Proposed change to education bill would allow Ritz to keep chair

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz would continue to lead the State Board of Education until the end of her first term in office under a new plan proposed Monday by Republican lawmakers.

Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican, and GOP lawmakers have pushed for allowing the board to select any of its members as chairman, a move that likely would oust Ritz as chairman and end a decades-old law that makes the state superintendent the board's automatic leader.

Supporters say the change in leadership addresses well-known dysfunction between Ritz and other board members that Pence currently appoints.

As lawmakers approach the end of the session, Senate Republicans unveiled their plan to rework the State Board of Education. The proposal would still allow the State Board of Education to choose its own leader, but not until after the 2016 election, allowing Ritz to finish out her first term in office. Previous versions would have required the change to take effect as early as this summer.

Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, said the change is a negotiation with opponents who have argued that the measure would disenfranchise voters who elected Ritz in 2012.

"This has been a work in progress from Day One," he said. "We think this is a good compromise."

The plan would shrink the board from 11 members to nine: the superintendent, six appointments by the governor and one appointment each from the House speaker and Senate president pro tem.

Holdman said the change in size will increase efficiency and help hold board members accountable for their responsibilities.

The plan also would give the board new authority over the ISTEP standardized test for students, which is currently controlled by the Indiana Department of Education.

John Barnes, legislative affairs director for the education department, said putting two different entities in charge of a program that affects 400,000 students each year is a big mistake.

With ISTEP, "you've got to be able to make snap decisions," he said. "There isn't time for two different entities to consult about what's going on."

Barnes also expressed concerns about putting volunteer board members in charge of a program that takes experts in student assessments to implement and control.

A spokesman for the Board of Education pointed out that current board contains two members with doctorates in education leadership; four current teachers; one current principal; a university president who was also a former teacher, principal and superintendent; and two attorneys.

Both the House and Senate have approved versions of the bill, but lawmakers face a Wednesday deadline to reach a final agreement.

House Republicans backed leaving all the current positions in place while adding one appointment each for the House and Senate leaders.