IPS to spend $15M on retention bonuses, more flexibility for teachers
Indianapolis Public Schools plans to spend federal emergency funds on cash bonuses to reward staff who stay with the district, officials announced last week.
Aleksandra Appleton, Chalkbeat Indiana
Articles
As COVID protocols end, young students and new teachers adjust
For veteran teachers and older students, this is a return to normalcy. But for some young students and new teachers, this is among the first times they’ve experienced in-person learning without restrictions or interruptions.
Indiana legislators passed these education bills in 2022
Indiana lawmakers managed to pack the calendar with education-related legislation this year. Here’s a look at what survived and what didn’t.
‘Nearing a collapse,’ Indiana needs more special educators
The number of working special education teachers in Indiana declined around 4% from 2014 to 2021, while the number of students in special education grew 12%, according to the Indiana Department of Education.
Indiana’s ‘divisive concepts’ education bill dies in Senate
Speaking after the vote, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said some Republican lawmakers thought the bill created too much of a burden for educators, while others thought it didn’t go far enough.
‘Divisive concepts’ bill moves forward in the Indiana Senate
A bill to restrict teaching about race and racism has taken another step forward in the Indiana legislature after undergoing some changes.
Despite supermajority, Indiana Republicans change curriculum bill
Although the changes haven’t satisfied most critics, the effort highlights the tightrope walk between appeasing core conservative voters and not alienating moderates as political opinions in rural and suburban areas pull in opposite directions, analysts said.
Proposed change to ‘divisive concepts’ bill would ban fewer ideas
A proposed amendment to Indiana’s so-called “divisive concepts” legislation would drop some of the most controversial parts of the bill, but stop short of completely removing a list of concepts that would be banned from the classroom.
Education legislation status report: Where all the bills stand in the Statehouse
Bills that would ban schools from teaching “divisive concepts” and open libraries to prosecution for distributing harmful material have passed the first hurdles of the Indiana Legislature.
IPS considers new charter partner to run struggling west-side school
School 42, a small K-6 school, has faced years of declining achievement that ultimately led IPS to decline to renew a contract with Ignite, its current operator.
‘Whitewashing history’: Indiana teachers fear anti-CRT bill threatens lessons
Some teachers fear they would have to water down or eliminate lessons about important events in history if the state passes sweeping new regulations on how they may address race and racism.
Indiana lawmaker says curriculum bill doesn’t ban teachers from condemning racism
The bill, authored by Rep. Tony Cook, R-Cicero, would ban teachers from promoting eight concepts, including teaching about race and racism in a way that makes students feel responsible for matters like slavery and discrimination.
IPS hopes to turn former high school into community hub
The Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners approved a plan Thursday to sell the John Marshall school building to a yet to be determined not-for-profit organization for $725,000.
IPS wants to end ties with charter school; families want 2nd chance
The school district announced earlier this month that it would recommend ending a contract with Ignite Achievement Academy to operate Elder W. Diggs School 42.
Indiana should lift law requiring yellow buses, charter group says
The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based charter advocacy group, highlighted in a new report how the yellow-bus requirement creates a costly burden for charter schools in particular.
Indiana study: Test scores go up when students stay with same teacher
The practice of rematching students with teachers over two years led to stronger classroom relationships, which in turn led to a small but notable increase in math and reading scores, the study found.
Indiana’s IREAD scores show unequal effects of pandemic on children
The gap in passing rates on state tests between white and Black students grew to 25.5 percentage points last spring from 2019.
At Pike schools, tensions with labor groups disrupt return to in-person learning
Dual labor disputes have disrupted hopes for a smooth comeback at Pike Township schools this year—and officials have warned families that more cancelations of in-person classes could be possible.
Elementary specialization in Indiana cuts teacher effectiveness, study says
By teaching fewer subjects to more students, specialists run the risk of weakened student relationships, reducing teacher effectiveness in reading and math, according to the paper.
Report: Local Black, Hispanic children face ‘chronic lack of access’ to quality education
For students in Marion County, the deficiency begins in preschool and lasts until they’re preparing for college, according to a new report commissioned by the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.