In the nine years that GlenEva Dunham’s been president of the Gary Teachers Union, there has never been a teachers’ contract covering anything longer than a single school year — until now. A two-year contract for teachers within the Gary Community School Corporation was approved late last year, marking the first time in Dunham’s tenure […]
Maddy Franklin
Maddy Franklin is Capital B Gary's youth and education reporter. You can reach Maddy at madison.franklin@capitalbnews.org.
Posted inEducation
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Receives New Charter, Won’t Be Closed
INDIANAPOLIS — Good news for families in Gary: Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is not headed anywhere. The Indiana State Board of Education approved the school’s new charter authorizer on Wednesday, effectively saving it from having to shut its doors. “It’s been in the air for so long, just waiting … I think now everybody just […]
Posted inCulture
‘My Hair is My Hair’: Students Talk Natural Hair and Identity at IUN
Gentle, thick, defiant, art, luscious, loud, and mine. These are the words that a group of current and former Indiana University Northwest students used to describe their natural hair. The students spoke on a panel Wednesday afternoon at the university to discuss their natural hair, highlighting its significance as a personal and political statement. “My […]
Posted inEducation
How Will Gary Students Be Impacted by a New Law Addressing Literacy?
Ten little feet stomped in unison inside the library at Frankie Woods McCullough Academy, and a loud chant started. “Can you read like the cougars read, can you write like the cougars write? Can you roll like the cougars roll?” asked the elementary school’s cheerleaders, facing a crowd of students, parents, and educators. “I don’t […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Gary Sees Hope: Homicides Drop as Community Bands Together
This story was published in partnership with The Trace. Michelle Pratchet can’t remember the last time she heard gunshots. The newfound quiet is a welcome change for the 54-year-old, who was born and raised in Gary, a city often stigmatized for its history of violence. “I just look at it like this: Wherever you live, […]
Posted inHistory
This Black Man Made History at Indiana University. It Took Decades for Recognition.
Before Todd Deloney arrived at the Indiana University Northwest campus in Gary, he knew what he was in for. It was 1983, and the university was known in the region as “an oasis for whites.” “The irony of it all was that in this chocolate city, there was IU,” Deloney said. But, he didn’t let […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
Gary High Schooler Finds Purpose in Representing Classmates
This story is part of Capital B Gary’s Community Spotlight series. We’re shining a light on the people, places, and businesses working to bring joy to and uplift Gary. To nominate a deserving spotlight, reach out to Gary Community Engagement Editor Derreka Rollins at derreka.rollins@capitalbnews.org. Last fall, Rayven Anderson had an idea. College application season was starting, […]
Posted inEducation
Pause on Gary Middle School Closure Decision Is Not an ‘All-Clear Signal’
Any plans to close two of Gary’s public middle schools are off — for now. Bailly STEM Academy and Gary Middle School for the Visual and Performing Arts will remain open through this school year, as the district prepares to exit a yearslong state takeover and return to local control. The Gary Community School Corporation’s […]
Posted inCommunity
From Tragedy to Advocacy: Eric Garner’s Daughter Talks with IUN Students
At Indiana University Northwest, four teens walked onto the stage of the school’s main theater, settling into the red chairs arranged for them. To their left stood Emerald Garner, the 32-year-old daughter of the late Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York City cop in 2014. She’d selected […]
Posted inEducation
Charter Revocation Leaves Thea Bowman Leadership Academy’s Fate in Limbo
Aisha Vinson’s ninth-grade daughter has only ever attended Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, a K-12 school in Gary. The experience there hasn’t been perfect. But Vinson said the school’s staff knows her daughter well. Vinson, who has a disability that affects her mobility, also likes that the school is nearby and easy for her to get […]