Articles by Mike Rhodes

By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, Ind. – Muncie Community Schools (MCS) has named Misty Ndiritu (DAY-ree-toe) the new principal at Southside Middle School. Ndiritu has more than 10 years of classroom and administrative experience, most recently serving as principal at Martinsville High School. “I am truly honored to become the next principal at Southside,” Ndiritu said. “I strive to be a hands-on leader, engaging in daily academics and culture in order to understand the student body, and I’m eager to get to know the Panther community.” Ndiritu replaces Dr. Corey Hartley who left for another position outside of Muncie. Prior to…

Partnerships with City of Muncie, Marian University make program possible By Andy Klotz, APR— MUNCIE, Ind. – Better grades, higher achievement, improved attendance and lower dropout rates are just some of the proven benefits of City Connects, a student-support program launching in Muncie Community Schools (MCS) this fall. The program calls for a master’s-trained social worker, school counselor or mental health professional – called a “family navigator” at MCS – to collaborate with teachers by assessing each student to determine if out-of-school factors are affecting that student’s ability to succeed. The family navigator, a full-time school staff member, then creates…

By John Herrik & Kurt Darling, Network Indiana— WASHINGTON–The morning the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon were hit by hijacked jets, Mitch Daniels was inside the White House, working for the Bush administration as the director for the Office of Management and Budget. Daniels, who would later become Indiana’s governor and Purdue University’s president, said he remembers the day vividly. “My top deputy at the time had a long history of defense and we both looked at each other and said, ‘that’s not likely an accident’,” said Daniels, as he remembered seeing the explosion and fire from the first…

East Central Educational Service Center kicks off grant with Gala By: Mandi Isaacs, Instructional Specialist, East Central Educational Service Center— Connersville, IN—Educational leaders are collaborating in East Central Indiana to transform the learning recovery ahead. As schools are working to address the impact of COVID-19, they are exploring innovative ways to meet students’ needs. “We have the opportunity to lead in Indiana,” state Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a panel discussion at the East Central Educational Service Center in Connersville Wednesday evening. As she noted that “kids are more than just a data point, and we know that…