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Dear Editor:
Our teachers and schools are receiving a lot of negative attention. In the midst of fruitless debates about the functioning of our school board and the curriculum our schools are teaching … is a crisis!
According to the Indiana Business Journal article titled ‘Nearing a collapse,’ Indiana needs more special educators, our schools are struggling to fill their special education vacancies. The article went on to cite statistics from the Indiana Department of Education that shows the number of special education teachers in Indiana declined 4 percent from 2014 to 2021 while the number of students in special education grew by 12 percent during the same period.
Our special education students, parents, teachers, caregivers, and support staff are near and dear to my heart. COVID made it more difficult for parents and caregivers when our schools transitioned to virtual learning.
I come from a family of teachers. Teaching is a lifetime commitment. Our teachers are paid low and often experience burnout because of the multiple roles that they must play. We should consider how our public discourse is affecting their morale.
Please take a moment to thank our Carmel Clay School teachers for their dedication to educating our children.
Lastly, Carmel Clay Schools is accepting nominations through Friday, March 18, for CCS Support Staff of the Year. It takes a village to raise a child.
Please consider nominating a support staff at bit.ly/supportccs2022.
Sheldon Barnes
Carmel