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.
Education & Workforce Development
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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.
Indiana unemployment rate improves to 11.2% in June
Private sector employment increased as employees returned to work in the hospitality and manufacturing sectors, as well as in educational and health services.
Indiana educators brace to return to classrooms despite coronavirus health risks
Even in schools and districts that are offering virtual programs, it’s unclear how many teachers will be dedicated to remote instruction and whether those positions will go to teachers who are high risk.
Wayne Township delays school reopening until Aug. 12
The Indianapolis district, which enrolls about 17,000 students, will give families the option to enroll children full time in person or to sign up for virtual education.
Trump administration rescinds pandemic rule on foreign students
Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the administration called off a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic.