Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #18 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #17 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #16 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #15 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #14 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!
Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #13 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!
Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #12 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast!Dear Friends,
This morning, the Senate Rules Committee decided that even though the bill to appoint the State Superintendent was “decisively defeated” on February 20th, they could revive it this session by amending it. The amended bill passed the committee 8-4 on a party line vote.
Check out the confusing new amendment, which is quoted below.
Ask your Senator and all Senators to stop diminishing the voter’s role in our democracy by maintaining the powers of Hoosier voters to elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
House Bill 1005: The Governor Wants to Appoint the State Superintendent
Let’s review the story of HB 1005:
- After 166 years, Speaker Bosma and the Governor really want to end the power of the voters to elect the State Superintendent.
- The Senate voted down the bill to do so 23-26 on February 20th.
- Senate Rule 81E (as quoted in the IndyStar) says when a bill is defeated “that exact language or substantially similar language shall be considered decisively defeated and shall not be considered again during the session.”
- All four Democrats on the Rules Committee today made comments objecting to the way Senate Rule 81E is being skirted.
- Senator Lanane made an impassioned statement that the changes being offered to get around Senate Rule 81E were just “window dressing.” “The heart of the bill” he said is to appoint the State Superintendent. He said this action is “diminishing the rule!” He said “This should not have been considered.”
- Senator Randolph said this move to get around the Senate rule would hurt the “Senate’s credibility in the public eye.”
- Chairman Long ruled against all objections and called on Speaker Bosma to present the bill and on Senator Hershman to present the amendment to HB 1005 which would allow compliance with Rule 81E.
- The amendment changes the starting date to 2025, rather than 2021.
- Secondly, the amendment reinstates the residency requirement: “has resided in Indiana for at least two (2) years before the appointment.”
- Thirdly, the amendment sets qualifications. This needs to be quoted in its entirety for you to see the confusion that is possible when you take the power out of the voter’s hands:
“(2) has demonstrated personal and professional leadership success, preferably in the administration of public education;” (Editorial note: “preferably”???)I had to quote the exact language of the amended bill for you to understand my question: Is this confusing list what we have come to after 166 years of letting the voters sort it all out in the process of our democracy?
“(3) possesses an earned advanced degree, preferably in education or educational administration, awarded from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university; and” (Editorial note: “preferably” again???)
“(4) either:
(A) at the time of taking office is licensed or otherwise employed as a teacher, principal, or superintendent;
(B) has held a license as a teacher, superintendent, or principal, or any combination of these licenses, for at least five (5) years at any time before taking office; or
(C) has a total of at least five (5) years of work experience as any of the following, or any combination of the following, before taking office:
(i) Teacher.
(ii) Superintendent.
(iii) Principal.
(iv) Executive in the field of education.
Can’t we instead trust the voters to select a qualified State Superintendent? Isn’t that what our democracy is all about?
Concerns about the New Amendment
This amendment is not ready for prime time!
The word “preferably” has no meaning under the law. It can obviously be ignored. It is surprising that such a word is used in the bill. Using “preferably” means that it is not necessary to appoint an educator to be State Superintendent. Similarly it is not necessary to appoint someone with a degree in education or educational administration.
My impression is that the amendment was written so that an MBA from the business world could fill the position after being employed as a superintendent. Superintendents are no longer required to have a superintendent’s license in Indiana.
Another concern is whether it was written for a higher education official to be appointed. No reference to K-12 experience or degrees is included in the amendment.
Let your Senators know how you feel about the new amendment. Let them know how you feel about taking the power to select the State Superintendent away from voters and giving it to the Governor.
If all 26 Senators maintain their no vote, the power of voters will not be diminished. They need to hear from voters loudly and clearly on this issue, and soon. The leadership is likely to seek action on the floor of the Senate this week.
Once again, the 26 Senators who voted no on February 20th are as follows:
Senator Becker Senator Glick Senator Leising Senator Stoops Senator Bohacek Senator Grooms Senator Melton Senator Tallian Senator Breaux Senator Head Senator Mishler Senator Taylor Senator Crane Senator Kenley Senator Mrvan Senator Tomes Senator Crider Senator Koch Senator Niemeyer Senator Young Senator Doriot Senator Kruse Senator Niezgodski Senator Ford Senator Lanane Senator Randolph
The 23 Senators who voted yes on February 20th but now should be asked to take a principled stand on Senate Rule 81E to call this bill “decisively defeated” are as follows:
Senator Alting Senator Charbonneau Senator Houchin Senator Ruckelshaus Senator Bassler Senator Delph Senator Long Senator Sandlin Senator Boots Senator Eckerty Senator Merritt Senator Smith Senator Bray Senator Freeman Senator Messmer Senator Walker Senator Brown Senator Hershman Senator Perfect Senator Zay Senator Buck Senator Holdman Senator Raatz
One Senator who was excused and did not vote on the bill was Senator Zakas, who should also be contacted on these points.
Contact Senators to Keep the Power in the Hands of Voters
If you want to maintain your power as a voter in our democracy, it’s time to go to work. Contact any and all Senators to:
- Tell them how you feel about keeping or losing the power to elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Tell them how you feel about the wording of the new amendment cited above.
Will Indiana voters defend their powers? It’s up in the air. Voters are about to lose a big one if they are not heard loudly and clearly in the next few days.
- Tell them how you feel about Senate Rule 81E and the Senators’ rationale to pass a “decisively defeated” bill.
I was one of four speakers who spoke against the bill this morning, while three spoke for the bill. The Senators need to hear from the voters.
In this era of activism, the voters of Indiana who don’t want to lose their powers in our democracy need to go to work!
Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!
Best wishes,
Vic Smith
Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #11 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast! Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #9 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast! Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #8 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast! For this edition, Sudi Naraine, IRTA's AMBA Manager, joins Tom Mellish to discuss Association Member Benefits Advisors and Medicare Supplemental Plans.Welcome and thanks for listening to Episode #7 of IRTA's podcast, Indiana EdCast! For this edition, we discussed the following points:Good afternoon,
As you may have heard, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education is offering a new scholarship this year to aspiring teachers, the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 annually to high-achieving students who agree to teach in Indiana for five years upon graduating. The Commission received over 640 applications for the 2017-18 academic year, with applicants from 84 of Indiana’s 92 counties representing 273 high schools.
In order to select the final 200 recipients, the Commission will interview over 400 finalists at eight regional locations over three weekends in March. 74 finalists from the Commission’s Northeast Outreach Region (this map shows which counties the region encompasses) have been invited to interview at Columbia City High School in Columbia City, Indiana on Saturday March 18, 2017.
Current educators, administrators and community leaders have volunteered to serve as interviewers. Many of you may have already volunteered, but the Commission can still use more volunteers! Additionally, current educators are eligible to receive one Professional Growth Point for each hour they participate in the interview.
To volunteer for the Northeast Region Interview Day, please click on this link to volunteer. If you have previously indicated an interest in volunteering, you will need to go to the link and confirm.
Please share this with other community leaders in your network to let them know about this opportunity to select students from your area for this prestigious award. Questions regarding the interviews may be directed to Liz Walker (lwalker@che.in.gov).
Sincerely,
Zach Smith
Policy Analyst
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-1069
zsmith@che.in.gov
www.che.in.gov
###
Tom Mellish of IRTA is joined by Steve Beebe to talk about the past week in the legislature and what is coming up next week. Topics include the passing of Rep. Gutwein's 13th Check Bill, contacting legislators about the need for a COLA, and HB 1437 DC Option Only.Dear Friends,
Here is your chance to stand up for public education! Come to the Statehouse on Presidents’ Day to support public education!
On February 20th, you along with your friends, family and colleagues are invited to a “Celebration of Public Education”.
Lunch is available at 12:30 (register by Feb. 15). Student choirs begin at 1:30. Speakers begin at 2:00 in the North Atrium.
These are difficult times for public education, an institution that has undergirded our democracy for 180 years:
- On Tuesday US Senators voted to confirm a private school voucher advocate with no professional experience in public schools as US Secretary of Education.
- Governor Holcomb has recommended a meager 1% budget increase in general fund tuition support during a time when inflation is now running at 1.7%. Public school programs would have to be cut just to keep up with inflation. His recommended increase in the second year of the biennium is only 2% but his budget would keep a surplus of $2 billion.
- Bills filed in both the House and the Senate seek to end the concept of public education and common schools written into Indiana’s 1851 Constitution and give public money directly to parents without accountability or oversight, using the deceiving name “Education Savings Accounts.”
Public education has been under attack for a long time. For an even longer time, public education has been a tremendous cornerstone to the progress in Indiana that we celebrated in last year’s bicentennial.
- House Bill 1004 would use the high-profile and popular pre-kindergarten expansion bill as a tool to expand private school vouchers, giving a lifetime K-12 voucher to students who have received a pre-K grant “at any time.”
It’s time to celebrate and support public education!
Public officials in the Statehouse need to put a higher priority on PUBLIC education. Only constituents and voters can get them to do that. That’s where we need your presence in the Statehouse. I hope to see you there!
Partners and Details
Many groups are in the coalition partnering to support the “Celebration of Public Education” on Presidents’ Day. Others may be added. In alphabetical order, they are:
AFT Indiana
American Association of University Women
Concerned Clergy
Indiana Coalition for Public Education
Indiana Parent Teacher Association
Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association
Indiana State Teachers Association
Indiana Urban Schools Association
Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education
Speakers at 2:00 pm in the North Atrium are being coordinated by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, and Joel Hand will serve as MC.
Displays highlighting a sampling of great things happening in public schools are invited. If you want to reserve a display table for your group or school, go to: ista-in.org/celebration
Lunch will be available on the 4th floor courtesy of the ISTA. A lunch count is requested by February 15th by emailing: dcrum@ista-in.org
Bring new and gently used classroom supplies for ISTA ReSupply and book donations to celebrate Read Across America.
I hope to see you as we celebrate public education!
Best wishes,
Vic Smith
Dear Friends,
In its meeting last Tuesday (Jan. 31), the House Education Committee passed the biggest K-12 voucher expansion since the 2013 session.
This voucher expansion is in a high profile bill to expand pre-kindergarten, House Bill 1004.
Senate Bill 276 also expands pre-kindergarten but without expanding vouchers. SB 276 deserves your active support while HB 1004 deserves your active opposition.
I urge all public school advocates to contact members of the Senate Education Committee before they vote on Wednesday February 8th (1:30pm) to support Senate Bill 276 as it stands with no link to K-12 vouchers.
The members of the Senate Education Committee are:
Republican Senators Kruse, Raatz, Bassler, Crane, Freeman, Kenley, Leising and Zay
Democratic Senators Melton, Mrvan and Stoops
Lifetime Vouchers for Pre-K ($6 M to $10.5 M): Approaching Half the Annual Funding for Pre-K Itself
House Bill 1004 gives a lifetime K-12 voucher to any student that gets a pre-kindergarten grant. The bill sets the income cap for this voucher expansion at a high level: $89,900 for a family of four. This is 200% of the reduced lunch income level and higher than most pathways to vouchers which are capped at 150% of the reduce lunch level.
The bill also doubles the number of families that can apply for a pre-K grant and thereby qualify for a lifetime voucher by raising the pre-K income cap from $31,000 to $67,000 (for a family of four).
This expensive voucher guarantee would eventually lead to voucher eligibility for all students.
Universal vouchers have long been the Holy Grail for voucher advocates like Representative Behning. Obviously if they can hitch vouchers to pre-K, they can ride the pre-K escalator up as it eventually expands to reach the goal of universal vouchers.
The expense of the voucher provision hurts the funding available for pre-K students. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency estimated that giving vouchers to all pre-K students could cost the state between $6 and $10.5 million annually. The pre-K plan itself will cost the state $20 million annually. Clearly the money to be spent on vouchers would be better spent on raising the funding to help more pre-K students.
Senate Bill 276 expands the pre-K program without the expensive baggage of expanding the K-12 voucher program. Let Senators know that you support their approach and oppose using the pre-K bill as a cover to further expand K-12 vouchers.###
Dear Friends,
Governor Holcomb’s proposed budget bump for K-12 funding is disappointingly low.
His budget was released on January 10th, one day after he called for a “world class education” for Hoosiers in his inaugural address at the state fairgrounds. He is likely to say similar things tonight in his State of the State address.
His budget calls for an increase of 1% in the first year, a total increase of $70 million. In dollars, the second year would match the $70 million and then add $140 million, a 2% increase over the first year. Adding $70 million for the first year and then $210 million for the second year makes a total increase of $280 million, a figure featured on the front page of the Indianapolis Star.
While it sounds like a lot of money, it’s a figure that doesn’t even keep up with inflation in the first year and barely does so in the second year.
The latest annual inflation rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 1.7%. The 1% Holcomb proposal is far less than the cost of living increase and would not allow schools to even keep up current programs in 2017-18, let alone correct the teacher compensation problem that has left Indiana with a highly publicized teacher shortage.
Attached is the history of school funding in Indiana’s last nine budgets. Comparing the Governor’s new proposal to this history shows that this is a weak opening proposal at a time when Indiana has a large surplus.
It would appear that Governor Holcomb is not ready to fund a “world class education.” We will hope that the House and Senate leaders can do better for public education in their budgets.
It is early in the budget process, and public school advocates need to ask members of the House and the Senate to at least match the 2.3% of the last budget cycle. If legislators want to put a true priority on supporting education, ask them to extend that support to a 3% funding increase each year.
Comparisons to the 2015 Budget
In the 2015 two-year budget, the first year increase was $157 million and the second year increase over that was $160 million. Remember that to maintain the first year increase in the second year, $157 million in new money must be added in. Therefore the two-year increase of new money in the 2015 budget was $157 million for the first year plus $157 million (to match the first year) plus $160 million for the second year, or a total of $474 million in new money.
It’s hard to see why we would do less after hearing all the recent reports about how well things are going in Indiana and how we are maintaining a large surplus. Why would our public schools be thrown back into hard times and recession era cutbacks by giving them only a 1% increase?
It is time to call or email your legislators about strong funding for our public schools. Start first with members of the House since the House budget is completed first. The Senate budget is usually unveiled in early April. Let legislators know that the public schools of Indiana need strong and stable funding to implement the high standards that have been set.
For the full context of budget proposals, study the “Total Funding” column in the attached (CLICK HERE) history of school funding increases which I have compiled over the last 18 years of Indiana budgets.
Thank you for your dedicated support of public education!
Best wishes,
Vic Smith
“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!
ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools. We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!
Go to www.icpe2011.com for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana.
Dear Friends,
At the first Senate Education Committee meeting of the 2017 Session on Wednesday January 4th, Senate Bill 30 was given a hearing. Senate Bill 30 deserves strong support.
It provides that the Indiana Department of Education give information to Indiana school districts about the name of the school that each voucher student in the district transfers to.
This bill providing greater information received widespread support in the hearing. ICPE lobbyist Joel Hand spoke in favor of the bill. The lobbyist for the Institute for Quality Education, the group that supports private school vouchers, testified in favor of the bill as well. Every group that testified favored the bill.
Senate Bill 30 will be voted on next Wednesday January 11th at the second meeting of the Senate Education Committee which begins at 1:30pm. Before that time, let the members of the committee know that you stand in strong support of Senate Bill 30.
Senate Bill 30
The sponsor of Senate Bill 30 is Senator Eric Koch, who previously served in the House of Representatives until he ran for the Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Senator Steele. Senate Bill 30 requires the Indiana Department of Education to provide two things to each public school district:
“(1) The name of each eligible school in which an eligible choice scholarship student who has legal settlement in the school corporation is enrolled; and (2) number of the eligible choice scholarship students who are enrolled in each eligible school for the current school year.This information would be very helpful to school districts as they work to meet the needs of all students who have legal settlement in their district.
Contact Senate Education Committee Members
Let your own Senator know that you support Senate Bill 30, as well as the members of the Senate Education Committee who will vote on this bill on Wednesday, January 11th. Education Committee members this year are as follows:
Republican Senators Kruse (Chair), Raatz, Bassler, Crane, Freeman, Kenley, Leising, and Zay
Democratic Senators Melton, Mrvan and Stoops
One easy way to email each Senator is to go to the Indiana General Assembly website and click on Committees and then on Senate Education Committee. You will then see small pictures of each committee member on the left. When you click on each picture, a link to send the Senator an email will come up for you to paste a brief note to each saying that you support Senate Bill 30.
Thank you for your dedicated support of public education!
Best wishes,
Vic Smith
“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!
ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools. We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!
Go to www.icpe2011.com for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana.
