Legislative Changes and Effective Leadership: A Focus on Culture, Systems, and Learning
As the calendar fills with professional and personal commitments, it's crucial to ensure your time reflects your priorities. The unofficial end of summer marks a new season of instruction and unique opportunities, so consider a key question introduced in our August edition: Does your calendar reflect your Q2 activities? If it does, congratulations on a successful start in your journey of effective time management. If not, begin prioritizing your important, non-urgent tasks today to prepare for the week ahead.
The start of the school year is also a time to consider the impact of recent legislative changes. The Indiana Department of Education (DOE) is currently working on an updated version of the accountability framework. The Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) has been holding sessions to help school leaders understand the new calculations and prepare for the changes. Effective leaders should be prepared to explain the new framework to their district leaders and community. IASP can also help with calculating and predicting school grades.
Several other new laws are also in effect. Effective leadership is crucial to maintaining momentum from last year’s successes, particularly with IREAD scores. Schools that met or exceeded expectations should now focus on sustaining that growth. For schools where fewer than 70% of students passed, Senate Enrolled Act 358 mandates participation in the Indiana Literacy Cadre. The DOE has provided various resources to help with this, and effective leaders know when to leverage these resources to achieve the best results.
House Enrolled Act 1002 allows for adjustments to teacher evaluation plans, providing an opportunity for local voices to shape desired outcomes. While the best evaluations incorporate input from all stakeholders, leaders are responsible for making the final decisions with a keen focus on student learning.
House Enrolled Act 1001, the State Budget bill, established Teacher Appreciation Grants and financial incentives for students who earn the Indiana Diploma. These grants offer school leaders an opportunity to strategically recognize and leverage exceptional teachers by funding special projects. While the implementation of these stipends may raise cultural concerns, it's the responsibility of leadership to set the agenda and guide the school toward further growth.
Every school leader has a vision for how legislation will impact their school culture, systems, and domains. Our School Leader Paradigm mission of “Becoming While Doing” is most applicable to school leaders when outside events such as legislative change require a response. Our individual and collective responses will most impact outcomes.
Andy Allen IASP President
Dear IASP Members,
As we step fully into this new school year, I’m excited to welcome you to the September edition of the IASP Indianagram. This issue, titled “The Road Ahead: Shaping the Future of Education”, brings you timely insights into legislative shifts, assessment overhauls, and strategic planning for general education in Indiana.
Inside, you’ll find stories that highlight both the challenges and opportunities facing our schools. From the inspiring ways classrooms are becoming hubs of innovation, to servant leadership lessons during turbulent times, to updates on professional development and legislative changes, this issue is packed with perspectives and resources to guide your leadership journey.
What makes the Indianagram special is not just the articles, but the people behind them—your colleagues across the state who are leaning into change, supporting one another, and making a difference in the lives of students every day. I encourage you to not only read through these articles, but also to share them with your teams, highlight the great work happening in Indiana schools, and celebrate the dedication of our profession.
As always, thank you for your leadership and your commitment to growing with us. Together, we’re shaping the future of education—one conversation, one classroom, and one leader at a time .
With grattitude,
Dr. Tiffany Barrett
IASP Assitant Executive Director Editor in Chief, IASP Indianagram
Future Indianagram themes
2025-2026 Themes
OCTOBER: Equity in Action: Special Populations Spotlight
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER: Grateful Gains: Tools and Triumphs in Education
JANUARY: Spark Joy: Beating the Winter Blues with Engagement & Enrichment
FEBRUARY: Ignite Innovation: Tech, AI, and Olympic-Level Ideas
MARCH: Marching Forward: Honoring Milestones and Memories
APRIL: Safe & Sound: Prioritizing School Safety and Wellbeing
MAY: Hearts of Gold: Celebrating the Power of Gratitude
JUNE: Best of the Best: A Year to Remember
Share your thoughts on the Indianagram: https://forms.gle/2LaxqTUNUc5AdviF8
IASP Executive Committee Andy Allen President
Dr. Bret Bailey President-Elect
Dr. Jane Bitting Vice President
Dr. Holly Arnold Past President
Raimeka Graham NAESP State Representative
Dave Strouse
NASSP State Coordinator
Kristen Peterson Assistant Principal Liaison
IASP hosts events throughout the year to support the growth and development of Indiana school administrators and students. Each event is intentionally designed to encourage and engage all participants in the pursuit of learning!
Find A Full List Of Events at www.iasp.org/Events
Special thanks to our Sponsors:
From the IDOE
Dr. Katie Jenner Indiana Secretary of Education
Supporting the Successful Implementation of ILEARN Checkpoints
We are now well into the 2025-2026 school year. In fact, for some schools, it is already time for midterms…including my daughters’ school! A huge shoutout to all of our educators who continue to work alongside our parents and families to best support our students and ensure they get off to a great start to the year!
We also recently opened the first ILEARN checkpoint window of the school year, which all students in grades 3-8 will participate in for the first time this year. As you probably recall, the redesign of ILEARN began back in January 2022 as a direct result of feedback from educators, as well as parents and families. They highlighted the need for more real-time, actionable data to better support student learning throughout the year, rather than waiting until the end of the year for results. Additionally, the redesign allows schools and educators to strengthen the alignment between curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
The redesigned assessment has three Checkpoints and a shortened summative assessment at the end of the school year. These checkpoints are not punitive in any way and over the pilot year, have already been instrumental in guiding, and ultimately, improving student learning. For example, if a Checkpoint showed that a student had not yet mastered a particular standard, the student received additional intervention and instruction and had an opportunity to retest prior to the summative assessment at the end of the year.
During the 2024-2025 school year, an incredible 75% of schools serving grades 3-8 piloted the through-year model, which is about 1,350 schools! Across the entire year, more than 2.1 million ILEARN Checkpoint Opportunity 1 tests were administered to students. By the end of the year, 65% of teachers participated in a professional development session about the Checkpoints and more than 6,500 educators completed surveys
to give IDOE valuable feedback on the pilot. This feedback was essential as we continued making improvements prior to statewide implementation. Along with the official launch of the Checkpoints comes additional resources and updates for educators, students, parents, and families. These resources and updates include:
■ New data reports are available this school year for the ILEARN Checkpoints which provide item and performance level data. These reports also include a prediction probability for success on the ILEARN Summative assessment.
■ Beginning this school year, Cambium’s Indiana Family Portal will be available for families to view their child’s assessment results and access support resources for ILEARN (Checkpoints & Summative), IREAD, and I AM.
■ The new Family Portal FAQ and Brochure provides information about the purpose of the Family Portal, how families can access it, and what resources are available for families. Your help in sharing these resources is essential!
■ IDOE worked collaboratively with curriculum and intervention providers to connect their systems to ILEARN Checkpoint data. After a successful pilot in 2024-2025, six vendors will help to support ongoing remediation and intervention efforts by retrieving math and ELA ILEARN data after each assessment to populate their learning platforms, which will generate individualized lessons for students.
■ Note: IDOE is continuing to onboard additional vendors who meet specific criteria and are able to successfully map their systems to IDOE’s assessment scope and sequence and expectations of data and resource use.
■ ILEARN Assessment Frameworks were recently updated in collaboration with educators and educator preparation programs, and now include:
■ Performance level descriptor (PLD) maps for each assessment that vertically align assessed standards
■ Item specifications for assessed standards that outline content limits, clarification statements, academic vocabulary, and sample assessment items for each PLD
■ Item Specifications include links to:
■ Stimulus specifications - Align passages and other stimuli to grade level qualitative and quantitative expectations (e.g., formatting and text complexity)
■ Boilerplate language for specific item types (e.g., ELA Performance Tasks)
■ Rubrics for handscored items
■ Additional guidance documents for the assessment of specific standards: word families, Greek and Latin roots/affixes, text features, figurative language
■ We will continue to share more as new resources become available!
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback during the pilot year and for digging into these resources and sharing them with your teachers, as well as parents and families. And as always, thank you for all that you do for Indiana students!
From the AP Lens: Looking Ahead: Transforming Obligations into Opportunities Amidst Change
Mrs. Kristen Peterson
Associate Principal Chesterson High School
IASP
Assistant Principal Liaison
Mr. Craig Bruns
Assistant Principal
Greenwood Community High School
Mrs. Robyn Witty
Assistant Principal
Greenwood Community High School
Our theme for September is "A Look Ahead: Big Changes This Year." Greenwood Community High School Assistant Principals Craig Bruns and Robyn Witty offer a thoughtful perspective on viewing the new diploma as an opportunity to explore fresh possibilities for both students and staff. Through collaboration and strong partnerships, Greenwood fosters positive professional relationships and open communication while navigating significant changes.
Thank you, Craig and Robyn, for sharing your school’s inspiring invitation to “dream big about the opportunities the new diploma creates”!
Looking Ahead: Transforming Obligations into Opportunities Amidst Change
We once heard it said that “love turns an obligation into an opportunity.” As educators, we have an obligation to implement legislative changes into our schools, no matter how big or small. While we may not always have a choice in what changes come our way, we always have a choice in how those changes are viewed and implemented. At Greenwood Community High School, we have a love for our school community and providing our students with the best educational opportunities. Thus, the love we strive to show our students helps us view these legislative changes as opportunities for our students and staff:
-Opportunities to increase student choice with regard to their courses and the challenges they will undertake during their high school career
-Opportunities for the creation of new courses, a change of perspectives on existing courses, and unique approaches to the curriculum available
Further, these opportunities extend to include our professional staff and the community at large and the role they can play in our students’ journey towards graduation and beyond. The big changes in legislation have presented all schools with big opportunities to grow, which will ultimately benefit all stakeholders within our school community.
Creating these opportunities to navigate legislative changes is unique to each school building and to its greater community.
Our team focuses on learning about and understanding legislative changes as well as understanding others’ ideas and approaches to implement them. We keep updated on legislation through the IASP Advocacy and Leadership Podcasts, IASP Legislative Debriefs, IASP Conferences and Networks, and Dr. Katie Jenner’s weekly Indiana Department of Education Newsletter. These resources provide timely updates on changes to K-12 education in the state of Indiana.
The relationships and partnerships made with other educational professionals and community members help schools interpret legislative changes and identify effective practices to implement them. Our administrative team benefits from having a diverse set of perspectives and experiences. Some of our team have built their foundation at GHS and others have extensive networks of professional connections from other schools.
Our team has built collaborative connections with other administrators and counselors through professional networks like IASP, INALI, and ISCA. Local connections have been made through our Central Nine Career Center, Greenwood Education Foundation, and Aspire Johnson County. All of these connections provide various lenses through which we view the new diploma and its possibilities. Having welldeveloped networks not only provide a needed support structure for all of us in our journey as educational leaders, but they also provide an opportunity to ask questions and hear from others about their practices.
Another valuable resource to understanding how the new diploma might fit your building are your teachers, who are instrumental in the understanding of legislative changes, their implementation, and impact. Our school culture supports positive professional relationships and an open door policy. This allows our teachers to feel encouraged and comfortable to bring ideas to school administrators. While updates from the state and professional organizations are essential, these frontline expert perspectives are essential to our growth and success as a school.
Once we felt we had a good understanding of the legislative changes and possible ideas to implement at our school, the pace and depth of local conversations picked up with our various stakeholders. These stakeholders included our department directors, teachers, and central office administrators. Yet, we recognize the importance of involving our students more in our local decisions to help increase their voice and ownership in developing their high school experience. Through these collaborations, we worked through, and still continue to discuss, many of the same questions you may have wondered about as well:
*What math/science courses could we offer to meet the additional credits?
*Where do we implement the communications credit in our English department?
*What, if any, courses could be explored successfully at the middle school level while still allowing us to maintain extensive course offerings at the high school level?
*What classes satisfying the STEM-focused credits could be offered that meet students’ interests?
*How does licensing impact these decisions?
*How can we provide students the opportunity to gain the needed WBL experience and hours for the various seals?
Beyond these questions and the follow-up discussions, communication with our school community became the important focus. New diploma changes have been communicated via audio and written means, including visual representations, to parents and the school community. These communications will be further expanded upon at our annual Woodmen Expo, which takes place in the fall. This event seeks to both inform students and families of curriculum offerings for the following year as well as engage the same audience in general sessions about more wide-spread changes. Another aspect of our communication plan centers on creating shorter video clips that seek to break down parts of the new diploma and seals into more manageable sections.
We will share these clips via email and on the school website. Some potential areas to explore in these bite-sized videos include the differences between the old diploma and new graduation requirements while diving deeper into each of the new seals (Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment) along with the Honors and Honors Plus version of each. We hope by breaking the seals down, our students and families will be
able to identify which one(s) best fits their needs and interests in choosing their curriculum path to maximize their readiness for their future endeavours.
Yet, most of all, the greatest strength Greenwood Community High School has in applying any legislative change rests within the community component and the personal relationships built within this community. Our staff recognizes the big changes and the opportunity these changes present. We recognize we must not only be well informed on the changes and how they will impact us at a local level, but also be willing to invest the time and effort into communicating these changes to both individuals as well as groups of stakeholders. We focus on demonstrating our love for our students through the patience and care we exhibit in helping others understand the new diploma and associated seals. We invite you to dream big about the opportunities the new diploma legislation creates at your school to help students maximize their high school experience to prepare them for their future.
Students and Families Are Better Together with Girl Scouts
Three reasons to encourage families to join Girl Scouts this fall!
In today’s rapidly shifting educational and social landscape, girls face challenges that deeply affect their well-being—and Indiana families are searching for solutions. Here are three ways Girl Scouts can help school communities address these challenges and support girls!
•Lasting Friendships: According to the 2024 Indiana Girl Report, three in four girls report difficulty making and keeping friends. Participation in Girl Scouts helps girls feel seen, supported, and heard and bonds girls together in shared positive experiences.
•Trusted Mentors: 22 percent of girls report feeling unable to talk to their parents about important issues, and schools may be stretched thin trying to support lots of students who are struggling. Across Indiana, we serve tens of thousands of students, giving them access to trusted adult mentors and helping them discover their strengths through hands-on projects, outdoor adventures, and earning badges that build confidence and self-esteem.
•Stronger Community: The Girl Scout experience invites entire families into the journey, from attending troop meetings and supporting service initiatives to sharing in making memories. For Indiana principals and educators, encouraging families to explore Girl Scouts provides more than another extracurricular—it helps solve for systemic challenges like loneliness and disconnectedness.
Girl Scouts is an investment in healthy students, strong families, and a caring community, all working together to empower Hoosier girls for years to come!
Spread the word to your community: It’s a great time for Indiana families to start their Girl Scout journey!
The Road Ahead: Shaping Leadership Through the School Leader Paradigm
Dr. Tiffany D. Barrett IASP Assistant Executive Director
As the September Indianagram explores “The Road Ahead: Shaping the Future of Education,” it is clear that Indiana educators are navigating a time of both challenge and opportunity. Legislative shifts, assessment changes, and strategic planning are reshaping how we serve students. For school leaders, this is not just about reacting to change but about leading with clarity, courage, and intentionality.
That’s where the School Leader Paradigm (SLP) becomes a powerful guide. The Paradigm encourages us to embrace leadership as both being (who we are as leaders) and doing (the actions we take). By leaning into its structure—Culture, Systems, and Learning—we can find direction in the midst of complexity and remind ourselves that leadership is a journey, not a checklist.
Three Actionable Steps for Busy Administrators
1. Clarify One Priority (Systems Domain)
With so many initiatives competing for attention, it’s easy to feel scattered. Choose one systemlevel priority—perhaps instructional feedback, attendance, or assessment alignment—and give it your focused attention. Communicate it clearly with your staff, align resources to support it, and let go of the rest for now. Clear focus reduces stress and builds collective momentum.
2. Invest Five Minutes Daily in Relationships (Culture Domain)
Small, consistent actions matter. Spend just five minutes each day intentionally connecting with a staff member, student, or family. Ask how they’re doing, celebrate a small win, or listen without agenda. These brief moments strengthen trust, boost morale, and remind everyone that they belong.
3. Schedule Reflection Time (Learning Domain)
Block a short, recurring time on your calendar—just 15 minutes once or twice a week—to pause and reflect. Ask yourself: What’s working? What’s not?
What’s my next best step? Reflection is often the first thing to go when things get busy, but it’s also the key to sustained growth.
“The School Leader Paradigm reminds us that leadership is about becoming while doing.”
These aren’t massive changes, but they align beautifully with the School Leader Paradigm and can ease your daily pressures while strengthening your leadership. As you dive into this month’s articles, remember that you are not alone. Leaders across Indiana are walking this same road—navigating shifts, innovating in classrooms, and keeping students at the heart of their decisions.
May these small, intentional steps help you find both balance and momentum in the important work ahead.
The Program Driving Indiana’s Most Innovative Classrooms
Something extraordinary is happening in 82 schools.
While most high schoolers were worried about their next test, Isis and Kayla were shipping their 1,500th dog toy to customers nationwide. Down in Salem, their peers were launching fishing lures now sold in all 50 states. And in Carmel, two students were developing medical technology that could save thousands of lives.
What do these students have in common? Their schools are part of a movement changing what's possible in the classroom.
So, what transforms typical teenagers into confident problem-solvers? It starts with their teachers. These aren't isolated success stories or programs reserved for select students. They're the natural result of what happens when teachers are equipped with the tools, curriculum, and network to transform their classrooms into hubs of creativity and innovation. The STARTedUP Innovation Accelerator is making this possible in schools across Indiana, from large urban districts to small rural communities.
For teachers, the Accelerator means never feeling alone in trying something new. Here's how it works: teachers join a year-long community focused on real-world learning. They get hands-on training, monthly coaching sessions, and access to a flexible 18-week curriculum that integrates into any subject area.
https://youtu.be/lglgN-XMqYw
But here's what makes it truly powerful: access. Not just financial access (this year the Accelerator is supporting over 130 teachers at no cost to them or their schools) but access to a whole community. Teachers connect with industry mentors, bring guest experts into their classrooms, and collaborate with peers who share their passion for preparing students for tomorrow's challenges. The program provides everything from startup resources to community connections, turning one classroom into part of a thriving ecosystem.
As Sarah Ackerman from Speedway Junior High & Speedway High School puts it:
"For the past four years, this program has given me the tools, the network, and the support to teach outside the box, and prepare my students for the future by creating businesses. It's been so fulfilling to connect them with industry leaders, and even celebrities. When I don't have an answer for a question – these mentors do!"
For schools, this means teachers who are energized, students who are engaged, and communities that get involved, and the results speak for themselves. Teachers' career commitment rose from 4.2 out of 5 before the program to 4.7 after - an increase that reflects renewed passion for their profession. Their rating of the impact they have on students' view of the world jumped from 3.87 to 4.28. Student financial literacy scores, as perceived by their teachers, rose from 2.48 to 3.36, alongside measurable gains in digital literacy, communication skills, and career awareness.
These changes translate into classrooms where students are not only learning, but leading.
In Hobart, Isis Fleming and Kayla Davis founded Patchables, creating sustainable dog toys from recycled clothing and teaming up with nonprofits to manufacture.
In Salem, SibCo's founders Zion and Xavier Dunaway solved a fishing lure problem in their hometown and discovered a nationwide market.
In Carmel, Nathan Dierckman and Makayla Phillips designed Clean Line, a device to detect catheterassociated UTIs before symptoms arise, potentially saving thousands of lives each year.
And these are just a few examples. From AI startups to burn bandages made from fish skin, firearm detection systems to franchise bakeries, students in Accelerator classrooms are proving that when given the right environment, they can create anything.
This year, the Innovation Accelerator is active in 82 schools across Indiana and uniting educators in a shared mission: to prepare students for the future by making learning real, relevant, and deeply
engaging. As STARTedUP co-founder Don Wettrick says, "Teachers are the funnel to the future for our students. When you've got teachers who care about what's happening in their ecosystems, it completely changes what the educational experience can be."
If your school isn't part of the Innovation Accelerator yet, your teachers and students could be missing out on opportunities their peers in other districts already have. While the application deadline has passed, we have a special opportunity that allows us to continue inviting principals across Indiana to take the first step in bringing the Innovation Accelerator to their schools. Whether you're a principal ready to explore or a teacher forwarding this along, submitting your interest is quick and easy.
Because when your teachers are inspired, your students achieve more. And when your students achieve more, your whole school wins.
IPLI Updates
Dr. Kelly Andrews Director Indiana Principal Leadership Institute
IPLI is a premier professional development opportunity for Indiana's practicing principals. We support and encourage you and provide growth in your leadership as we learn, lead, and connect.
A Look Ahead: Big Changes for IPLI and Principal Professional Development in Indiana
As the sun rises on the 2025-2026 school year, Indiana’s educational leaders find themselves at a crossroads. The landscape is shifting—marked by legislative reform, funding challenges, and a renewed focus on instructional leadership. For the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute (IPLI), this moment is not just about adapting; it is about reaffirming purpose.
Earlier this year, the Indiana General Assembly made a difficult decision to pause the biennial funding for IPLI due to a projected statewide shortfall. For an organization that has spent over a decade empowering school leaders through mentoring, action research, and professional development, the news was sobering. But it was not the end.
Thanks to the careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars, IPLI will continue to support the current cohorts using carryover funds. Programming has shifted slightly, leaning more on virtual formats and streamlined in-person sessions, but the heart of IPLI’s work will remain intact for the next two years.
At the core of IPLI’s model is a two-year journey. In Year 1, principals focus inward, developing leadership capacity, refining practices, and cultivating a school culture. In Year 2, they turn outward—partnering with teacher leaders to implement a school initiative that can have both immediate and lasting effects. This structure has proven resilient, even as the educational environment evolves. Supported by expert mentors in the field, principals receive a guided experience for both years.
Meanwhile, new administrators, assistant principals, and deans across the state are finding support through the Indiana New Administrator Leadership Institute (INALI), a program offered by the Indiana Association of School Principals, modeled after IPLI and designed specifically to meet the needs of new administrators. INALI’s two-year model includes mentoring, monthly cohort meetings, and seminars that fulfill Indiana’s IMAP requirements. It is a lifeline for those navigating the
complexities of school leadership for the first time.
Beyond IPLI and INALI, Indiana’s professional development ecosystem remains vibrant. Conferences hosted by IASP, workshops from Keep Indiana Learning, and higher-level leadership opportunities hosted by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents offer targeted learning and community-building opportunities. These programs reflect a shared commitment to equip school leaders with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to thrive.
The road ahead includes challenges. However, it also presents an opportunity to innovate, collaborate, and lead with purpose. IPLI and its partners are rising to meet the moment—ensuring that Indiana’s principals are not just prepared for change, but empowered by it.
IPLI 2025-26
IPLI Graduates are invited to sign up for the Leaders Learning Together series, allowing them to join any cohort sessions throughout the year. To register, visit www. indianapli.org and select IPLI Extended. We also encourage you to bring your staff along for a fee of $30 per person.
The Fall September Seminars will feature Dr. Phil Warrick from the Marzano Institute sharing Effective Teaching in Every Classroom on September 23, 2025, and Dr. Nate Regier from The Next Element will join us to share Personality and Leadership: Stewardship of Your Greatest Assets on September 24, 2025. Dr. Regier will be joined by our very own Dr. Ryan Donlan and Emily Callahan, who will assist principals in leveraging their leadership capacities. Both sessions will take place at the new Lawrence Township Administration Center at 5720 Wheeler Rd. Indianapolis.
IPLI looks forward to serving principals again this year. These are exciting times to be an Indiana school leader!
To learn more about IPLI, please visit our website, www. indianapli.org, or connect with Dr. Kelly Andrews, Director, at kelly.andrews@indstate.edu to learn more about the IPLI program. Don't miss this opportunity to join a community of dedicated leaders committed to excellence in education.
Unshakeable: The Paradox of Strength through Servant Leadership During Political Storms
Dr. Michael Shaffer Director of the EdS and EdD Programs Dept of Educational Leadership Ball State University
Public education today faces unprecedented political pressure. The years 2000-2025 have brought challenges from every angle, making these difficult times to be an educator at any level. It is especially problematic to those who would lead others.
I am going to make a radical suggestion here, and state that I believe that out of all the types of leadership we study, there is one form or theory of leadership especially effective in tough times. It may surprise you. I believe servant leadership can be THE most effective approach in tough times.
Some principals hate politics and want to avoid remotely political. Others regularly advocate in Indianapolis for their districts. But here's the reality: we don't have the choice to remain unmoved, uninvolved, and distant from education politics. Sometimes we get two diverse ideas about politics: we are educators and we need to stay out of politics and concentrate on serving students, and the second thought is that politics is so very “dirty” that any involvement gets our hands dirty and taints our influence. I am pretty sure you have guessed where I stand on these two schools of thought but just in case it is unclear at all, please allow me to spell it out.
We are in the business of leading people—lots of people with diverse personalities and viewpoints. We cannot assume that just because a teacher is involved in public education that they hold only one political viewpoint. This raises a crucial question: How do we lead when there are difficulties and dilemmas around every corner, and our teachers are all over the map politically speaking?
The Paradox of Servant Leadership in Crisis
The most effective response to political attacks may not be defensive posturing or aggressive counterattacks. Instead, it may be found in servant leadership—putting others first and finding strength through service to those we lead.
I am a history buff, especially drawn to World War II stories. One I cannot forget comes from Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose.
On January 13, 1945, during the Battle of Foy, Easy Company was tasked with attacking the Germanoccupied town. Their leader, 1st Lieutenant Dike, froze under pressure. The Company was pinned down by
machine guns, mortars, and sniper fire.
Lieutenant Ronald Spiers was ordered to take command. He ran across the artillery-swept field, ignoring the bullets and the artillery, and took charge. Then, in a show of total selflessness, he ran straight through Foy, through German lines, to reach I Company on the other side of town to coordinate a new attack. Then he ran back through the German-occupied town again. An eyewitness stated, "the Germans were so shocked at seeing an American soldier running through their lines—they forgot to shoot!" His fearless leadership inspired Easy Company to overcome the impossible situation.
What Made Spiers' Leadership Extraordinary?
Spiers embodied servant leadership principles we can apply today:
1. He Put His People First at His Own Risk: Spiers ignored the very real likelihood that his life could be lost as he stood to his feet and charged the enemy to coordinate resources for his soldiers. When we prioritize students' and staff's needs above our own political safety, we build unshakeable credibility.
2. He Led from the Front: When political storms hit, are you facing unjust criticism, angry parent meetings, and media scrutiny—protecting your teachers so they can focus on teaching?
3. He Connected Rather than Commanded: Spiers' run connected separated units. Today's principals must connect classrooms to community, teachers to administration, students to opportunity—often across hostile political terrain. Every single day we work, we are fighting for our existence, our credibility, our ability to do this work with students better than any other entity can do.
The Servant Leader's Response to Political Attack
When external forces attack public education, the servant leader asks: "How do I serve my people through this storm?" This means:
■ Absorbing the Heat: Taking criticism publicly so teachers can focus on teaching
■ Building Bridges: Finding common ground with critics
while never compromising student success
■ Creating Safe Spaces: Ensuring your building remains a sanctuary of learning where teachers can teach without disruption, and every student can reach their highest potential.
■ Empowering Others: Developing teacher leaders who carry the mission forward
Why Servant Leadership Works
Here's the paradox: when you lead by serving others rather than protecting yourself, you become virtually unassailable. Critics struggle to attack someone transparently focused on student welfare. Staff rally around leaders who absorb pressure rather than deflect it.
Spiers became legendary not because he was the toughest leader or the one with the highest rank, or even the greatest reputation for bravery and selfless sacrifice. Spiers did not do what he did to gain acclaim or recognition. He rose to the top because he took the greatest risks for his people. The Germans forgot to shoot because they couldn't comprehend such selfless leadership.
Practical Applications
■ Listen First: Genuinely seek to understand community concerns
■ Communicate Values, Not Politics: Focus on shared values like student success
■ Share Credit, Take Blame: Highlight staff and students when things go well; take personal responsibility when they don't
■ Stay Mission-Focused: Use your school's mission as a North Star.
■ Develop Others: Invest in future leaders rather than consolidating power.
Whether the pressure comes as real attacks or political pressure from forces seeking to undermine public education, the answer may not be to fight fire with fire, but to lead with unshakeable strength that comes from genuine service to others.
Educational leaders who embrace servant leadership may find themselves not just surviving political storms but strengthening their schools through them. After all, it's hard to tear down someone who is busy lifting others up.
Kids Caring & Sharing Update
Susan Miles Program Officer, Kids Caring & Sharing TM Riley Children’s Foundation smiles@rileykids.org
Riley School Program Thrives Through Donor Support
Given that it is back-to-school season, here’s a look at how Riley helps keep patients learning—even during long hospital stays. Licensed educators lead the Riley School Program meeting patients where they are— whether at the bedside or in a small group classroom setting. They make sure schoolwork continues, milestones aren’t missed, and the transition back to home and school is as smooth as possible.
This past school year, the Riley School Program supported 825 patients and their schools from kindergarteners to high school seniors. That included providing daily academic instruction, contacting children’s regular classroom teacher to coordinate assignments while hospitalized, providing documentation to schools for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, and even speaking with classrooms to explain a child’s diagnosis to peers in age-appropriate ways.
This short video highlights the impact of the Riley School Program in action: https://youtu.be/ i3MoReLYN1s?si=26XNHSySurLMdc9F
Special programs make the experience even more personal. For example, Bear in the Chair places a stuffed bear in a student’s school seat while they’re hospitalized, helping classmates feel connected until their friend returns.
As one Indiana school staff member shared: “I am always impressed with the school staff at Riley! Their knowledge of medical, social/emotional, and educational issues is of the highest quality. I truly appreciate the support they give me, the students, and their families.”
Your school family’s support helps make it possible for kids to keep learning and stay connected with their classmates—no matter how long they’re in the hospital.
If you’d like to hear more about how Riley helps students thrive, or anything else about Riley, I’d love to connect.
2024-2025 Recognition Round Up
Indiana K-12 schools that raised funds for Riley last year should have received an impact report highlighting the good work your school gifts make possible along with your school’s participation decal for 2024-2025. Please let me know if you need a new or additional KCS recognition plaque to showcase your legacy of support.
■ Collectively, participating schools raised $2,053,764.97 through a variety of fundraising vehicles with 410 of 463 schools raising more than $1 per student to achieve Red Wagon School status.
■ 87 schools, including high school dance marathon model fundraisers, utilized an online giving opportunity to augment their traditional in-person fundraising activities.
■ 33 schools raised more than $5,000 to sponsor a Riley Red Wagon
■ 24 schools raised $3,000-$4,999 to achieve Red Wagon Booster status
■ 12 school corporations achieved Red Wagon Corporation status with each member school raising more than $1 per student
■ 65 school corporations achieved Riley Corporation status engaging every member school, or their participating schools collectively raised more than the corporation’s population.
The need and the work continues with many schools already planning their Riley support for 2025-2026. Please let me and your Riley Youth Philanthropy Program team know how we can help your school family achieve Riley fundraising success this school year.
KGR Law Briefing
Séamus Boyce Attorney Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP
Keith Butler Associate Attorney Education Law & Policy
Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP
What Does “Solely” Mean?
While the summer may feel like ages ago already, you may still be getting: “what did you do this summer?” For the Indiana Supreme Court, at least one thing they did was write an opinion in a case involving a teacher. In the facts of South Bend Community School Corporation v Grabowski (Ind. 2025) a second-grade student debriefed his day with his mother including that his teacher said he had “diarrhea of the mouth” and to “shut his big fat mouth”. His mother was a teacher at the school and grandmother was a member of the school board. The principal had a meeting with the teacher, mother, and grandmother where the teacher denied making the statements.
The following week the teacher claimed the student “ran forcefully into” her. She documented this in an accident report. She also claimed in the report that she “fell against the wall”. She reported having tenderness in her right ankle, wrist, and thigh. She did not seek or receive any medical attention for the incident. The teacher asked to review a surveillance video of the incident. The video showed the student and teacher unintentionally bumped into each other. Everyone who viewed the video of the incident, including the teacher, agreed the contact was not intentional. Additionally, the video showed she did not fall into the wall but rather extended her arm toward the wall to steady herself.
The student’s mother filed a complaint against the teacher that referenced the “diarrhea of the mouth” comments and listed other concerns as well. After reviewing the complaint, the school presented the teacher with a “last chance agreement” with several conditions for continued employment. The teacher resigned and sued the school for wrongful termination.
Indiana is an “at will” employment state and as such employers can generally terminate an employee’s employment with or without reason. One of the exceptions is known as a Frampton claim, named after a 1973 Indiana Supreme Court case. The Frampton case created an exception to at will employment doctrine when an employee is fired “solely” for exercising a statutory right. The teacher in the Grabowski case claimed that she was fired over a potential worker’s
compensation claim. She resigned and had not filed a worker’s compensation claim yet.
The court has previously recognized Frampton claims if the employee was constructively fired or forced to resign and the employer terminates an employee over the employee’s intent to file a workers compensation claim. However, the court did not have to examine those issues in Grabowski because the actions from the employer were not taken “solely” due to the potential worker’s compensation claim. Part of her claim was that the school took the action because the student’s mother was a teacher and his grandmother was a board member. Thus, the teacher’s own claim included reasons for firing other than filing for worker’s compensation -- that the firing was about nepotism and school politics. Since the teacher included these other reasons in her complaint, the court found as a matter of law the workers’ compensation claim could not be the sole reason.
What is the legal lesson from this brief?
School leaders are often put in difficult positions when parents complain about school staff. Allegations often come in a “shotgun” approach with numerous grievances. As you receive the complaints and investigation, be sure to take contemporaneous notes and otherwise document the steps you take. By doing so, if employment action is taken, you will have the evidence to support the reason(s) for your decision. Of course, do not allow an employee’s statutory-protected reporting to be any reason for adverse employment. While it is a safety net to take the approach of the “solely” argument, best practice is to take employment action for only acts and omissions that aren’t required or set out by statute.
We at the KGR Legal Help Desk are here to address these and any non-personal employment legal issues for IASP members. Until the next KGR Law Brief, we wish you “solely” positive interactions with the law!
1. Consider this another reminder that Indiana recently passed HEA 1515 (2025),which includes a requirement to provide written notification within 14 days of a determination that an allegation against an employee involving a child is unsubstantiated or otherwise dismissed.
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