Bennett, Messer on possibility list for Trump’s education secretary
Former Indiana State Superintendent Tony Bennett and Republican Congressman Luke Messer of Shelbyville could have an edge with Mike Pence leading the transition team.
Chalkbeat Indiana
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Mind Trust has big plans for Indianapolis schools—and now it needs big money
The group is seeking to raise $32 million to fund the first half of its plan, which aims to double the number of students within Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries who attend highly rated schools.
Glenda Ritz leaving office with a mixed legacy
Supporters saw her as an energetic leader who wouldn’t buckle to the establishment. Opponents saw her as nothing more than a a one-hit wonder.
Incumbent Odle loses IPS board seat in stunning shakeup
Sam Odle’s loss was a significant upset for the current administration. A former top executive at Indiana University Health, Odle won his seat with a wave of reformers in 2012.
Voters in two local districts approve funding measures
Voters in Washington Township in Marion County and in Westfield Washington Schools in Hamilton County on Tuesday approved referendums to increase school funding.
McCormick unseats Ritz to become state superintendent
Democrat Glenda Ritz had clashed often with Republicans at the Statehouse after her election in 2012.
Unanticipated resignation of IPS board member adds to uncertainty
LaNier Echols’ decision to quit could shake up an already contentious race for control of the IPS board. With 10 candidates vying for four seats on the seven-member board on Tuesday, the balance of power is at stake in the election even without Echols’ seat.
PAC spends big on a local election, but no one quite knows why
A big influx of money is shaking up a school board race in Indianapolis, with tens of thousands of dollars coming from out-of-state school reform advocates.
Indiana sees higher demand for teacher licenses than last year
After two years of Indiana schools fretting about whether there are enough teachers to fill every classroom, the state is now seeing an uptick in the number of people becoming teachers.
Superintendent candidates both say Indiana schools need more money
Restrictions put in place over the past few years on how much school districts can collect from property taxes mean districts have to more frequently ask voters through referendums to pay more in taxes to support schools.
Indiana students outscore U.S. peers on national science test
Despite improvement, most Indiana students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress test did not meet the exam’s key “proficiency” standard in science.
Washington Township district warns of staff cuts if voters don’t choose tax hike
If the school district’s ballot measures worth $230 million pass, the district says it will upgrade technology, renovate existing schools and build a new elementary school.
As deadline looms, panel struggles to line up ISTEP replacement
Some members of a key testing advisory panel admit it’s increasingly likely the state will have to keep its unpopular ISTEP a bit longer.
IPS board OKs magnet-admission changes, opening doors to more diversity
Beginning next year, low-income students and children of color will have a better chance of admission to the most sought-after magnet programs in Indianapolis Public Schools.
Candidates for governor push different visions of Indiana’s state test
John Gregg and Eric Holcomb discussed several education issues at an Indianapolis high school Tuesday during their first campaign debate.
Holcomb’s education plan touts school choice, measured preschool expansion
In dueling speeches to education groups, gubernatorial candidates Eric Holcomb and John Gregg laid out their plans to improve state schools.
Both superintendent candidates agree: A-F grades for schools too harsh
When voters go to the polls this fall to decide who should run the state’s top education office, both candidates will be people who believe that one grade isn’t enough to reflect the work of an entire school or district.
In danger of closure, charter school transfers students to sister school
Indiana State Board of Education members were stunned to learn Wednesday that a failing charter school transferred some of its neediest students to a newly created sister school just before the board was expected to decide its fate.
Failing online charter school’s fate on the line
The Indiana State Board of Education on Wednesday must once again decide what to do about one of the state’s lowest-scoring online charter schools.
Indiana could see a push for school choice savings accounts
Critics worry the accounts would be too unregulated and could divert even more money from public schools.