As pre-K gains momentum in Indiana, pandemic creates new obstacles
After several years of building up its pre-K program, Indiana is now poised to evaluate the success of On My Way Pre-K. But the coronavirus could make it difficult.
Education & Workforce Development
Articles
Central Indiana school temporarily closes after positive virus test
Meanwhile, parents and caregivers of football players at an Indianapolis high school have been told to monitor their children after a player at Warren Central tested positive for the virus.
Parenting: ‘The mom shame is so real’: There’s no way to win in the pandemic
As schools across the country announce their plans for the fall, working parents are forced to choose from an array of bad options: Send your kids back to school, if it’s open, and risk coronavirus exposure—or keep them home with little or no supervision as you try to simultaneously parent, do your job and monitor your child’s online schooling.
Marc MCaleavey & Sara Beanblossom: Why after school care is essential to reopening Indiana’s schools
What we knew before the pandemic, but now understand in new and meaningful ways, is the importance of partnerships, many of which have been nurtured over the span of years. Collaboration among all stakeholders and most importantly schools, will be essential in order to “reopen” Indiana’s schools and support our workforce economy in the most efficient and effective way.
IPS board delays return to classrooms until at least October
IPS struggled with the shift to remote instruction in March, but officials said they were taking steps to mitigate problems this time around.
Marion County health officials cap middle, high school capacity at 50%
Marion County Public Health Department Director Virginia Caine also recommended that high-risk teachers and students be allowed to opt out of in-person instruction.
Faulty bar exam software tossed in favor of emails, open books
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday again revamping the July 2020 bar exam, opting to send test questions by email and allowing applicants to refer to notes and course materials during the test.
IPS officials want to start school year with all-virtual classes
If the proposal is approved by the school district’s board on Thursday, IPS will delay in-person instruction at least until October.
Law schools expecting first-year enrollment to remain steady
Despite the upheaval and uncertainty the pandemic has created for legal education, law school admissions officers say this fall’s first-year law class will likely be the same size, if not bigger, than the class that started in fall 2019.
Liberty Fund taps longtime tech-marketing exec as new chief executive
Sean Shelby will join Liberty Fund on Aug. 31, succeeding CEO and President Emilio Pacheco, who has led the organization since 2016.
Pence in Indianapolis: ‘We have to open up America’s schools’
Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Education Betsy Devos and Dr. Deborah Birx, a leader of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, joined Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and leaders of Marian University on Friday for a roundtable about how to reopen K-12 schools and and universities.
EDITORIAL: Feds should stay out of local decisions about whether to reopen schools
Considerations about whether students should be in school are about far more than just whether it’s the best learning environment.
Ivy Tech breaks ground on $14M automotive tech center in International Marketplace
The center will move operations from a building it has operated in for several years at 1331 E. Washington St.
College Football Playoff Foundation contributes $800,000 to Indiana eLearning lab
The lab was announced several months ago as a project by the Indianapolis eLearning Fund, which was formed to support teachers in Indianapolis as they transitioned to eLearning. The fund contributed $1.6 million to developing the lab, which is now up and running.
Parents with means are hiring teachers, creating ‘pods’ for their kids
Fed up with remote education, parents who can pay have a new plan for fall: import teachers to their homes.
More area school districts hitting brakes on reopening plans
The shift indicates a wariness among school district leaders as COVID-19 cases statewide rise and both parents and teachers push back against bringing students into classrooms.
Lilly, IU School of Medicine team up on $5M immunology research pact
Under the agreement, researchers will study patients who used Lilly autoimmune therapies that are under consideration for the treatment of other autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis.
Nordic study suggests open schools did not measurably affect spread of virus
It’s not the first time researchers have raised questions about the merits of shutting schools during the pandemic. A French study last month found that schoolchildren don’t appear to transmit COVID-19 to peers or teachers.
Lumina Foundation to devote $15M to dismantling systemic racism
The Indianapolis-based grant maker intends about 25% of the money to help organizations and initiatives in Indiana over three years. Half a million dollars already has been committed to the Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund.
IPS delays school reopenings due to COVID-19 concerns
In-person classes and remote learning will now begin on Aug. 17, instead of the previously planned Aug. 3 start. Families can also reconsider whether they want full-time virtual learning when school starts.