Dem lawsuit alleges school board meeting violation
A Democratic elections lawyer is suing the State Board of Education for allegedly violating Indiana's open meetings law.
Education & Workforce Development
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Endowment pledges $63M toward fight against brain drain
The Lilly Endowment will give nearly $63 million in grants to 39 Indiana colleges and universities to boost job prospects for their graduates, pushing the endowment’s anti-brain-drain campaign to $120 million over the past decade.
Ritz, school board members meeting with mediator
Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and Gov. Mike Pence agreed last week to bring in the national group after disagreements escalated.
Lawson lauds $14M union insurance plan settlement
The agreement would end a four-year legal battle with Indiana's largest teachers union. But the Indiana State Teachers Association accused a Republican official of playing politics as she heads into an election year.
School districts could recover $14 million in settlement
Indiana school districts which invested in a failed union health insurance plan could get back roughly half of the money they lost, if they approve the settlement.
State GOP leaders to drop Common Core standards
House Speaker Brian Bosma of Indianapolis and Senate President David Long of Fort Wayne plan to direct the Republican-controlled Legislature to require the state to create its own set of reading and math standards.
IU assembling plan to ‘disaster proof’ its campuses
The university is interested in receiving funding to move utilities out of bottom floors to mitigate water issues during a flood. Other options would be to retrofit buildings and create better refuge from disasters.
National group will help mediate education board dispute
Republican Gov. Mike Pence and Democratic Superintendent Glenda Ritz met behind closed doors Tuesday and agreed to engage an outside group to help mediate disputes within the State Board of Education.
Indiana robotics event aims to boost STEM interest
Indianapolis Vex Robotics Competition is designed to buttress science, technology, engineering and math skills.
Butler University’s Danko seeks lasting gains from hoops glory
The new president is seeking to build lasting gains from the school’s 15 minutes of hoops glory.
Access counselor says education board didn’t violate law
Public Access Counselor Luke Britt also warned in an advisory opinion that “final decisions are meant to be open and transparent,” and urged the board and agencies to be careful about following the spirit of the state’s Open Door Law.
ITT, Corinthian face consumer bureau probe over lending
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is investigating at least two for-profit colleges, including ITT Educational Services Inc., over potentially abusive practices in marketing and originating student loans.
Pacers hire Disney to help upgrade service
The Indiana Pacers recently entered a long-term contract with Walt Disney Co.’s Disney Institute, to polish customer service from top to bottom.
Avon firm enters competitive video game industry to promote reading
An Indianapolis firm that makes software for libraries has teamed with an elementary schoolteacher to improve kids’ reading skills by using books’ longtime nemesis—video games.
Muncie OKs consolidating two high schools into one
School board members voted 4-1 Monday night in favor of turning Southside High School into a middle school and moving its students to Central High School.
Chaotic education board raises ‘Rules’ questions
Amid the chaos and fighting that has become Indiana's Board of Education meetings of late, the question has popped up: Why not follow Robert's Rules of Order?
Pence seeks national group’s help in education fight
Mike Pence asked a national school boards group to step into an ongoing power struggle with Indiana Schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz on Friday, an offer she said was meaningless unless he deals with her directly.
Study: IU, Purdue rank best in return on investment
Big budgets used to rule in college rankings. But that could be changing. A new report from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education is the latest effort among several nationally to score universities on their bang for the buck.
Ex-Indiana schools chief faces ethics complaint
Indiana's top ethics official has filed a complaint against former schools Superintendent Tony Bennett for using state resources for political reasons.
State education board meeting erupts as Ritz walks out
A tug-of-war between Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and 10 other members of the State Board of Education erupted during a discussion about Common Core curriculum standards, leading Ritz to abruptly adjourn the meeting and leave.