BizVoice May / June 2017

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May/June 2017 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber 87
district, Sheridan makes it a priority to bring staff together as well.
“(Since teachers are spread out), we have to make a concerted
effort that the teachers spend time together,” Mundy says. “A lot of
that occurs not just at meetings, but at outside activities. If there’s a
fair or something goes on in the community, you’ll see a lot of our
teachers there. Or if a high school choir performs, you’ll see teachers
there that aren’t just in the high school.”
Chuck Webster, head of school at University High School, notes
the importance of not only bringing teachers and administration
together, but also incorporating students.
“Every day, everybody here walks to the other building, and we
talk for 15 minutes a day – and an hour on Friday,” he quantifies.
“They’re all connected to the kids. We have a mentoring program: as
a student when you come in the ninth grade, you’re assigned a mentor
(not just among teachers, but all staff) and meet at least every two
weeks for four years.”
In fact, students at the school play a major role in the hiring and
evaluation of teaching staff.
“When I interviewed for this position, there were two students
on my hiring committee,” recalls Ashley Crockett-Lohr, director of
communications. “That spoke volumes about the type of place
University is. … When you look around the lobby and see mentoring
happening, when you overhear conversations between adults and
students that sound as though they are peers and when you see
students monitoring the culture just as much as the faculty does, it
becomes clear that this is what high school is meant to be.”
Teachers’ pets
Secondary teachers not only have a class of children to educate
and care for each day, but many also have their own offspring at home.
With the challenge of schedules and various responsibilities, Sheridan
strives to ease the burden by offering an on-site daycare, which has
grown from one room to three since its inception.
“Our teachers can bring their kids to daycare, starting at six
months old, then they progress through preschool and then start
kindergarten here,” Mundy explains. “It always makes you happier
when you know where your younger kids are. It’s been a wonderful
situation and it helps in recruitment.”
He adds that the daycare doesn’t close up after the final bell rings.
“Our teachers still spend numerous hours after school, and it’s
nice to have the daycare so their child is taken care of until they’re
done with their club or athletic event (it’s open into the evening),”
Mundy notes.
ACE and University also cater to staff’s offspring long after their
early years by offering steep discounts on tuition (and ACE charges no
tuition for staff themselves).
’A’ for charitable effort
Giving back to their communities and beyond is also a consistent
theme, but ACE has taken that to heart by becoming one of only four
B-Lab certified B Corps in Indiana.
“We felt the B Corp status helps us show we use profits for social
good,” Landry offers. “We want to keep their tuition low, serve
students well and show transparency in how we serve the community.
“We’re a big supporter of Teachers’ Treasures (a charity that
donates free supplies to teachers with students in need) and do hands-
on volunteering with them,” she adds. “We sponsored their Donut
Dash and Dream Big Gala, and we help teachers who are in high
poverty areas (in different parts of the country). We look at where our
students live, and we try to support organizations that support them.
We feel like that’s delivering on our mission. We’ll also provide
professional development for some teachers that need it.”
University High also emphasizes giving back, including students in
efforts to aid seniors and refugees, among others.
Trust is a must
Organization-wide trust cements the foundation of an ideal
culture, according to Webster.
“There have never been locks on lockers (at University High) and
kids open doors for each other,” he remarks. “(Regarding the locks)
we knew we had to get out in front of that and we had to trust each
other, and we meant it.”
If employees are happy, students are not only happy, but
empowered with a strong foundation to learn, according to Mundy.
“We take a lot of pride in that when we get outside visitors, we get a
number of comments on how wonderful our kids are,” he concludes.
“A lot of businesses reach out to us to hire our students from the high
school because they’re well-mannered and hardworking. … There is an
expectation of courtesy and effort here in the district and the community.”
RESOURCES: Ashley Crockett-Lohr and Chuck Webster, University High School, at | Shawntel Landry, American
College of Education, at | David Mundy, Sheridan Community Schools, at
Prize Day festivities at University High School (top) include no classes as all
come together for an award ceremony, trivia and the annual Ulympics
competition. School unity is also a focus at Sheridan Elementary as principal
Dean Welbaum makes it a point to connect with students.