First Hand?? Politics

      Unfortunately, I was not able to meet Sue Errington because I came down with a horrible case of Strep Throat, which is no fun, especially for a student teacher. I was able to get notes from a fellow classmate and do a little research online to find out some information about her, but it's just not the same. Sue Errington is a State Representative for Indiana and is also a member of the House Educational Committee. According to classmates she discussed the some of the legislation that she had been a vital part of and the group learned about how specific legislation works. After the discussion the class was well aware that most legislation is time sensitive and that politicians are constantly feeling pressure to discuss certain matters and varied times. I was able to participate in the Sarah O'Brien  interview and I was very impressed.

     Sarah O'Brien is a member of the Indiana State Board of Education and an elementary school teacher, so she knows her stuff. The most important piece of information from her interview was the fact that the newest draft of the College and Career Ready Standards, which will be the third draft, should be ready by April 16th. Guess what? Today is April 16th! A quick search online led me right to the website. So click here to check them out!

After what I have learned from these two women in the political world I understand that the educational world is changing and emerging standards are going to affect us all. However, I am still a firm believer in the fact that even policy changes will not make a difference without the aid of PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT!! I wish I knew how to make that flash because that is how important it is for us to teach teachers how to teach. You would think that would make sense, but unfortunately everyone gets distracted by the "big issues" and they forget about how much improvement can come from something as simple as professional development. Why would people think that once a person gets a teaching job they automatically know everything they would ever need to know? Is that even possible?