HSE board member & candidate Julie Chambers responds to Kellie Kelly’s column on college readiness

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Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to Kellie Kelly’s opinion piece regarding college and career readiness at Hamilton Southeastern Schools, published on Sept. 29, 2022. I write this as a candidate, and am not speaking on behalf of the school district.

In her piece, Ms. Kelly used a comment I wrote in response to a question about a college and career readiness in a public forum on Facebook intended for HSE school board candidates to answer questions from the community. My opponent is also a member of this public group but has thus far declined to answer any of the questions posed (facebook.com/groups/hse2022schoolboardcandidateforum/members). Ms. Kelly also chose to use only one part of my comments from this particular question. In order to make sure the community has all of the information, I would like to share information from the other part of my response that Ms. Kelly left out.

First, the question I was responding to did not just relate to college readiness but asked candidates to opine on how they believe the district is doing in preparing students for college or the workforce. Ms. Kelly focuses on college enrollment numbers, but neglects to address the fact that some students, for a variety of reasons, will choose not to enroll in college directly after high school, and our district has an obligation to help prepare those students for whatever path they choose.

While we have seen a decrease in college enrollment, there has been a similar decline statewide (going from about 65 percent to 53 percent). However, our enrollment numbers are still well above the state average.

HSE does an excellent job helping to prepare our college-bound students for life after high school. Through our rigorous coursework, robust catalog of elective courses, AP classes, International Baccalaureate program, and extra-curriculars, HSE offers top-notch educational opportunities for those students who choose to pursue higher education. Additionally, both HSE High School and Fishers High School were among 81 schools in Indiana that were recently awarded the College Success Award from Greatschools.org for their success in preparing students for college (greatschools.org/indiana/college-success-award).

For those students who may not be ready for college, the district also provides numerous hands-on and experiential learning opportunities. For example, we offer internships in a variety of disciplines (law, real estate, insurance, medicine, et al.), partnerships with businesses throughout the community for students to explore different career paths, and career training in a multitude of areas, such as welding and nursing (not to mention the new Hamilton County Pursuit Institute).

College enrollment also looked very different in 2020 than in years past. Many families opted to wait a year or two to enroll in college because of COVID or a change in finances, and while the district always encourages students to pursue higher education, some students may decide that college is not the right option for them, and we must support those students too. Families are facing tuition costs that are higher than ever before and are weighing the burden of student debt against alternative options. Only focusing on college enrollment data is not a complete picture of how a school district is helping to prepare its students for post-graduation and ignores important information and context.

A school district cannot control whether a former student finishes college in four years or five years, but we can ensure that we provide all the resources and supports necessary so that our students are ready for whatever comes next. However, this is not a task the district can accomplish on its own but must be a collaboration between the school, the student, and the parents/guardians.

The argument that HSE has de-emphasized academics or that HSE is not doing everything it can to prepare our students for life after graduation is incorrect and misplaced. I am incredibly proud of our students that pursue higher education, but I am just as proud of those students who join the workforce, enlist to serve our country, or pursue an industry specific certification or licensure.

Unfortunately, it seems to be the goal of some in our community to paint HSE as a failing district for some ulterior motive. However, I am confident that the families of HSE know how incredible our teachers are, appreciate all the learning opportunities our students are provided, and are proud that their students can call themselves graduates of Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

As a current school board member, I am always happy to have discussions with parents, teachers, and community members about what HSE is doing well and where we can improve.

I will be at the upcoming public forum for HSE school board candidates at 7 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2022, at Launch Fishers (to which all candidates have been invited), taking questions from the community and discussing the future of our district. I hope the candidates that Ms. Kelly supports will be there as well to take questions from the community because that is what our community deserves.

Julie Chambers
Candidate for HSE School Board District 4