INDIANAPOLIS — Pike Township Schools in Indianapolis has been a tough place to be lately for students, says one Pike sophomore.
Raul Lopez Sanchez told the Pike school board earlier this year that this has been his “worst year here at Pike.” One example he gave as to why that was was the fact he didn’t have a math book because the school district misplaced resources to give kids textbooks.
He eventually got that textbook, but adding to the woes has been a rash of teacher shortages and bus driver shortages, which has forced the district to have several unscheduled e-learning days and even some days where there has been no school altogether.
Sanchez says students are fed up and many are not even bothering to log in online from home to attend their virtual classes.
“I don’t blame them for sleeping in because I’ve done it before,” he told WISH-TV. “We’re all tired of it.”
When they have been able to attend school in person, they have still felt the strain of a teacher shortage. On in-person days when there aren’t enough teachers, Sanchez says they are told to go to the school cafeteria.
“We are to stay there,” Sanchez said. “If we have an assignment that was posted (online) we do it, but if not we are just there. Just sitting.”
A petition has been circulating from parents and other stakeholders in the district calling for Superintendent Dr. Flora Reichanadter’s resignation. Much of the rub between the administration, teachers, and bus drivers has been over wages.
The petition against Reichanadter started going around after it was learned that she had taken a 9-percent pay raise when she had previously said there was no money in the school’s budget for raises.
In a Facebook post, Reichanadter said on Wednesday that they “are working very hard to resolve the outstanding issues.”
