News-Sentinel.com
Towles New Tech teacher Carissa Richardson Lahrman was recognized by the Fort Wayne Community Schools board of school trustees Monday night for being named the Indiana State Teachers Association’s Hoosier Educator of the Year.
Lahrman teaches science and engineering to New Tech students at Towles Intermediate School, and she will begin her 11th year of teaching this fall, she told board members during their meeting at Grile Administrative Center.
She was chosen by the state teachers association because of her excellence in teaching, advocacy for the teaching profession, engagement with the community and leadership in professional development, information given to the board said.
Lahrman has served on the executive board of the Fort Wayne Education Association (FWEA), the union representing FWCS teachers, the board’s information said. She also has served as an FWEA representative and has worked with its implementation teams for compensation and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
In addition, Lahrman coordinates the Fort Wayne Sister Cities Student Exchange Program and is in her final year of work to earn national board certification in teaching science to early adolescents.
In other business, the board:
* Approved paying $394,600 to professional association Learning Forward for training for FWCS leaders and instructional coaches during the 2017-2018 school year.
* Approved renewing a contract for $130,822 annually for three years with K12 Insight for providing the district’s Let’s Talk! electronic media platform for receiving ideas, complaints and questions from the public and employees and for surveying people in the community.
Board member Jordan Lebamoff asked staff to report back on the number of people using the system and the topics for which they leave comments or questions. Board member Glenna Jehl also asked for the report to include information on how timely FWCS staff are in responding to comments or concerns and on how satisfied people are with the response.
* Approved applying for and using $587,540 from the School Technology Advancement Account to buy computer technology for student instruction during the 2017-2018 school year. The funds are provided as a low-interest loan, which FWCS will begin repaying in 2019.