Writing in the Schools:
An Interview With the Director

February 2024

What is the mission of Writing in the Schools?

CS: The Writing in the Schools program seeks to empower and amplify student voices within Indianapolis Public Schools through the teaching of all forms of writing. The program is rooted in the idea that relationship building, positive reinforcement, and interconnectivity through language are vital strategies to help support historically marginalized students.

WITS started as a single after-school program at Shortridge High School and is now part of a thriving partnership that supports four full-time IPS high school Writing Centers at Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, and Shortridge. These spaces are staffed by dedicated Writing Center Coordinators as well as a staff that includes high school peer tutors, college students from Butler and other area universities, as well as community volunteers through the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Beyond one-on-one writing assistance and support for teacher class visits, the program also encompasses creative writing clubs at Shortridge and Crispus Attucks, with the hope that the other two schools will add this outreach in the immediate future. 

How long have you been involved?

CS: When I first started in the Butler MFA program back in 2010, I got involved as a tutor at the Writers’ Studio, which was under the direction of Susan Sutherlin. I remember when Susan first approached me to see if I would have an interest in being a graduate assistant for a brand-new service-learning course she was developing with her friend who was a longtime English teacher at Shortridge. From the first time I stepped foot in the building as a GA for the WITS class, I knew that I wanted to do whatever I could to keep coming back. It was such an overwhelmingly rewarding experience to work with these persevering teenagers with their writing and the processing of their experiences.

When I completed my MFA in 2013, Susan graciously offered me the opportunity to take over as the instructor for EN 455. Her dream was always to develop one high school Writing Center utilizing the hybrid college/high school model we developed. It’s crazy to me that we have somehow exceeded this vision a decade down the road.

You accepted the position of IPS Writing Center Coordinator earlier this year. What has that experience been like?

CS: There’s been a slow and steady progression to my career path that makes me feel so fortunate. While I have remained as a part-time instructor since graduating the MFA program, the development of the WITS program put me in a position to accept a full-time job within IPS when Shortridge was looking to develop a Writing Center with the onset of a grant the district received in 2018. The success of the Writing Center at Shortridge led me to the district-wide Writing Center Coordinator position that I accepted last winter. I would be remiss not to shout out the efforts of another Butler MFA, Mel Coryell, who has been instrumental in selling the district on the efficacy of the model. I knew Mel from our time in the program, and she was an IB coordinator at Shortridge when I started the Writing Center there. She is currently my boss as the Executive Director of Postsecondary Readiness. Without her foresight and her belief in IPS students, I don’t know if this opportunity would have availed itself.

In expanding from one Writing Center to four, it’s allowed me to assemble an amazing team of Writing Center Specialists that happens to include another Butler MFA, Rebecca Huehls, who is running the center at Shortridge and directly supporting the volunteer tutors in the Writing in the Schools course. It’s been a challenge to meet the needs and learn the cultures of four unique schools, but it’s amazing that this is now my life’s work.

Why is this program so important to Indianapolis schools and schools in general?

CS: I think our numbers speak to the vitality of our outreach. For the first semester of this school year, the four high school Writing Centers—and the staff and volunteers who supported them—served 2,131 unique IPS students, which is 38 percent of the total student population. Between appointments, class visits, and extracurricular activities, our team logged 6,073 total touch points with students. This speaks to the need that exists in the district, and the popularity of this resource to students who have stepped through the door.

Generally speaking, I think a high school writing center is a crucial intervention because teachers are simply overworked as is, and they simply don’t have the time or bandwidth to offer every single student in their classes the kind of one-on-one attention that many of them need, especially in light of the socioemotional and socioeconomic challenges they may face. It’s important that we can stand behind teachers as a resource to make their lives easier and to help their students succeed.

How can students get involved with WITS?

We are still looking for more paid and volunteer tutors. The paid tutoring positions are internships supported by the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Pay is $17 per hour for tutors who can work in our Writing Centers between 6-12 hours a week. We have several Butler MFAs currently in these positions, and they are doing wonderful work with students and positioning themselves for future opportunities in education. The application for Vonnegut Youth Writing Interns can be found here.

If you want to get involved but have more limited availability, we are welcoming all as volunteer tutors. The form to volunteer can be found here. As always, volunteering with WITS–or enrolling in EN 455 during future semesters–is a great way to meet the MFA service requirement.

Is there anything you’d like to say about your experience with Butler MFA?

CS: I honestly owe everything to my Butler MFA experience. It has always managed to put me in the right place at the right time. Though it sounds corny, it is truly the greatest pleasure of all to be able to return the favor since I’ve graduated, and to support each subsequent MFA class with similar opportunities.

Now is the perfect time to get involved with bountiful opportunities on the horizon, so submit your app to be an intern or volunteer, or reach out to me directly at cspeckma@butler.edu.