Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz visited classrooms at Chesterton Middle School on Friday morning and met students, teachers and administrators to see learning in action.
Ritz was accompanied by Duneland School Superintendent Dr. David Pruis, Chesterton Middle School Principal Mike Megyesi, and other administrators and school board members as they toured the school.
“I want her to see the variety of options our students have outside of the traditional classroom setting, in our courtyards and media centers,” said Megyesi as they stopped to witness a presentation to 8th grade social studies students from the Westchester Township History Museum on the Civil War.
Seventh grade math students in the school’s courtyard sat underneath umbrellas at tables and plotting statistical information, led by longtime Duneland teacher Dwight Shumway who is now retired but substitute teaches regularly.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher,” Ritz told Shumway as she assisted students with some of their data.
“I think it’s really cool she’s here because you don’t have important people like this come through every day. I hope she sees how many hardworking students we have here,” said 7th grader Blaire Smith.
Social studies teacher Christine shared with Ritz the ways she involves students in the curriculum, including field days and technology, but there was one method she says is tried and true and Ritz agreed.
“We use different technologies and media but as you know, sometimes it’s good to get them looking at books,” Bullock said.
Ritz replied, “Yes, and make sure you all read over the summer.”
While meeting privately with administrators, Ritz discussed proposed and upcoming changes to formative assessment testing, and James Goetz, Duneland assistant superintendent for instruction thanked her for her efforts.
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“Thank you for a shorter test this year,” he said. “Our school really appreciated that.”
Ritz also spoke about proposed changes to the A-F grading model for schools and teacher evaluations, and she said that she had asked Gov. Mike Pence twice to freeze the current model in favor of a more rigorous assessment.
“At least 26 states have signed on to that and we are not one of them,” she said. “So I am proposing a ‘hold harmless’ approach for those schools who have a lower grade than the previous year.”
Ritz had previously visited Discovery Charter School earlier in the day and headed back to Indianapolis on Friday afternoon.
Heather Augustyn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.