Kristi Charbonneau, an alumni of New Albany High School, is back in the building as a Special Education Facilitator.
“I graduated from NAHS in ‘93, my husband went here in ‘86, and my kids went here as well,” Charbonneau said. “I remember being a student here; the school’s layout was completely different. We used to have what we called the ‘gerbil tube’, which was like a skyway where you could walk from class to class.”
Charbonneau presses the need to ‘change it up’, which is why you can now find her in the counseling office rather than at the front of the classroom.
“I taught English for 10 years, and reading Odyssey six times a day for years and years can get kind of boring. I think it’s always good to change it up, because you get kind of stagnant if you do the same thing for too long.”
Having a voice and staying informed is important to Charbonneau, which is why she’s also an active member of the teacher’s association and spends time out of the office advocating for public education. This year, she is the legislative action team member.
“My role involves meeting with senators and representatives to talk about laws and pending bills that affect public education,” Charbonneau said. “We discuss whether those laws and bills are harmful or hurtful. I also go up to Indianapolis from time to time to advocate for beneficial bills to be passed.”
Given how passionate she is about education, it’s no surprise that Charbonneau’s love for teaching is in her genetics.
“My mom inspired me to become a teacher,” the Bulldog alumnus said. “She taught at Slate Run and I would always help her set up her classrooms and play with all of her kids. She would take me to all of the ‘bring your kid to work’ days, and I loved it.”
Though she spends a lot of time focused on education in and out the office, Charbonneau also has lots of hobbies to keep her busy in her free time.
“Outside of school, I enjoy reading, shopping, spending time outside, traveling, and working in the yard. I love being outside, especially in hot weather.”
