Indianapolis teachers' efforts get national attention - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Rich Van Wyk/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - Two inner city teachers are getting national attention for their efforts to close the achievement gap. That's the alarming difference between what low-income students and their wealthier counterparts are learning in school.

Two teachers at two IPS schools are attacking the same problem from entirely different directions. One classroom is a whirlwind of boundless creativity, while another rigid and structured.

Many of Pam Heuer's students' reading abilities are years behind.

"My kids have set amazing goals for themselves of making two years' progress in one year's time and they are absolutely on track to meet that goal and totally pumped up about meeting their goal," said the Harshman Middle School teacher.

In Sarah Zuckerman's class at Key Learning Community, art is the product of applying what her students learn in other classes.

"Art is equal to music, is equal to science, is equal to math and that is the truth in real life There is no silver bullet," she said.

Educators are searching for a silver bullet as they take aim at the achievement gap existing between low-income urban students and those of wealthier communities.

In both classrooms there are no excuses, only goals and expectations.

"I believe that setting them up by showing them all the opportunities that are available to them by pushing them really hard so that when they meet those opportunities," said Zuckerman.

Pam Heuer knew she couldn't do it alone, so each student had to sign up their own supporters

"So they came back with hundreds and hundreds of signatures of people who will help them in reaching these goals. and will work with them," said Heuer.

Both teachers say they are seeing success but students are starting out so far behind, theirs is not a race to catch up. It is a marathon.

The IPS teachers are two of the educators, education experts and politicians selected to attend next week's NBC education summit in New York. Much of the Education Nation event will be carried online with special reports broadcast during the "Today Show" and "Nightly News."

Education Nation