Holcomb signs bill delaying penalties from ILEARN
Indiana schools and teachers won’t face any penalties from lower scores on the 2019 and 2020 versions of the state’s new standardized exam.
Public schools
Articles
Teacher gun training program clears Indiana Senate
The state Senate voted 42-7 Tuesday in favor of the bill that specifies a 40-hour training program for teachers volunteering to be armed, followed by 16 hours of additional training each year.
State lawmakers send school ‘hold harmless’ bill to governor
Schools won’t be punished for low test scores earned during the first two years of the state’s new ILEARN test—a move by state lawmakers Monday that will render schools’ 2019 and 2020 state grades essentially meaningless.
Indiana has new tool to give parents data about schools
Users of the newly launched INview will have more immediate access to how much schools and districts are spending per student, as well as how that figure compares to the state average and other schools with similar demographics.
Complexity of Indiana school funding complicates teacher pay debate
Top Republicans touted “record investment” in school spending in defending themselves as thousands of teachers turned out for a Statehouse rally this past week calling for a bigger boost in education funding. But it’s not that simple.
Indianapolis Public Schools board signs off on $31 million in raises
A 2018 voter-backed referendum funded the latest round of pay increases. Some teachers will see their salaries go up by as much as $9,400 this year, a significant increase designed to account for years of recession-era pay freezes.
Dozens of Indiana districts cancel classes for teachers to rally for higher pay
So many teachers asked to take Nov. 19 off to rally at the Indiana Statehouse for higher pay that nearly 30 districts across the state have canceled school or scheduled e-learning days.
U.S. students’ performance lags on Nation’s Report Card
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the overall national results demonstrated a “student achievement crisis” that can’t be fixed by pouring more money into the traditional public school system.
IPS teachers could see raises as high as $9,400 under tentative contract deal
Teachers across the district would see substantial pay increases under the proposal, with the district’s starting salary for teachers rising to $45,200 this school year, according to a union official.
Indiana audit: Three ex-school administrators were overpaid $650K
The audit determined that Greenfield-Central Schools’ former business manager, former assistant superintendent and former associate superintendent were each significantly overpaid between 2010 and 2018.
Amid key expansion, Indiana fills its On My Way Pre-K seats
Lawmakers decided to open up pre-K to all eligible families in Indiana, rather than restricting pre-K vouchers to 20 counties.
IPS teachers union membership declines after year of turmoil
The newly released data, which comes from annual state-mandated disclosures, is the first indication of how members have responded to the Indianapolis Education Association’s tumultuous year.
A new Indianapolis teacher residency focuses on practice over theory
The Relay Graduate School of Education opened a campus in Indianapolis this year and is training its first class of 10 students, with plans to expand locally in the coming years.
Dem gubernatorial candidate proposes minimum pay for teachers, education endowment fund
Josh Owens, one of three Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb next year, said he would cap the state’s rainy day fund and put the excess funds into an endowment to support public education. He also wants to phase out school vouchers.
Indiana Democrat pitches teacher-pay plan, but it could be hard sell
Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, put forward a plan this week to raise teachers’ salaries. Among his proposals: give school districts incentives to set minimum pay at $40,000, and freeze corporate tax rates to pay for it.
Hidden dropouts: How Indiana schools write off departing students as home-schoolers
When students are recorded as leaving for home schools in Indiana, they’re left out of a school’s graduation calculations, as though they never attended at all.
From ‘chill out’ spaces to weekend hours, new principal attempts to turn around School 43
School 43 has gone through at least five leaders in five years. But its latest principal, Lauren Johnson, wants parents and neighbors to know that she’s here to stay.
Teachers give Holcomb’s commission ideas for increasing pay
The Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission is tasked with conducting research, receiving feedback and providing a report to Gov. Eric Holcomb and state lawmakers before the 2021 legislative session.
Volkswagen settlement funds fuel-efficient buses, trucks
Indiana is receiving $41 million from the $2.9 billion portion of the settlement dedicated to funding projects that reduce diesel emissions.
Project means new housing for 2,000 Indiana University students
IU accelerated the timetable for renovations to the Foster Quad and McNutt Quad residence halls after mold was found in both buildings last fall.