Public Schools Work

Public Schools Work

There are triumphs in the midst of the standardization clamor, oases of relief and joy that anyone with a pulse recognizes as nurturing the human spirit...We who believe that a crusade is needed to [turn around] our schools, have a message for those who have forgotten what childhood is like. – Arnold Dodge, Needed in School: 140 Characters

With our Public Schools Work series, we hope to present stories which recognize the nurturing of the human spirit.

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March 6, 2016: Public Schools Work – Chenita “Nikki” Redmond

I believe that time on the Speech Team was part of what developed me into the independent person I am today. In my position at my work, I do not mind trying to find better ways to streamline the process. I am always willing, when able, to provide constructive suggestions and feedback.

February 28, 2016: Public Schools Work – A Lasting Impact

I think it is important for people to understand just how significant a teacher can be to a child. Mr. Bloom was the person I desperately needed in my life then. I trusted him, and I felt comforted, safe and loved in his classroom. He listened to me and in return, I listened to and respected him. I grew and learned more that school year than any other year following. I thank him for being that special teacher for me. I am almost forty now, and I remember that school year like it happened only yesterday.

February 21, 2016: Public Schools Work – I'm A Reader Now

I tried to figure out what it was that I had done that led to a desire and willingness to read and write. It wasn't some specific teaching strategy or technique that I used. I believe it began with the positive relationship that I had developed with my student. It was getting to know my student well enough to understand just the right words to say and just the right books to suggest. It was relying on and trusting my own past experiences with reluctant readers and writers to know that changing a student's attitude takes an unspecified amount of time.

February 14, 2016: Public Schools Work – Michael W. Morrissey

Thank you for instilling in me that love of English, that affection for writing, that desire to connect with people through the written word. Your kind gesture just to read my story aloud made all the difference in who I am today and what I'll spend the rest of my life doing.

February 7, 2016: Public Schools Work – Erin Kathleen Hodel

I was blessed to go through Fort Wayne Community Schools with many amazing teachers like Mr. Grotemat at Snider, Mrs. Waterfall at Blackhawk, and many many more. They all helped me become the teacher I am today.

January 31, 2016: Public Schools Work – Adrienne Rogers

This level of caring and commitment to his students was simply second nature to Mr. Croft. It is obvious that this man is dedicated to each and every child he meets, even long after his responsibility for their growth and learning is over. If he isn't an example of a teacher who makes a difference in lives, I don't know who is!

January 24, 2016: Public Schools Work – Asia Smiley-Nelson

I felt like I could go to any of the teachers in my senior class if I had problems with anything.

January 17, 2016: Public Schools Work – Daily Success, Michelle Byerley Grim

...To say that my husband and I feel so fortunate that our children attend this school and have these opportunities is an understatement.

(PS. These experiences continue to teach our children life skills they will need in the future: respect for others, team work, self-confidence, creativity, etc. Oh, by the way....this is a public school and none of those skills are 'tested' on ISTEP.)

January 10, 2016: Public Schools Work – Michele DeVinney

I am very happy to have had a public school education and am proud of the work my kids have done academically thanks to FWCS. And most of all, I thank and respect all the teachers who are out there changing people’s lives everyday. I don’t know where any of us would be without them!

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