When three new teachers joined Theodore Potter School 74 last fall, their arrival highlighted the impact of hiring educators with strong ties to both the school and the wider Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) district. Cindy Ibanez-Rendon, Elizabeth Rojas-Paliero, and Nanci Monroy are all first-year teachers who graduated from Indiana University-Indianapolis’s Urban Teacher Education program. They previously completed their student teaching at Potter and have now returned as full-time staff.
Theodore Potter School 74 is located on Indianapolis’ near eastside and serves kindergarten through fifth grade students in a two-way dual language immersion program in Spanish and English. The school is part of the International Spanish Academy network, aiming to develop bilingual, biliterate, and culturally competent students.
“At Theodore Potter, we hold high expectations for every student while providing technology-rich instruction in an inclusive environment that honors students’ languages and cultures,” Principal Dr. Arturo Rodriguez said. “Our school is made even stronger when educators who understand the mission—and have lived it as student teachers—come back to serve our students.”
Ibanez-Rendon teaches third-grade math and Spanish at her former school. She noted that returning to teach alongside those who once taught her has been a unique experience. “I always knew I wanted to teach in a public school, especially IPS, as that was the school environment that I grew up in,” Ibanez-Rendon said. “I never thought I would work alongside teachers whom I had as a student. At first, it felt a bit weird and, at times, a bit funny as they basically saw me grow up as a student.
“I came to Theodore Potter when I was starting my fourth-grade year. I remember coming here because my mom heard that this school had Spanish as part of its learning. The reason I was sent here was that it got to the point where I couldn’t even understand my own parents when they talked to me. Hearing Spanish essentially helped it come back to me, and now I’m a teacher in a school that brought that sense of identity back.”
Rojas-Paliero teaches second-grade math and Spanish after graduating from Southport High School. She brings her perspective as an English Language Learner into her classroom: “This role challenged me in a really positive way. I’ve learned to adapt to the curriculum and grow alongside my students.” Rojas-Paliero said. “What I enjoy most is teaching in my native language and helping students see that being bilingual is something wonderful and unique.”
Monroy works with multilingual learners in grades 3–5 as an ENL teacher: “My experience as a student teacher gave me a strong foundation for my first year as an ENL teacher because I was able to learn the school’s routines, expectations, and culture firsthand,” Monroy said. “Working closely with my cooperating teacher helped me develop effective classroom management strategies, lesson planning skills, and differentiation techniques that meet the needs of diverse learners.”
The three educators support each other professionally while serving their community together—a reflection of IPS’s approach toward developing talent internally for its schools.
“I would encourage future educators, especially IPS students, to return to teach in their own community because your lived experiences help you connect with students and families in meaningful ways,” Monroy said. “Teaching where you grew up allows you to give back and serve as a role model for others.”
Indianapolis Public Schools serves over 30,000 students across central Indianapolis through various schools and programs according to its official website. The district emphasizes racial equity among its strategic priorities and focuses on fostering academic excellence through relationship-driven education. Aleesia Johnson currently serves as superintendent of IPS.
