher Conference
10/15/2018	When the Bully is Your Teacher
10/10/2018	Adults Need to be Role Models in Helping Children Develop Mental Resilience
10/5/2018	World Teachers’ :Day 2018 – Every Child Deserves an Education from a Qualified Teacher
10/2/2018	National Custodial Worker’s Appreciation Day (VIDEO)
9/26/2018	College Application Day
9/25/2018	Banning Books Silences Stories and It Kills a Love of Reading
9/24/2018	Say and Spell My Name Correctly Challenge (VIDEO)
9/23/2018	Do Fountas and Pinnell Care if Children of Color and Poor Children Can Read?
9/21/2018	Cafeteria Food Sucks for All Students, so When are We Going to Address This Issue in Schools?
9/20/2018	If We Don’t Support the Whole Child, Violence in School Will Continue
9/19/2018	Should Corporal Punishment Make a Comeback in Schools?
9/15/2018	School Leaders Need to Pay Attention to World Afro Day
9/2/2018	Regulating Black Hair is a Way to Control Black People & Traumatize Black Children (VIDEO)
9/1/2018	Black with Kids:  When Will Having a Black Teacher Become the Norm Not the Exception? (VIDEO)
8/30/2018	Black with Kids:  Teachers, If You Value Us, We Will Support You (VIDEO)
8/20/2018	Life as a Black Educator:  When You are Asked to Answer for the Black Race (VIDEO)
8/19/2018	If Schools Don’t Like Black Hair, We Shouldn’t Give Them Our Black Children
8/18/2018	Arsenal Tech High School Fight – The Community was Right
8/16/2018	Compensation is the Reason Teachers Hop from District to District in Indy
8/14/2018	Black With Kids:  When Your Child’s Teacher is Afraid of You (VIDEO)
8/13/2018	To Improve Education, We Need the Entire Story
8/12/2018	If You’re a Struggling Educator, It is Okay to Admit You Need to Find Another Profession
8/9/2018	Being Culturally Responsive Starts with Pronouncing Names Correctly (VIDEO)
8/5/2018	Teachers, Male or Female, Who Engage in Sex Acts with Children Have No Place in the Classroom
7/31/2018	ISBA Provides Guidance to Support Indiana Metal Detector Program
7/31/2018	Black With Kids:  We Have to Build Up Our Black Children Because the World Won’t
7/28/2018	Dear Elementary Teachers, Stop Taking Away Recess
7/27/2018	Teachers Need to Dress Professionally
7/24/2018	Parents, Have You Prepared Your Child for Next School Year?
7/17/2018	It Isn’t in My Blood to Walk Away from Education
7/13/2018	Smiling Faces are Sometimes White Allies Who Don’t Tell the Truth
7/8/2018	How Parents Can Partner with Their Child’s Teacher
7/6/2018	Address Old Issues before Implementing New School Models
7/4/2018	What, to People of Color & Immigrants, is your 4th of July?
6/29/2018	Four Reasons Teacher Harriet from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is Awesome.
6/28/2018	Want to Find a Good School? Pay Attention to Where Teachers Send Their Kids.
6/27/2018	Departing IPS Teacher Leader Answers Your Questions
6/23/2018	Why This Teacher Leader is Leaving IPS
6/19/2018	Juneteenth:  Children Should Learn about this Day in School
6/17/2018	“At Least You Are in the Picture” – A Father’s Day Reflection
6/16/2018	Black with Kids: Representation Matters so be Intentional about It
6/11/2018	Mental Health Remains Stigmatized in the Black Community While Black Youth Continue to Die from Suicide
6/7/2018	What’s in a Name? Identity!
6/3/2018	Ethnic Studies Course Feedback is Needed
5/28/2018	Noblesville School Shooting:  Too Close to Home
5/26/2018	Is a School Boycott a Realistic Way to Change Gun Laws?
5/21/2018	So, You Graduated. Now What?
5/20/2018	IPS/IEA 32nd Annual Multicultural Festival
5/17/2018	Lynhurst Center International Festival
5/13/2018	Don’t Forget How Important Mothers are in Education
5/11/2018	Broad Ripple Rockets Forever
5/11/2018	National Charter School Week:  IMSA
5/8/2018	Mrs. Dingman, Thank You for Helping Me Find My Confidence
5/5/2018	If Your Child Doesn’t Like to Read, Try Comic Books
4/30/2018	El día de los niños/El día de los libros
4/26/2018	New Law Kicks Some Indiana Kindergartners to the Curb
4/19/2018	Why I Write: Shawnta S. Barnes
4/11/2018	National Library Week
4/8/2018	Your Spiritual Leader Does Not Need to Be Your Educational Leader
4/4/2018	Dr. King’s Assassination 50 Years Later:  Looking Back and Moving Forward, George Geder’s Perspective
4/4/2018	Dr. King’s Assassination 50 Years Later:  Looking Back and Moving Forward, Sue Wright’s Perspective
4/3/2018	Dr. King’s Assassination 50 Years Later:  Looking Back and Moving Forward, Mildred Guyse’s Perspective
4/3/2018	Dr. King’s Assassination 50 Years Later:  Looking Back and Moving Forward, James Stockton’s Perspective
4/2/2018	Dr. King’s Assassination 50 Years Later:  Looking Back and Moving Forward
3/24/2018	Is it White Flight or Class Flight?
3/22/2018	Phenomenal Indiana Woman:  Cherie Sanders
3/20/2018	Does DeVos Really Want a Safe and Nurturing Environment for All Students?
3/15/2018	Phenomenal Indiana Woman:  Nikia D. Garland
3/14/2018	Student Activists Should Be Well Informed
3/11/2018	Read Across America Day Should Not be Celebrated on Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
3/9/2018	Get Racist Teachers out of the Classroom
3/6/2018	Educator Barnes Speaks to the Indiana Senate about School Discipline
3/1/2018	Five Lessons I Learned from Michelle Obama
2/25/2018	#ArmMeWith Respect!
2/20/2018	We Need Wakandan Principles in Our Society
2/16/2018	Whose Child Has to Die for Gun Reform to Take Place?
2/11/2018	Indianapolis Celebrates Frederick Douglass’ 200th Birthday
2/9/2018	National School Counseling Week:  Jennifer Schaffer
2/8/2018	Are We Building Up Our Black Children to be Young, Gifted and Black?
2/4/2018	Take Your Child to the Library Day
2/2/2018	Indiana is One of Eight States Where Parents Pay Textbook Fees.  When Will This Change?
2/1/2018	World Read Aloud Day 2018
2/1/2018	Crafting Policy Takes Time, but Nothing Will Change Unless You Get Involved in the Process
1/26/2018	School Choice Week:  Stop Shifting the Focus from Great Schools for All
1/24/2018	Indianapolis Classical Schools Show How Choice Can Create Diverse Schools (originally published on Education Post)
1/23/2018	We Must Hold Each Other Accountable for Our Children’s Education
1/21/2018	More Educators of Color Need to be Involved in Education Policy
1/19/2018	Is Your School District Graduating All Students at a High Rate?
1/15/2018	We Need More Dreamers
1/12/2018	Innovation Restart:  Potential Partner Presentation
1/10/2018	Dear President Trump, Children Aren’t Bargaining Chips
1/6/2018	Do We Need to Mandate Cursive Writing or Should We Mandate Keyboarding Instead?
1/3/2018	DeVos’ Department Gives Feedback in Response to Indiana’s ESSA plan