tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72623865210667602152024-03-13T08:59:45.096-04:00FWEA ExperienceStuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15854925612517206979noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-11383366406054557112021-04-17T09:53:00.001-04:002021-04-17T09:53:20.398-04:00Blog closing<div>To keep up to date on FWEA information visit the <a href="https://www.fortwayneeducationassociation.com" target="_blank">FWEA Home page</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.fortwayneeducationassociation.com" target="_blank">https://www.fortwayneeducationassociation.com</a><br />
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
###<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-52136280932451061932021-03-05T12:50:00.005-05:002021-03-05T12:50:38.597-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #353 – March 4, 2021Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Milton Friedman, the famous economist who passed away in 2006, wanted to end public schools and get the government out of education. He proposed to just give tax money directly to parents to let them pay for their child’s education from vendors or schools in a competitive private marketplace.<br />
<br />
He didn’t see public education as a public benefit to teach about democracy to each student in each new generation. He wrote in <u>Free to Choose</u> (1980):<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>“compulsory attendance laws are the justification for government control over the standards of private schools. But it is far from clear that there is any justification for the compulsory attendance laws themselves.” and</li><li>“The possibility exists that some public schools would be left with the dregs.”</li></ul>
Amazingly, Friedman’s stark view of parent-run schools has been approved for Indiana by the Indiana House in House Bill 1005 for 187,000 eligible students, about one in six Hoosier students. No supervision, no accountability, no community responsibility.<br />
<br />
The parent grants to be given out through an online portal estimated to cost $5 million and run by the Indiana Treasurer are now called Education Scholarship Accounts (ESA’s).<br />
<br />
Eligible students in House Bill 1005 include special education, activity military, and foster students. The real goal pursued for years by Friedman’s wealthy followers who have spread campaign cash across Indiana and the United States is to give ESA’s to all parents and to end public education.<br />
<br />
In HB 1005, the ESA camel’s nose is under the tent.<br />
<br /><b><u>
The House Vote<br /></u></b>
<br />
The vote was 61-38. While 9 Republicans opposed this caucus-priority bill, it was not enough to stop it. The roll call is listed below. Now it must be stopped in the Senate.<br />
<br />
Representative Behning, the author of HB 1005, cleverly mixed the radical Friedman plan into the bill alongside a “traditional” expansion of payments for current private school vouchers. Most of those who testified for the bill wanted to see bigger voucher payments, and that section of the bill is what the media has focused on. Bigger voucher payments would cost over $60 million over the next two years.<br />
<br />
The real danger, though, is giving money to the parents of eligible students (approx. $7000 plus up to $9100 for special education students) with no regard to their support of extremist ideologies or their support of the U.S. Constitution. Parents can get these public funds simply by applying online but the flaws are obvious:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the parent “must agree that” they “will use part of the money” for the “student’s study in the subject of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, or science” or the student’s “individualized education program”. These quotes are directly from HB 1005.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>That’s all! It’s the lowest standard imaginable, and no one will monitor even this parent responsibility because the bill specifically bans curriculum oversight by the state.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Criminal background checks, required for teachers, are not required for parents to get their ESA money. Parents with records of neglect or abuse or fraud are not excluded by HB 1005. No restrictions on parents are included in the bill!</li></ul>
HB 1005 carries the seeds of fraud and partisanship. Home schools using taxpayer funds to teach extremist ideology are an obvious possibility. Did the proponents really read this bill before approving it?<br />
<br /><b><u>Bipartisan Opposition and Partisan Support</u></b><br />
<br />
Those voting against HB 1005 in the House represented a bipartisan opposition:<br />
<br /><u>
Republicans Voting to Oppose HB 1005</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jBJi7A9-dw/YEJsugIHNuI/AAAAAAAADVU/9VVmochPKN0j_JCAG-Qdnr1fwEIhi8kiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1122/Block1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="1122" height="89" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jBJi7A9-dw/YEJsugIHNuI/AAAAAAAADVU/9VVmochPKN0j_JCAG-Qdnr1fwEIhi8kiQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h89/Block1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><u>
Democrats Voting to Oppose HB 1005</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cK6JMLl9Lvs/YEJsz8drhfI/AAAAAAAADVY/Rxie1OrbliwYQqqT-1_5fH2JZDWM_uH2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1510/block2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1510" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cK6JMLl9Lvs/YEJsz8drhfI/AAAAAAAADVY/Rxie1OrbliwYQqqT-1_5fH2JZDWM_uH2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h158/block2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><u>
Those voting to support HB 1005 in the House were all Republicans:</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wO-DHX28qbE/YEJs47q1s5I/AAAAAAAADVc/j8Txc5isrMYYPs0Xxd_6qje6eyFYMGMfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1495/block3.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1495" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wO-DHX28qbE/YEJs47q1s5I/AAAAAAAADVc/j8Txc5isrMYYPs0Xxd_6qje6eyFYMGMfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h306/block3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
The 9 Republicans and 29 Democrats who opposed HB 1005 and stood up for public education deserve messages of thanks from public school advocates.<br /><br /><b><u>
What Can You Do to Protect our Democracy from ESA’s in the Second Half of the General Assembly</u></b><br />
<br />
Bills now switch Houses for consideration, so House Bill 1005 will be considered by the Senate. Write the Senators on the Senate Education Committee to let them know of your strong opposition to the flawed and dangerous threat to our democracy, House Bill 1005.<br />
<br />
House Bill 1005 is not currently on the committee agenda for March 10th but could be heard in committee as early as Wednesday, March 17th.<br />
<br />
Let the Senators on the committee know you oppose the dangerous concept of Education Scholarship Accounts and the expensive expansion of the current voucher system, especially when teacher pay has not been addressed. The committee members (click on the name for email addresses) are:<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov">Senator Jeff Raatz</a><br />
<a href="mailto:s20@iga.in.gov">Senator Scott Baldwin</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Buchanan@iga.in.gov">Senator Brian Buchanan</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Crane@iga.in.gov">Senator John Crane</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Donato@iga.in.gov">Senator Stacey Donato</a><br />
<a href="mailto:s29@iga.in.gov">Senator J.D. Ford</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Kruse@iga.in.gov">Senator Dennis Kruse</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov">Senator Jean Leising</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Melton@iga.in.gov">Senator Eddie Melton</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov">Senator Fady Qaddoura</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov">Senator Linda Rogers</a><br />
<a href="mailto:s31@iga.in.gov">Senator Kyle Walker</a><br />
<a href="mailto:Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov">Senator Shelli Yoder</a><br /><br />
In the final days of the first half of the session, Senate Bill 412 was not passed out of committee. Senate Bill 413 was amended to reduce voucher expansion to only one element: foster students would become eligible for Choice Scholarships. It passed 32-15 and now goes to the House. Your messages certainly helped tamp down these flawed Senate bills.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br /><br />
Best wishes,<br /><br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-78672524723226541122021-02-02T21:34:00.004-05:002021-02-02T21:34:45.510-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #350 – February 2, 2021Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Shock and awe!<br />
<br />
Public education in Indiana is truly under attack.<br />
<br />
In a late move that I did not hear about until this morning, the Senate Education Committee has also scheduled their version of the Education Savings Accounts bill to be heard on the same afternoon as the House version. The Senate Education Committee begins tomorrow (Feb. 3) at 2pm, and the House Education Committee begins at 3:30pm.<br />
<br />
The Senate version in Senate Bill 412 differs from the House version in House Bill 1005 in several ways:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>SB 412 calls the money taken from schools and given to parents “Personalized Education Grants” instead of “Education Savings Accounts.”</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>SB 412 makes no changes in the income tiers of Choice Scholarships.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Legislative Services Agency says SB 412 will cost $112 million over two years for the “grants”, less than the $202 million price tag over two years for HB1005. This reflects the omission of extra money in SB 412 for expanded Choice Scholarships.</li></ul>
Still, both bills take the fiscal cost right out of the tuition support budget, increased in the Governor’s budget by $377 million, but now reduced substantially by either of these two bills.<br />
<br />
Senate Bill 412 would also authorize the Indiana Treasurer to set up an online portal costing, according to the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, as much as $11 million to let parents take the money that now goes to schools (approximately $7000 per student) so the parents can run unsupervised home or independent schools. The Treasurer can hire a bank to do the work and can keep 3% (instead of 1%) of every account for the trouble.<br />
<br />
Senate Bill 412 makes 186,000 students eligible for these grants, 60,000 less than the House Bill. Again, the ultimate goal of Milton Friedman and his followers in the Indiana Senate is to make all students eligible for grants and let parents spend all education money without state supervision.<br />
<br />
This is the Milton Friedman path to end public education in Indiana.<br />
<br /><u><b>
SB 412 is scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 2:00 in the Senate Education Committee.</b></u><br />
<br />
You’re getting much practice in contacting legislators. Can you contact Senators about SB 412?<br />
<br />
This is clearly the most serious attack on public education that I have ever seen.<br />
<br />
Let Senators on the Education Committee listed below know that you support public schools and oppose bills that hurt public schools.<br />
<br />
Email Senators on the Education Committee by Wednesday Afternoon<br />
<br />
Here is the list:<br />
<br />
Senator Jeff Raatz <a href="mailto:Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov">Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Scott Baldwin <a href="mailto:s20@iga.in.gov">s20@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Brian Buchanan <a href="mailto:Senator.Buchanan@iga.in.gov">Senator.Buchanan@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator John Crane <a href="mailto:Senator.Crane@iga.in.gov">Senator.Crane@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Stacey Donato <a href="mailto:Senator.Donato@iga.in.gov">Senator.Donato@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator J.D. Ford <a href="mailto:s29@iga.in.gov">s29@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Dennis Kruse <a href="mailto:Senator.Kruse@iga.in.gov">Senator.Kruse@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Jean Leising <a href="mailto:Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov">Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Eddie Melton <a href="mailto:Senator.Melton@iga.in.gov">Senator.Melton@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Fady Qaddoura <a href="mailto:Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov">Senator.Qaddoura@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Linda Rogers <a href="mailto:Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov">Senator.Rogers@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Kyle Walker <a href="mailto:s31@iga.in.gov">s31@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Senator Shelli Yoder <a href="mailto:Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov">Senator.Yoder@iga.in.gov</a><br />
<br /><u><b>
SB 412 contains Milton Friedman’s Plan to End Public Education. Please send your objections!</b></u><br />
<br />
My testimony seen below has been sent to Senate Education Committee members. Feel free to use points from this and then add your own.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br /><u><b>
Testimony on SB 412 submitted by Dr. Vic Smith, Indianapolis RE: Hearing on February 3, 2021</b></u><br />
<br />
I strongly oppose SB 412. Personalized Education Grants are the same as Education Savings Accounts, Milton Friedman’s method of ending public education, and will open the door to giving public education money to unsupervised and unaccountable parents instead of to accountable and transparent schools. Under SB 412:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Partisan extremists could use state home school money to teach their children to disobey the U.S. Constitution. They will get public money, but no civic education about our democracy is required.</li><li>Racist parents could use state money to teach racist ideology in their home or independent school. SB 412 bans any state supervision of independent school curriculum.</li><li>Parents of special education students could spend state money on therapy that does not work. There is no evaluation of student progress required.</li><li>The State Treasurer would be required to promote the tax advantages of the Personalized Education Grants as an incentive to get parents to leave their school districts and sign up for the program. Every student in the grants program takes about $7000 out of the budget of the student’s public school district. This would obviously hurt the public schools that educate 90% of our students. The State Treasurer gets to keep 3% of the grants for their work.</li></ul>
LSA puts the fiscal cost of SB 412 at $112 million for two years. SB 412 says on p. 26 that this money will come from the tuition support budget. That means that Gov. Holcomb’s proposed tuition support increase of $377 million for two years is actually only $265 million, clearly not enough for all the rest of the K-12 schools.<br />
<br />
The concept of “Personalized Education Grants” for special education and 504 students and foster students included in SB 412 is so detrimental to high educational standards, so dismissive of maintaining accountability with public tax money, and so potentially dangerous to our democracy that it should be rejected outright as soon as possible.<br />
<br />
Why would Personalized Education Grants, as known as Education Savings Accounts, be so detrimental to education in Indiana?<br />
<blockquote>1) The grants would give public money on a debit card to parents who sign an agreement to educate their child in “reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies or science.” That’s all! The bill actually says “or” in this list, so studying just one subject would fulfill a parent’s obligation. It’s an unregulated and narrow education. No art, no music, no health, no vocational subjects. This would absolutely lower standards for students just as standards for public school students in recent years have been raised.<br />
2) The plan includes no obligation for annual testing or public accountability except for students who enroll in schools giving ILEARN. No accountability is required of students in home or micro schools.<br />
3) The bill would give 100% of ADM money (more than a 90% voucher) to high income parents of special education and 504 students and foster children. It would even allow wealthy parents who are already paying private school tuition to get a grant and put it in a Coverdell college fund.<br />
4) The bill would give the entire amount of public money for eligible students directly to parents, paving the way in a few years for the real goal to give the entire amount of public money to parents of all students on a debit card. These bills to privatize schooling would immediately divert money away from our public school students and over time would undermine funding for all students in both public schools and private voucher schools. This bill undermines the very concept of schools.<br />
5) The bill would allow parents to home school their child with public money, paying for an approved provider, for a tutor and for textbooks. Public school parents would surely like to have the state pay for their textbooks as well, but public school parents must pay their own textbook rental.<br />
6) The bill would give public money to parents with very weak provisions for fraud protection. Parents with past records of felonies or neglect or child abuse are not excluded.</blockquote>If this Education Savings Account concept is not decisively rejected, it will confirm the theory that all of the standards and testing regulations heaped upon our public schools in the past decade have just been techniques to make privatized vouchers and grants look attractive to individual parents, giving them an incentive to leave the public schools in order to run home schools or independent schools with taxpayer money. This concept is taken from Milton Friedman’s plan to end community public schools. It should be totally and promptly rejected.<br />
<br />
This concept of Personalized Education Grants, also known as Education Savings Accounts, is too radical and potentially damaging for any further consideration. The Senate turned down this concept in the 2017 session, and they should do so again.<br />
<br />
Thank you for considering these major concerns.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-13674537529133845792021-02-02T08:47:00.000-05:002021-02-02T08:47:16.782-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #349 – February 1, 2021Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Is this the end of public education in Indiana?<br />
<br />
Is Indiana following Milton Friedman’s playbook to give education money to parents and not to the schools?<br />
<br />
House Bill 1005 would authorize the Indiana Treasurer to set up an online portal costing, according to the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, as much as $11 million to let parents take the money that now goes to schools (approximately $7000 per student) so the parents can run unsupervised home or independent schools. The Treasurer can hire a bank to do the work and can keep 1% of every account for the trouble.<br />
<br />
House Bill 1005 makes 246,000 students (about a quarter of all Hoosier students) eligible for these accounts, which are called Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s). Obviously the ultimate goal of Milton Friedman and his followers in the Indiana House of Representatives is to make all students eligible for ESA’s and let parents spend all education money without state supervision.<br />
<br />
This is the path that ESA’s provide to end public education in Indiana. I oppose ESA’s and House Bill 1005.<br />
<br />
<b><u>HB 1005 is scheduled for a hearing this Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 3:30 in the House Education Committee.</u></b><br />
<br />
This is the moment.<br />
<br />
All who support public schools should contact the members of the House Education Committee to express your opposition. HB 1005 has been made a priority bill by the Republicans in the House. This is the most serious attack on public education that I have ever seen.<br />
<br />
Will you send a note of opposition to HB 1005?<br />
<br />
It need not be as long as my written testimony that I sent today, which you can read below. Just put in your own words what would happen if our state no longer had strong public schools.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Instructions for Submitting Written Testimony by Wednesday Afternoon</u></b><br />
<br />
Here are the instructions from Joel Hand about submitting written testimony against HB 1005 before the House Education Committee hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd:<br />
<br />
If you really want your testimony to be sent to the committee members, you will need to email it directly to each of them.<br />
<br />
Here is a list of the legislators on the House Education Committee and their email addresses:<br />
Chairman, Robert (Bob) Behning (R) <a href="mailto:h91@iga.in.gov">h91@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Vice Chairman, Jack Jordan (R) <a href="mailto:h17@iga.in.gov">h17@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Martin Carbaugh (R) <a href="mailto:h81@iga.in.gov">h81@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Edward Clere (R) <a href="mailto:h72@iga.in.gov">h72@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Tony Cook (R) <a href="mailto:h32@iga.in.gov">h32@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Michelle Davis (R) <a href="mailto:h58@iga.in.gov">h58@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Chuck Goodrich (R) <a href="mailto:h29@iga.in.gov">h29@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Jake Teshka (R) <a href="mailto:h7@iga.in.gov">h7@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Jeffrey Thompson (R) <a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Ranking Minority Member, Vernon Smith (D) <a href="mailto:h14@iga.in.gov">h14@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Ed Delaney (D) <a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Sheila Klinker (D) <a href="mailto:h27@iga.in.gov">h27@iga.in.gov</a><br />
Tonya Pfaff (D) <a href="mailto:h43@iga.in.gov">h43@iga.in.gov</a><br />
<br />
If you wish to testify in person, you must fill out an appearance form. The form is available at this link:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://cap.iga.in.gov/standing_appearance_form?chamber=House&amp;cmteLpid=committee_education_0400" target="_blank">Appearance Form</a><br />
<br />
HB 1005 contains Milton Friedman’s Plan to End Public Education. Please send your objections!<br />
<br />
My testimony seen below has been sent to House Education Committee members. Please send your own thoughts to the email addresses above.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br /><u><b>
Testimony on HB 1005 submitted by Dr. Vic Smith, Indianapolis RE: Hearing on February 3, 2021</b></u><br /> <br />
I strongly oppose HB 1005. Education Savings Accounts, Milton Friedman’s method of ending public education, will open the door to unacceptable practices. We all lose when children are not well educated. Under HB 1005:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Partisan extremists could use state home school money to teach their children to disobey the U.S. Constitution. They will get public money, but no civic education about our democracy is required.</li><li>Racist parents could use state money to teach racist ideology in their home or independent school. HB 1005 bans any state supervision of independent school curriculum.</li><li>Parents of special education students could spend state money on therapy that does not work. There is no evaluation of student progress required.</li><li>The State Treasurer would be required to promote the tax advantages of the Education Savings Account program as an incentive to get parents to leave their school districts and sign up for the program. Every student in the ESA program takes about $7000 out of the budget of the student’s public school district.</li></ul>
The first part of the bill lifts voucher payments to give to high income parents who are already able to afford private school tuition, giving these parents a $65 million windfall but not teachers who need better pay.<br />
<br />
LSA puts the fiscal cost of HB 1005 at $202 million for two years. HB 1005 says on p. 32 that this money will come from the tuition support budget. That means that Gov. Holcomb’s proposed tuition support increase of $377 million for two years is actually only $175 million, clearly not enough for all the rest of the K-12 schools.<br />
<br />
The concept of “Educational Savings Accounts” for special education students and other groups included in HB 1005 is so detrimental to high educational standards, so dismissive of maintaining accountability with public tax money, and so potentially dangerous to our democracy that it should be rejected outright as soon as possible.<br />
<br />
Why would Education Savings Accounts be so detrimental to education in Indiana?<br />
<blockquote>1) ESA’s would give public money on a debit card to parents who sign an agreement to educate their child in “reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies or science.” That’s all! The bill actually says “or” in this list, so studying just one subject would fulfill a parent’s obligation. It’s an unregulated and narrow education. No art, no music, no health, no vocational subjects. This would absolutely lower standards for students just as standards for public school students in recent years have been raised.<br />
2) The plan includes no obligation for annual testing or public accountability except for students who enroll in schools giving ILEARN. Students in home or independent schools have no accountability.<br />
3) The bill would give 100% of ADM money (more than a 90% voucher) to high income parents of special education and 504 students, children of active duty military and disabled veterans, and foster children.<br />
4) The bill would give the entire amount of public money for eligible students directly to parents, paving the way in a few years for the real goal to give the entire amount of public money to parents of all students on a debit card. These bills to privatize schooling would immediately divert money away from our public school students and over time would undermine funding for all students in both public schools and private voucher schools. This bill undermines the very concept of schools.<br />
5) The bill would allow parents to home school their child with public money, paying for an approved provider, for a tutor and for textbooks. Public school parents would surely like to have the state pay for their textbooks as well, but public school parents must pay their own textbook rental.<br />
6) The bill would give public money to parents with very weak provisions for fraud protection. Parents with past records of felonies or neglect or child abuse are not excluded.</blockquote>If this Education Savings Account concept is not decisively rejected, it will confirm the theory that all of the standards and testing regulations heaped upon our public schools in the past decade have just been techniques to make privatized vouchers and savings accounts look attractive to individual parents, giving them an incentive to leave the public schools in order to run home schools or independent schools with taxpayer money. This ESA concept is taken from Milton Friedman’s plan to end community public schools. It should be totally and promptly rejected.<br />
<br />
I oppose all parts of HB 1005. In particular, the Education Savings Account concept is too radical and potentially damaging for any further consideration, so at the outset, I urge you to delete pp. 25 to 38 (Chapters 1-6) of the bill regarding Education Savings Accounts.<br />
<br />
Thank you for considering these major concerns.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br />
Grassroots support of public schools makes all the difference. Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-78043749887240712992021-01-27T14:05:00.001-05:002021-01-27T14:05:06.478-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #348 – January 26, 2021 Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Heads up! Public education is under the most serious attack ever seen in Indiana. Will you help defend it as you have for the last decade?<br />
<br />
Taking advantage of the pandemic and reduced citizen access to the Statehouse, private education advocates in the House of Representatives are pushing to divert hundreds of millions in public funds to private and home schools and to establish in Indiana a radical new program called Education Savings Accounts that undermines the very concept of community public schools.<br />
<br />
House Bill 1005 would expand private school vouchers and, for the first time, give significant tax dollars to unsupervised home schools. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the bill would cost $202 million dollars over two years:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Expanding vouchers to give more money to higher income private school parents (Choice Scholarships) would cost $65 million over two years, according to LSA.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Education Savings Accounts to fund home schools would cost $137 million over two years according to LSA, which includes at least $6 million to create an online portal which would distribute the money directly to parents through the State Treasurer, of all things, without the involvement or supervision of any education official. This concept is based on Milton Friedman’s plan to end community public schools and simply distribute money to parents. It should be totally rejected by the General Assembly.</li></ul>
Making this $202 million bill a supermajority priority makes a mockery of all claims that there is no money to improve teacher pay.<br />
<br /><b><u>
Voucher Costs Come Out the K-12 Tuition Support Budget</u></b><br />
<br />
Governor Holcomb just proposed a budget increase of $377 million for K-12 tuition support. His budget lifts K-12 funding by 2% in the first year and by 1% in the second year of the two year budget.<br />
<br />
He should, however, have signaled that public schools may get less than 2% and 1%. In his State of the State address, he said parents “deserve to have options.” Choice Scholarships (vouchers) are paid from the same K-12 tuition budget as are public and charter schools. House Bill 1005 would reduce the Governor’s plan by $65 million, according to the LSA fiscal estimate for expanded vouchers, diverting $34 million in the first year of the budget and $31 million in the second year to private schools and away from public schools that badly need the money.<br />
<br />
That would actually leave an increase of $116 million for Indiana public schools in the first year, instead of the $150 million in the Governor’s plan, an increase of 1.5%, not 2%. The Governor’s increase in the second year, announced as $77 million or 1%, would turn out to be $46 million, after $31 million (40% of the proposed increase) is diverted to Choice Scholarships, according to the LSA estimate of voucher expansion costs. That results in a percentage increase of 0.6%.<br />
<br />
Governor Holcomb included a line in his State of the State saying, “at the same time, those options shouldn’t come at the expense of the public school system, which educates 90% of Hoosier children.” If he is serious about this statement, he will oppose House Bill 1005, because<br />
<blockquote>(1) the voucher expansion section of the bill undermines the funding available to public schools by $65 million and<br />
(2) the Education Savings Account section of the bill incentivizes parents to abandon the public schools and undermines the central purpose of public education to teach every student about democracy and the US Constitution. This section funds unsupervised home schools, following the blueprint of Milton Friedman to end public education.</blockquote>In the table at the end of these notes, the Governor’s proposed budget can be compared with the previous seven K-12 budgets.<br />
<br /><b><u>
HB 1005 Topic 1: Expanding Choice Scholarships</u></b><br />
<br />
House Bill 1005 is a statement by the Republican leadership that giving more money to private school parents for tuition to private schools is a higher priority than raising teacher pay.<br />
<br />
Currently, according to the latest income figures from IDOE for 2020-21:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>families of four earning $48,000 or less get a 90% voucher.</li><li>families of four earning $48,000 to $60,000 get a 70% voucher.</li><li>families of four earning $60,000 to $96,000 get a 50% voucher.</li></ul>
House Bill 1005 would wipe out the income tiers and raise the income eligibility, giving all families of four earning up to $109,000 a 90% voucher in 2021-22. Then in 2022-2023 this level would rise to give families of four earning up to $145,000 a 90% voucher. This would give millions to families who are already attending private schools.<br />
<br />
Again, the Legislative Services Agency says this generous government handout to higher income families would cost $34 million during 2021-22 and $31 million during 2022-23, for a total of $65 million taken from the K-12 tuition support budget.<br />
<br /><b><u>
HB 1005 Topic 2: Education Savings Accounts Go Directly from the Treasury to Home School Parents</u></b><br />
<br />
The concept of an Education Savings Account is a radical idea. It was defeated once before in 2017 when Senate Bill 534 died in committee after superb opposition testimony from special education parents who saw how this maneuver would decrease funding for the quality special education programs that were so crucial in helping their children.<br />
<br />
It has been resurrected under the guise of giving some parents options during the pandemic, but it plants the seeds for the disintegration and resegregation of community public schools. It is a plan proposed by Milton Friedman who wanted to end public schools and distribute education money to parents in the manner proposed by HB 1005, which makes special education and 504 students, children of active duty members of the military, children of disabled veterans and foster children eligible for grants estimated by LSA to cost $131 million dollars if they sign away their spot in an Indiana school.<br />
<br />
ESA’s should not be confused with Choice Scholarship vouchers where at least we know your tax dollars are sent to a school that has some level of accountability to the state of Indiana. ESA’s are sent to parents directly from the Indiana Treasurer with no supervision. In fact, HB 1005 includes language that guarantees no curriculum supervision by the state.<br />
<br />
In the midst of threats to our democracy and calls for racial justice, I would first ask two questions of anyone who thinks ESA’s are a good idea:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>How will taxpayers know whether they are funding a home school that teaches extremism supporting the overthrow of the US Constitution?</li><li>How will taxpayers know whether they are funding a home school that teaches racism?</li></ul>
House Bill 1005 provides no protections to taxpayers on these questions.<br />
<br />
There is no accountability for the home schools receiving public funds through Education Savings Accounts. The only ILEARN testing might come if parents use their accounts to pay tuition at a private school that is giving ILEARN, but parents can spend their accounts completely on tutors with no required accountability. That is wrong.<br />
<br />
Why would Education Savings Accounts be so detrimental to education in Indiana?<br />
<blockquote>1) ESA’s would give public money on a debit card to parents who sign an agreement to educate their child in “reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies or science.” That’s all! The bill actually says “or” in this list, so studying just one subject would fulfill a parent’s obligation. It’s an unregulated and narrow education. No art, no music, no health, no vocational subjects. This would absolutely lower standards for students just as standards for public school students have been raised.<br />
<br />
2) The plan includes no obligation for annual testing or public accountability of student achievement. This is in total contrast to testing and accountability in Indiana law.<br />
<br />
3) The bill would give public money to high income parents of special education and 504 students, children of active duty military and disabled veterans, and foster children. HB 1005 would remove all income limits for receiving money from these accounts.<br />
<br />
4) The bill would give the entire amount of public money for eligible students directly to parents, paving the way in a few years for the real goal to give the entire amount of public money to parents of all students on a debit card. These bills to privatize schooling would immediately divert money away from our public school students and over time would undermine funding for all students in both public schools and private voucher schools. This bill undermines the very concept of schools.<br />
<br />
5) The bill would allow parents to home school their child with public money, paying for an approved provider, for a tutor and for textbooks. Public school parents would surely like to have the state pay for their textbooks as well, but public school parents must pay their own textbook rental.<br />
<br />
6) The bill would give public money to parents with very weak provisions for fraud protection. Parents with past records of crime or neglect or abuse are not excluded.</blockquote>If this Education Savings Account concept is not decisively rejected, it will confirm the theory that all of the standards and testing regulations heaped upon our public schools in the past decade have just been techniques to make privatized vouchers and savings accounts look attractive to individual parents, giving them an incentive to leave the public schools or voucher schools in order to run home schools or independent schools with taxpayer money. <u>This bill’s concept is based on Milton Friedman’s plan to end community public schools. It should be totally and promptly rejected by the General Assembly.</u><br />
<br />
If this concept is not decisively rejected, the future of public education in Indiana is bleak. Our hard working but demoralized teachers and administrators in Indiana would take this bill as a signal that General Assembly is ready to put public education into a death spiral, and some would confirm plans to leave for other states or other vocations, making our teacher shortage even worse.<br />
<br />
This concept is too radical and potentially damaging for any further action. Our schools must pass on the tenets of democracy to every student if our democracy is to survive for another generation. Events of the past month at the U.S. Capitol show this is no trivial concern. Our democracy and the survival of the US Constitution are at stake. There is no way to check on whether Education Savings Accounts are funding independent anti-democracy extremist schools.<br />
<br />
If the General Assembly is willing to give millions to home schools with no accountability, then they should remove all accountability measures for traditional public schools that at least have publicly chosen boards which supervise all expenditures.<br />
<br /><u><b>
Contact Your Legislators and Members of the House Education Committee!</b></u><br />
<br />
This comes at a time when our democracy is imperiled. Public education has been a pillar of democracy in Indiana for over 170 years. Are you ready to defend it?<br />
<br />
A hearing on House Bill 1005 could come as early as next week when the committee meets on
February 3rd. Don’t wait. Send your messages now to your own legislators and to committee members.<br />
<br />
Contact House Education Committee members:<br />
<br />
Republican Representatives Behning (<a href="mailto:h91@iga.in.gov">h91@iga.in.gov</a>), Jordan (<a href="mailto:h17@iga.in.gov">h17@iga.in.gov</a>), Carbaugh(<a href="mailto:h81@iga.in.gov">h81@iga.in.gov</a>), Clere (<a href="mailto:h72@iga.in.gov">h72@iga.in.gov</a>), Cook (<a href="mailto:h32@iga.in.gov">h32@iga.in.gov</a>), Davis (h<a href="mailto:58@iga.in.gov">58@iga.in.gov</a>), Goodrich (<a href="mailto:h29@iga.in.gov">h29@iga.in.gov</a>), Teshka (<a href="mailto:h7@iga.in.gov">h7@iga.in.gov</a>), Thompson (<a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Democrat Representatives Smith (<a href="mailto:h14@iga.in.gov">h14@iga.in.gov</a>), DeLaney (<a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a>), Klinker (<a href="mailto:h27@iga.in.gov">h27@iga.in.gov</a>), Pfaff (<a href="mailto:h43@iga.in.gov">h43@iga.in.gov</a>)<div><br /></div><div>(Email all members of the committee at once...go <a href="https://www.neifpe.org/p/indiana-legislative-education-committees.html" target="_blank">to this site</a>)<br />
<br />
Tell them you oppose HB 1005:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The $202 million price tag for only the first two years is huge and should instead be directed to boosting teacher pay.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It is wrong in this economic climate to prioritize giving extra tax money to high income private school parents who are already able to pay private school tuition.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Chapters 1 through 6 on pages 25-38 of HB 1005 should be deleted altogether to prevent public dollars from going to home schools and independent unaccredited schools with no accountability and no supervision checking on whether these independent schools are teaching anti-democracy extremism.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>HB 1005 would divert millions from public schools at a time they need stable support.</li></ul>
Then <a href="https://www.in.gov/gov/governor-holcomb/ask-eric/" target="_blank">email Governor Holcomb</a> to tell him that he must oppose Education Savings Accounts if he is sincere in saying in his State of the State address: “ those options shouldn’t come at the expense of the public school system, which educates 90% of Hoosier children.” Education Savings Accounts would put the public school system in a death spiral.<br /><br /><b><u>
Compare the Governor’s Proposed Budget with Seven Previous Budgets</u></b><br />
<br />
Study the table below to see how the new 2019 budget matches up with recent budgets going back to 2007.</div><div><br />
______________________________________________________________________________<br /><u>
INDIANA SCHOOL FUNDING INCREASES FOR THE PAST SEVEN BUDGETS FOR COMPARISON WITH GOV. HOLCOMB’S BUDGET PROPOSED ON JANUARY 13, 2021</u><br />
<br />
Source: The summary cover page from the General Assembly’s School Formulas for each budget<br />
<br />
Prepared by Dr. Vic Smith, 1-22-21<br />
<br />
When the school funding formulas are passed every two years by the General Assembly, legislators see the bottom line percentage increases on a summary page. Figures that have appeared on this summary are listed below for the last seven budgets that I have personally observed as they were approved by the legislature.<br />
<br />
Tuition support and dollar increases have been rounded to the nearest 10 million dollars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6ndl_LRm1M/YBG1rXlFpRI/AAAAAAAADSA/z-hzu1UFXKMy8SvPAT1I-BjEeXbWRedZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1276/Vic348Chart.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1276" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6ndl_LRm1M/YBG1rXlFpRI/AAAAAAAADSA/z-hzu1UFXKMy8SvPAT1I-BjEeXbWRedZACLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Vic348Chart.png" width="600" /></a></div>Total funding and percentage increases were taken directly from the School Funding Formula summary page. Sometimes in the first year of two budget years, the previous budget amount was not fully spent and the adjusted lowered base was used by the General Assembly to calculate the percentage increase.<br />
<br />
*As presented by the Governor. Adjustments discussed above showing diversions to private schools are not included here.<br />
<br />
Your messages to legislators on this issue are crucial. Let your legislators know how you feel about House Bill 1005.<br />
<br />
Grassroots support of public schools makes all the difference. Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-19468482000107054742020-12-20T09:24:00.005-05:002020-12-20T09:24:58.428-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #347 – December 19, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
<b>Sound the alarm!</b> We don’t need a new legislative crisis during this horrendous pandemic.<br />
<br />
Word from the Statehouse is that the Republican supermajority plans to give public tax money to upper income and wealthy private school parents to pay their private school tuition. Currently, vouchers pay all or part of private school tuition for families earning $95,000 or less for a family of four. The proposed plan would remove all income caps.<br />
<br />
This is obviously a bad idea during our economic crisis. It would not give school choice to any additional students. The students from upper income and wealthy families are already going to private schools. This plan would just shift the tuition bill for those upper income families to public taxpayers, including low income taxpayers.<br />
<br />
This proposal is tone deaf to the fact that public schools serving students of poverty face cuts in the upcoming budget due to the Covid recession. This idea shamefully proposes to take from the poor and give to the rich.<br />
<br />
It’s not right. This should not stand.<br />
<br />
There is also talk of giving public tuition money to home school parents for the first time. This is another expensive idea that is totally wrong during the pandemic crisis. Since home schools are unregulated and unsupervised, whether or not public dollars would be used to teach children to support our democracy and the U.S. Constitution would be unknown.<br />
<br />
These proposals to divert money to private school and home school parents should be non-starters during the pandemic and economic crisis we are in. Contact legislators to make that point.<br />
<br />
Let your State Representative and your State Senator know that this is the wrong time to divert funding from public taxpayers to give to wealthy parents who want their children to go to religious or private schools or to home school parents.<br />
<br />
Email or contact your legislators, or any legislator, at your earliest opportunity. Then add an email to the leaders of both the House, Speaker Huston (<a href="mailto:h37@iga.in.gov">h37@iga.in.gov</a>), and the Senate, President ProTempore Bray (<a href="mailto:Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov">Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov</a>).<br />
<br />
Tell them that during this crisis giving more money to higher income and wealthy families is wrong.<br />
<br />
Tell them this idea is not a mandate of the election because it was not a visible issue in the campaign.<br />
<br />
Tell them this is no time to revisit the bitter 2011 battle over private school vouchers.<br />
<br />
Tell them they should support our current public schools to the maximum degree during this recession and not try to drive a nail in their coffin.<br />
<br />
<b>Thank you for supporting public education in Indiana!</b><br />
<br />
Stay safe,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is again representing ICPE in the new budget session which began on January 3, 2017. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-8387555919739844262020-08-25T12:13:00.003-04:002020-08-25T12:13:39.156-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #346 – August 24, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Our ICPE Annual Meeting this Saturday, August 29th will be a virtual meeting. You can join us from your home!<br />
<br />
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education invites all ICPE members as well as all who support public education to its annual fall membership meeting, the 10th since its inception in 2011. The pandemic has changed the format but the meeting in support of public education is on!<br />
<br />
The format will allow you to participate from home on a Zoom webinar or using your phone for audio only.<br />
<br />
Here are the details:<br />
<blockquote><b>DATE</b>: Saturday, August 29, 2020<br />
<br />
<b>TIME</b>: 2 to 4 p.m.<br />
<br />
<b>OPEN TO: All ICPE MEMBERS</b> and to all who support public education.<br />
<br />
<b>REGISTRATION</b>: Register in advance for the ICPE Zoom webinar by clicking on this link:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CMoXlz3xSjCTog2b66iPmQ" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CMoXlz3xSjCTog2b66iPmQ</a><br />
<br />
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Attendees will not be seen on screen. Questions can be submitted in the chat function. You can also participate by phone.<br />
<br />
<b>SPEAKERS</b>: We invited both Republican gubernatorial candidate Governor Eric Holcomb and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Woody Myers to speak. At this point, Dr. Myers has accepted and will speak and answer questions. Also State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick will speak as the last elected State Superintendent. In these uncertain times, she has been very active in advocating for public schools.<br />
<br />
<b>IN ADDITION:</b> The ICPE Legislative Report Card will be shared, the 2020 edition of letter grades for General Assembly candidates based on their votes in support of public education bills in the 2019 and 2020 sessions. Also Joel Hand, ICPE lobbyist and attorney, will preview the 2021 General Assembly session. Don’t miss it!</blockquote>Register NOW!<br />
<br />
<b>Join us online on Saturday, August 29th at 2 p.m.!</b><br />
<br />
Tell your public education friends about this virtual meeting!<br />
<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Stay safe,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2020 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/" target="_blank">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-5584499684003403232020-03-10T08:43:00.002-04:002020-03-10T08:43:21.365-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #345 – March 9, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Are you still riled up about the end-of-session legislative sneak attack to divert property tax referendum money from traditional public schools to charter schools?<br />
<br />
Please contact legislators in the next 24 hours about House Bill 1065 and House Bill 1066. Nothing was resolved this morning in Conference Committee meetings on these two bills.<br />
<br />
Legislators will make decisions on these two bills tonight and tomorrow, before finalizing all bills and adjourning Wednesday evening. Your help is immensely important! If you sent messages over the weekend, send them again with vigor!<br />
<br />
<b><u>ISSUE 1: DIVERTING PROPERTY TAX REFERENDUM MONEY TO CHARTER SCHOOLS – HB 1065</u></b><br />
<br />
This sneak attack on funding comes when public schools are focused not on legislative cliff hangers but on keeping students and staff safe in the coronavirus crisis.<br />
<br />
This proposal should be dismissed until next year when it can get public testimony. Legislative leaders need to hear an earful from public school advocates in the next 24 hours to counter the abundance of paid charter school and private school lobbyists working the Statehouse.<br />
<br />
In this morning’s Conference Committee on HB 1065, after Representative Thompson summarized the list of provisions that are likely to end up in his Conference Committee report, six Democrats spoke up strongly against the provision to divert property tax money to charter schools. One Republican defended the proposal. The meeting lasted 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
Representative DeLaney (D – Indianapolis) pointed out that making this a “may” provision means that every time a public school board wants to propose a referendum to boost operating funds, they must immediately start negotiating with charter schools regarding the amount of the charter portion or else the charter schools will work to defeat the referendum.<br />
<br />
Representative Pryor (D- Indianapolis) explained that including charter schools will raise the amount of property tax that will be requested from taxpayers. If for example the local school board needs $10 million from the property taxpayers, they will perhaps have to ask for $11 million to satisfy the charter school requests.<br />
<br />
Talking Points <br />
<br />
Your help is needed! Tell the leadership and members of the Conference Committee on HB 1065 listed below that you strongly oppose Sections 31-39 of the bill based on these points:<br />
<ul><li>This major change to the content of HB 1065 was passed without any opportunity for public testimony. This subverts the democratic process. It should be deferred to the budget session next year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The shocking and unbelievable response to the horrible $68 million virtual school fraud scandal so far has been this: leave weak audits for charter schools in place and then divert property tax dollars from traditional public schools to unmonitored charter school budgets in a new way. There’s something deeply wrong here.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This issue will guide the votes of angry educators next November.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Charter schools often enroll students from outside the district. Allowing charter schools to receive referendum dollars from district taxpayers who don’t want to support out-of-district students may make referendum elections more difficult to pass.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In addition to tuition support from the funding formula, charter schools already get $750 per ADM that traditional schools don’t get to cover operating expenses.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Not one single public school asked for this language. Suggestions that this is being done to give public schools more “freedom” are misleading.</li>
</ul><ul><li>There is zero evidence that allowing charter schools access to referendum funds would make the referendum more likely to pass.</li>
</ul><ul><li>HB 1065 in Sections 37-39 also proposes TIF districts, originally devised to help distressed areas, to be expanded to residential housing developments, further eroding the property tax levies available to support public schools, libraries and other taxing units. The 935 TIF districts in Indiana already capture $30 billion in Assessed Value which supports TIF projects and not public schools or other governmental units.</li>
</ul>Take Action!<br />
<br />
In addition to your own Senator and House member, please contact the caucus leaders Sen. Bray-R (<a href="mailto:s37@iga.in.gov">s37@iga.in.gov</a>) Sen. Lanane-D (<a href="mailto:s25@iga.in.gov">s25@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Huston-R (<a href="mailto:h37@iga.in.gov">h37@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Bosma-R (<a href="mailto:h88@iga.in.gov">h88@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. GiaQuinta-D) (<a href="mailto:h80@iga.in.gov">h80@iga.in.gov</a>).<br />
<br />
Then contact members of the Conference Committee on HB 1605 to object to this sneak attack to divert property tax money from traditional public schools to charter schools:<br />
<br />
Conferees to contact on HB 1065: Rep. Thompson-R (chair) (<a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Porter –D (<a href="mailto:h96@iga.in.gov">h96@iga.in.gov</a>) , Sen. Holdman (<a href="mailto:s19@iga.in.gov">s19@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Melton (<a href="mailto:s3@iga.in.gov">s3@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Advisors to contact on HB 1065: Rep. Tim Brown-R (<a href="mailto:h41@iga.in.gov">h41@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Mayfield – R (<a href="mailto:h60@iga.in.gov">h60@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Cherry (<a href="mailto:h53@iga.in.gov">h53@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Jordan (<a href="mailto:h17@iga.in.gov">h17@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. DeLaney-D (<a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Hamilton – D (<a href="mailto:h87@iga.in.gov">h87@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pierce – D (<a href="mailto:h61@iga.in.gov">h61@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pryor –D (<a href="mailto:h94@iga.in.gov">h94@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Bohacek – R (<a href="mailto:s8@iga.in.gov">s8@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Rogers –R (<a href="mailto:s11@iga.in.gov">s11@iga.in.gov</a>) Sen. Niezgodski –R (<a href="mailto:s10@iga.in.gov">s10@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
<b><u>ISSUE TWO: REJECT VOUCHER EXPANSION IN HOUSE BILL 1066 </u></b><br />
<br />
The Conference Committee on House Bill 1066 also met Monday morning March 9th and did not mention anything about the private school voucher expansion that had been approved in the House version but taken out in the Senate version. The House included voucher expansion costing, according to the Legislative Services Agency, between $6 million and $12 million to provide private school vouchers for foster students and their foster family siblings. Senator Mishler, in the Senate Appropriations Committee, took out the voucher expansion, saying he didn’t want to open the budget for this purpose when many other requests to open the budget were rejected.<br />
<br />
The fact that this part of the bill was not mentioned this morning does not mean it’s off the table. Let the legislators below know that the budget should not be opened for school voucher expansion, especially when it was not opened to address the huge issue of teacher pay!<br />
<br />
Conferees to contact on HB 1066: Rep. Thompson-R (chair) (<a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Vernon Smith –D (<a href="mailto:h14@iga.in.gov">h14@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Raatz-R (<a href="mailto:s27@iga.in.gov">s27@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Stoops-D (<a href="mailto:s40@iga.in.gov">s40@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Advisors to contact on HB 1066: Rep. Behning-R (<a href="mailto:h91@iga.in.gov">h91@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Bacon – R (<a href="mailto:h75@iga.in.gov">h75@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. DeLaney-D (<a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Klinker – D (<a href="mailto:h27@iga.in.gov">h27@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pfaff – D (<a href="mailto:h43@iga.in.gov">h43@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Buchanan – R (<a href="mailto:s7@iga.in.gov">s7@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Melton- D (<a href="mailto:S3@iga.in.gov">S3@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Any contacts you can make with lawmakers in the next 24 hours on these two issues will help public education!<br />
<br />
Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2020 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-37318136207554730212020-03-07T14:26:00.000-05:002020-03-07T14:26:07.926-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #344 – March 7, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Your help is needed this weekend on two issues. Please contact legislators on two Conference Committees before 9am this Monday morning (March 9).<br />
<br />
<b><u>ISSUE 1: DIVERTING PROPERTY TAX REFERENDUM MONEY TO CHARTER SCHOOLS</u></b><br />
<br />
It was a sneak attack against funding for traditional public schools.<br />
<br />
Amendment 6 to House Bill 1065 was filed Monday morning March 2nd just minutes before the filing deadline for consideration this session.<br />
<br />
Amendment 6 to House Bill 1065 was filed after all committees had stopped meeting, circumventing all opportunities for public testimony.<br />
<br />
With fall elections looming, Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Holcomb had tried to muzzle attacks on traditional public schools this session to keep from riling up the thousands of educators who marched on the Statehouse last November. Their muzzling act has now failed. Educators are riled and you should be too if you are an advocate of public education.<br />
<br />
What did Amendment 6 do? It allowed charter schools for the first time to get a share of property tax referendum money when local school boards ask property taxpayers to raise taxes. This bad idea to divert some of the referendum money from traditional public schools to charters was defeated last session but has been raised again in this sneak attack as a “may” provision, seen as a step to next session’s effort to make it a “shall” provision.<br />
<br />
The huge policy shift of this amendment was recognized by 16 Republican senators who voted “No.” The vote ended in a tie, 25-25. Lt. Governor Crouch vote “Yes” and the amendment passed, thus linking Governor Holcomb to the ire of public education advocates, just when he was trying to smooth things over for the election.<br />
<br />
Ironically, this amendment to divert more money to charter schools was passed on the same afternoon that a different amendment failed saying charter schools should have state audits to prevent the $68 million fraud case in virtual charter schools from ever happening again. The effort to reform charter school audits went down 20-30.<br />
<br />
Thus the shocking and unbelievable Senate response last Monday to the horrible $68 million virtual school fraud scandal was this: leave weak audits for charter schools in place and then divert property tax dollars from traditional public schools to charter schools in a new way.<br />
<br />
Voters need to remember these actions and inactions in November.<br />
<br />
Amazingly, the only Democrat to vote in favor came from Senator Tallian, who has since said it was a mistake. She is no doubt hoping as public school advocates are hoping that this provision, Sections 31-36, will die in the Conference Committee on HB 1065, which will meet on Monday, March 9, at 9:00 am to reconcile the House version and the Senate version of House Bill 1065.<br />
<br />
<b>Talking Points </b><br />
<br />
Your help is needed! Contact the members of the Conference Committee on HB 1065 listed below with some or all of the following talking points:<br />
<ul><li>This major change to the content of HB 1065 was passed without any opportunity for public testimony. This subverts the democratic process. It should be deferred to the budget session next year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Charter schools often enroll students from outside the district. Allowing charter schools to receive referendum dollars from district taxpayers who don’t want to support out-of-district students may make referendum elections more difficult to pass.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In addition to tuition support from the funding formula, charter schools already get $750 per ADM that traditional schools don’t get to cover operating expenses.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Not one single public school asked for this language. Suggestions that this is being done to give public schools more “freedom” are misleading.</li>
</ul><ul><li>There is zero evidence that allowing charter schools access to referendum funds would make the referendum more likely to pass.</li>
</ul><ul><li>HB 1065 in Sections 37-39 also proposes TIF districts, originally devised to help distressed areas, to be expanded to residential housing developments, further eroding the property tax levies available to support public schools, libraries and other taxing units. The 935 TIF districts in Indiana already capture $30 billion in Assessed Value which supports TIF projects and not public schools or other governmental units.</li>
</ul><b>Take Action!</b><br />
<br />
In addition to your own Senator and House member, please contact the caucus leaders Sen. Bray-R (<a href="mailto:s37@iga.in.gov">s37@iga.in.gov</a>) Sen. Lanane-D (<a href="mailto:s25@iga.in.gov">s25@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Huston-R (<a href="mailto:h37@iga.in.gov">h37@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Bosma-R (<a href="mailto:h88@iga.in.gov">h88@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. GiaQuinta-D) (<a href="mailto:h80@iga.in.gov">h80@iga.in.gov</a>). <br />
<br />
Then contact members of the Conference Committee on HB 1605 to object to this sneak attack to divert property tax money from traditional public schools to charter schools:<br />
<br />
Conferees to contact on HB 1065: Rep. Thompson-R (chair) (<a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Porter –D (<a href="mailto:h96@iga.in.gov">h96@iga.in.gov</a>) , Sen. Holdman (<a href="mailto:s19@iga.in.gov">s19@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Melton (<a href="mailto:s3@iga.in.gov">s3@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Advisors to contact on HB 1065: Rep. Tim Brown-R (<a href="mailto:h41@iga.in.gov">h41@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Mayfield – R (<a href="mailto:h60@iga.in.gov">h60@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Cherry (<a href="mailto:h53@iga.in.gov">h53@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Jordan (<a href="mailto:h17@iga.in.gov">h17@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. DeLaney-D (<a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Hamilton – D (<a href="mailto:h87@iga.in.gov">h87@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pierce – D (<a href="mailto:h61@iga.in.gov">h61@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pryor –D (<a href="mailto:h94@iga.in.gov">h94@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Bohacek – R (<a href="mailto:s8@iga.in.gov">s8@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Rogers –R (<a href="mailto:s11@iga.in.gov">s11@iga.in.gov</a>) Sen. Niezgodski –R (<a href="mailto:s10@iga.in.gov">s10@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>ISSUE TWO: REJECT VOUCHER EXPANSION IN HOUSE BILL 1066 </u></b><br />
<br />
Also meeting Monday morning March 9th at 9:30am is the Conference Committee on HB 1066. The House included voucher expansion costing, according to the Legislative Services Agency, between $6 million and $12 million to provide private school vouchers for foster students and their foster family siblings. Senator Mishler, in the Senate Appropriations Committee, took out the voucher expansion, saying he didn’t want to open the budget for this purpose when many other requests to open the budget were rejected. <br />
<br />
Now the two versions of HB 1066 will be reconciled by the Conferees listed below. Let them know that the budget should not be opened for school voucher expansion, especially when it was not opened to address the huge issue of teacher pay!<br />
<br />
Conferees to contact on HB 1066: Rep. Thompson-R (chair) (<a href="mailto:h28@iga.in.gov">h28@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Vernon Smith –D (<a href="mailto:h14@iga.in.gov">h14@iga.in.gov</a>) , Sen. Raatz-R (<a href="mailto:s27@iga.in.gov">s27@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Stoops-D (<a href="mailto:s40@iga.in.gov">s40@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Advisors to contact on HB 1066: Rep. Behning-R (<a href="mailto:h91@iga.in.gov">h91@iga.in.gov</a>) Rep. Bacon – R (<a href="mailto:h75@iga.in.gov">h75@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. DeLaney-D (<a href="mailto:h86@iga.in.gov">h86@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Klinker – D (<a href="mailto:h27@iga.in.gov">h27@iga.in.gov</a>), Rep. Pfaff – D (<a href="mailto:h43@iga.in.gov">h43@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Buchanan – R (<a href="mailto:s7@iga.in.gov">s7@iga.in.gov</a>), Sen. Melton- D (<a href="mailto:S3@iga.in.gov">S3@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
Any and all messages you can send to lawmakers this weekend on either issue will help public education.<br />
<br />
Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2020 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-73111171411993453352020-02-26T16:30:00.000-05:002020-02-26T16:30:26.801-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #343 – February 26, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
An astounding scandal is rocking the Statehouse in the closing weeks of the short session: Two virtual charter schools defrauded the taxpayers of Indiana of $68.7 million, according to a report filed February 12th by the State Board of Accounts.<br />
<br />
The second shock hit on February 14th when it was revealed that State Senator Travis Holdman served as a paid consultant to these two virtual charter schools from 2011 to 2019, according to a report filed by Steve Hinnefeld, School Matters blogger based in Bloomington and confirmed in a story by well known reporter Niki Kelly in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on February 17th.<br />
<br />
Your action this week outlined below can help prevent future fraud. Legislators can still act to correct auditing requirements for charter schools that are now obviously inadequate.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Fraud in Two Virtual Charter Schools</b></u><br />
<br />
In a summary of the State Board of Accounts findings reported by Arika Herron on the front page of the Indianapolis Star on February 14th, the incredible dimensions of this fraud included:<br />
<ul><li>“more than 14,000 students were counted as enrolled when they should not have been” between 2011 and 2019 in the Indiana Virtual Charter School and the Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy.</li>
</ul><ul><li>For three school years from 2016 through 2019, the “two schools received more than $103 million in state funds and funneled $85 million to related parties, including several companies run by the school’s founder , Thomas Stoughton and his son.”</li>
</ul><ul><li>“The state is requesting reimbursement of the $85 million, improperly paid to 14 different vendors that were related to the schools through a common employee of family member.”</li>
</ul><u><b>Powerful Senator as Paid Consultant</b></u><br />
<br />
There’s more to this shocking story: State Senator Travis Holdman was paid for eight years as a consultant to the two virtual charter schools (Indiana Virtual Charter School and Indiana Virtual Pathways School), according to reports by Steve Hinnefeld (School Matters) and Niki Kelly (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette).<br />
<br />
Do other charter schools pay powerful legislators as consultants?<br />
<br />
Senator Holdman has been in the Indiana Senate since 2008 and serves as chairman of the powerful Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee. He declined to tell the Journal Gazette on February 17th how much he was paid but considered it a small amount, saying “I tried to keep an arms-length business relationship with them. I’m terribly embarrassed to be linked in any way.”<br />
<br />
<u><b>Take Action</b></u><br />
<br />
One problem that could by fixed in the current special session pertains to audits. <br />
<br />
Public schools get audited by the State Board of Accounts. Everything is transparent. Charter schools, however, which have received $1.4 billion in the past five years from Indiana taxpayers according to figures cited by Sen. Mark Stoops, are not audited by the State Board of Accounts but instead can arrange for an audit by any private firm. Obviously, this didn’t work in the case of the two virtual schools.<br />
<br />
The Senate Appropriations Committee meets Thursday morning February 27th and could amend HB 1066 or HB 1204 or some other related bill this week to say that charter schools must be audited by the State Board of Accounts, providing oversight and transparency.<br />
<br />
The committee could also drop the proposal in HB 1066 to open the budget and expand private school vouchers to the 11,000 foster children in Indiana and their foster family siblings, at a cost estimated by the Legislative Services Agency to be $6 million to $12 million! The budget was not opened to boost teacher pay and should not be opened in this short session for expanding private school vouchers.<br />
<br />
Let your legislators and members of the Senate Appropriations Committee know that you are appalled by this scandal and the loss of $68 million. Tell them:<br />
<ul><li>all charter schools must be audited by the State Board of Accounts.</li>
</ul><ul><li>this can’t wait until next year. </li>
</ul><ul><li>they should fix the law for better audits yet this session.</li>
</ul><ul><li>the budget should not be opened to expand private school vouchers to foster children and their siblings, at a cost of $6 million to $12 million.</li>
</ul>Senate Appropriations Committee members and their email addresses are:<br />
<br />
Republican Senators Mishler (<a href="mailto:S9@iga.in.gov">S9@iga.in.gov</a>), Bassler (<a href="mailto:S39@iga.in.gov">S39@iga.in.gov</a>), Boots (<a href="mailto:S23@iga.in.gov">S23@iga.in.gov</a>), Brown (<a href="mailto:S15@iga.in.gov">S15@iga.in.gov</a>), Charbonneau (<a href="mailto:S5@iga.in.gov">S5@iga.in.gov</a>), Crider (<a href="mailto:S28@iga.in.gov">S28@iga.in.gov</a>), Ford (<a href="mailto:S38@iga.in.gov">S38@iga.in.gov</a>), Holdman (<a href="mailto:S19@iga.in.gov">S19@iga.in.gov</a>), Zay (<a href="mailto:S17@iga.in.gov">S17@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
Democrat Senators Tallian (<a href="mailto:S4@iga.in.gov">S4@iga.in.gov</a>), Breaux (<a href="mailto:S34@iga.in.gov">S34@iga.in.gov</a>), Melton (<a href="mailto:S3@iga.in.gov">S3@iga.in.gov</a>), Niezgodski (<a href="mailto:S10@iga.in.gov">S10@iga.in.gov</a>)<br />
<br />
If you don’t read this in time for the Thursday, February 27th meeting, the Senate could still add second reading amendments to bills next week, so let them know how you feel about the virtual school scandal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Need for School Stability</b></u><br />
<br />
Students need stable schools.<br />
<br />
One of the great features of public schools run by elected boards for nearly 180 years is their stability as cornerstones of local communities.<br />
<br />
Now, millions of taxpayer dollars are going to unstable private and charter schools run by unelected boards, whose closures disrupt the education of students in crucial ways.<br />
<br />
Urge your Senator and your member of the House to stabilize our schools with proper audits.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2020 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-13309662308854346142020-02-11T10:23:00.000-05:002020-02-11T10:23:01.117-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #342 – February 10, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Here is your chance to stand up for public education! Come to the Statehouse on Presidents’ Day to support public education!<br />
<br />
On Monday February 17th, you along with your friends, family and colleagues are invited to a “Rally for Public Education”.<br />
<br />
Speakers begin at 2:00 pm in the North Atrium.<br />
<br />
Go to the ICPE website for additional information: <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Renewed Attacks</u></b><br />
<br />
Public education, an institution that has undergirded our democracy for 190 years, remains under attack:<br />
<ul><li>Last Tuesday in the State of the Union address, President Trump falsely labeled public schools “failing government schools” as he called for $5 billion taxpayer dollars to go to private school scholarships.</li>
</ul><ul><li>We have a private school voucher advocate with no professional experience in public schools as US Secretary of Education.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Next year Indiana could mimic this unbelievable “lead without K-12 experience” problem. In 2019, the General Assembly passed a law confirming that the Governor of Indiana can appoint a Secretary of Education in 2021 who is not required to have any experience in K-12 education, replacing our elected State Superintendent of Public Education, an elected office serving Indiana since the 1851 Constitution.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Proposals in the current legislative short session to give teachers at least a small bonus from surplus funds were ignored by the supermajority. The excellent economy produced $291 million to be spent now, but it was all given to pay cash for college buildings. Underpaid teachers who came to the Statehouse in record numbers last November have been told to wait until next year.</li>
</ul>Public education has been under attack for a long time. For an even longer time, public education has been a tremendous cornerstone to progress and democracy.<br />
<br />
It’s time to remind the Statehouse of our support for public education!<br />
<br />
Public officials in the Statehouse need to put a higher priority on PUBLIC education. Only constituents and voters can get them to do that. That’s where we need your presence in the Statehouse. I hope to see you there!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Partners and Details</u></b><br />
<br />
Many groups are partnering with the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, the organizer, to support the “Rally for Public Education” on Presidents’ Day. Others may be added. In alphabetical order, they are:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">AFT Indiana</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Concerned Clergy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Indiana Parent Teacher Association</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">IPS Community Coalition</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington Township Parent Council Network</div><br />
<br />
<b><u>Speakers</u></b> at 2:00 pm in the North Atrium are being coordinated by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, and Joel Hand, ICPE will serve as MC. Speakers include:<br />
<blockquote>Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana State Superintendent of Public Education<br />
<br />
Gleneva Dunham, President, AFT Indiana<br />
<br />
Julie Klingenberger, President, Indiana PTA<br />
<br />
Dr. Phil Downs, Indiana Superintendent of the Year, Southwest Allen County Schools<br />
<br />
Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, President, Indiana Coalition for Public Education<br />
<br />
Dountonia Batts, Indiana Coalition for Public Education<br />
<br />
Justin Deem-Loureiro, Student<br />
<br />
Zoe Bardon, Student<br />
<br />
Emony Calloway, Student<br />
<br />
Rev. Ramon Batts, Concerned Clergy</blockquote>I hope to see you at the Statehouse!<br />
<br />
<b>Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!</b><br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2020 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-66628782395169241632020-02-06T12:12:00.000-05:002020-02-06T12:12:22.412-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #341 – February 5, 2020Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
It’s the elephant in the room. <br />
<br />
Consider the teacher pay issue. Then come to the rally for public education on Monday, February 17 at 2 p.m. in the Statehouse.<br />
<br />
<b>At the half-way point in the short session of the General Assembly, proposals for a teacher pay bonus have been ignored by the Republican supermajority, with the message: wait until next year.</b><br />
<br />
Over 15,000 teachers came to the Statehouse in November, a record-shattering number for an education issue. Their message: they need a pay increase to keep going.<br />
<br />
<b>Legislators had excess money from a good economy to hand out: $291 million. Did they give a little part of that for a teacher bonus?</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>No.</b><br />
<br />
HB 1007 was passed quickly through both houses and has already been signed by Governor Holcomb giving all the extra money to pay cash for higher education buildings, rather than borrowing to build them as planned in the 2019 budget. This quick action guaranteed there would be no last minute attempt to fund teacher bonuses in the short session.<br />
<br />
Democrats tried to amend the bill to spend the money on teacher pay. The amendments failed.<br />
<br />
State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick expressed disappointment in delaying new money for teacher pay in an interview on Channel 8 after Governor Holcomb’s State of the State speech, accurately commenting that “the Governor’s speech highlighted great things in the state, but teacher pay is not one of them.”<br />
<br />
The supermajority priorities are clear here: buildings over teachers.<br />
<br />
<b>Why?</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Why have Gov. Holcomb, Speaker Bosma and the Republican leadership team decided to ignore the plea of Indiana’s underpaid teachers for a bonus this session? Why have teachers been told to wait for another year?</b><br />
<br />
I see four theories which may add to your own analysis.<br />
<br />
<b>Theory 1: Perhaps the Governor and Republican leaders have concluded that underpaid and angry teachers will not defeat them in the November election so there is no political need to provide a quick bonus now.</b><br />
<br />
If Governor Holcomb was worried that teachers would rise up to block his re-election, he would have chosen to get on the good side of teachers with a bonus in the current session. Press reports prior to his State of the State address made it sound like he might help teachers now, but if he temporarily felt so inclined, he chose to fall in line with Republican legislative leaders who clearly did not want to add a teacher bonus in the short session. Instead, he announced a $250 million transfer in 2021 from the surplus to pay for local teacher pension payments, a move which he said would free up $50 million each year for extra teacher pay in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.<br />
<br />
It is highly unusual to announce budget details more than a year in advance. Obviously, it assumes his re-election.<br />
<br />
It is not clear how teachers will respond to this “wait another year” treatment.<br />
<br />
<b>Theory 2: Perhaps the Governor and Republican leaders believe they gave enough to K-12 in the 2019 budget, despite the pleas of teachers that the teacher shortage is still a huge problem due to low pay.</b><br />
<br />
Republican leaders keep referring to the $763 million added to the 2019 budget, apparently thinking that was enough for the biennium and teachers shouldn’t be asking for more in a non-budget year.<br />
<br />
Here’s how Republican leaders get to the $763 million figure:<br />
<br />
Keep in mind that when counting new money, the new money for the first year must be repeated in the second year as the base for an additional increase. Thus, the new money in the 2019 budget was $178 million for a 2.5% increase in the first year plus $178 million to match that increase for the second year, plus $183 million to raise the second year by 2.5%.<br />
<br />
That totals to $539 million. Compare this figure to $710 million new dollars added to the 2007 budget and $616 million new dollars (which then included property tax) added to the 1997 budget. Adding $539 million in the 2019 budget was not a historic high for K-12 tuition support.<br />
<br />
Then the Governor’s 2019 plan to reduce pension payments by $150 million over two years was enacted.<br />
<br />
Adding $150 million to the $539 million raised the 2019 total to $689 million.<br />
<br />
Then categorical funding for specific programs like the Teacher Appreciation Fund received $74 million in new money.<br />
<br />
Adding $74 million to $689 million raised the 2019 total to the number you have heard: $763 million.<br />
<br />
Governor Holcomb has now clarified that his pension payment of $150 million last year freed up $65 million in each year of the biennium for teacher pay. Interestingly, that adds up to $130 million and the mantra of $763 million has apparently been reduced by $20 million. The Governor did not explain the $20 million discrepancy.<br />
<br />
These are not numbers for a satisfied victory lap. The 2019 budget did not provide teacher pay increases that would keep teachers from moving to higher paying jobs in neighboring states or in another career.<br />
<br />
<b>Theory 3: Perhaps Republican leaders believe their own faulty analysis that local school boards are at fault for low teacher pay because they are spending too much on “overhead” and not enough on “classroom” spending.</b><br />
<br />
Speaker Bosma’s response to the enormous teacher rally in November was to say that local school boards have had the money to pay teachers but are not spending it correctly on the classroom. He cites the statistics on classroom spending which say 58% of education dollars are spent on “the classroom.”<br />
<br />
Public school advocates should know that the statistics he cites give a misleading and bogus narrative to the teacher pay issue.<br />
<br />
“Dollars to the Classroom” has been a mantra of Republicans since a controversial 2006 law passed narrowly by the House 51-49 allowed Gov. Daniels to say: “We can’t keep shoveling money into a system where 40 cents off the top of every dollar goes to what is not essential.” (Jan. 18, 2009, Indiana Lawmakers, WFYI-TV)<br />
<br />
Creating these misleading statistics was only designed to allow sound bites such as that from Governor Daniels above. It is completely unfair to criticize local school boards for non-classroom spending without knowing the circumstances of the district. Many essentials including facilities and debt are defined as “non-classroom” spending. Growing districts have to build new buildings and carry higher debt. That would lift their non-classroom spending and lower their percentage.<br />
<br />
The classroom spending statistics are a cover for legislative leaders who have not put enough into K-12 education over the last decade to keep up with surrounding states.<br />
<br />
<b>What are the “overhead” spending categories defined in accordance with Indiana Code 20-42.5?</b> Here is a complete listing of what Speaker Bosma thinks can and should be trimmed to boost teacher pay: (Numbers are from the chart of accounts)<br />
<br />
<b>23100 Board of Education</b><br />
<b>23200 Executive Administration/Superintendent Office Services</b><br />
<b>25100 Fiscal Services/Business Manager</b><br />
<b>25200 Purchasing Services</b><br />
<b>25300 Printing Services</b><br />
<b>25200 Planning, Research, Development and Evaluation</b><br />
<b>25600 Public Information Services</b><br />
<b>25700 Personnel Services</b><br />
<b>25800 Technology Services</b><br />
<b>25900 Other Support Services</b><br />
<b>26000 Maintenance Services</b><br />
<b>27000 Student Transportation</b><br />
<b>30000 Noninstructional Services (including food services)</b><br />
<b>40000 Facilities Acquisition and Construction</b><br />
<b>50000 Debt Services</b><br />
<b>60105 Donations to Foundations</b><br />
<b>60700 Scholarships</b><br />
<br />
That’s the complete list for “non-classroom” spending. All other categories are called “classroom” spending and are then figured as a percentage of total spending, giving politicians the opportunity to criticize schools that fall below the arbitrary standard of 65%.<br />
<br />
Pressure from Speaker Bosma and others to lower “operational, non-classroom” spending is egregiously wrong on two points:<br />
<blockquote>1) Safe schools – Spending on safe schools, both on hardening buildings and on training, is an obvious priority in Indiana in the past two years, but it is considered “non-classroom” spending. It is wrong for Speaker Bosma and his supermajority leaders to pressure local leaders to spend less on school safety.<br />
<br />
2) Public information and parent information – School choice requires schools to inform parents and to market their school to the community. If they don’t, their school will die from dwindling enrollment. Spending on parent information and marketing is categorized as “non-classroom” spending. If Speaker Bosma pressures local school districts to spend less on marketing in order to pay teachers, he is pushing for them to risk the very existence of the school which depends on parent information for enrollments. He can’t support school choice and simultaneously support cutting the money spent on marketing the school to parents.</blockquote><b>Theory 4: Perhaps Republican leaders don’t see low teacher pay and the resulting teacher shortage as a big problem. They think it can wait. If teachers leave the classrooms of our public schools, then private schools look better and students may transfer to private schools, which some Republican leaders who want to privatize all of our schools would favor.<br />
</b><br />
<br />
The step by step privatization of all public schools is the goal of those who favor the policies of Milton Friedman and libertarians like Charles Koch. To this faction, destabilizing traditional public schools with severe teacher shortages and teacher turnover will help bring about the deconstruction of public education and lead to the privatization transition they want.<br />
<br />
<b>Consider these four theories and let your legislators know you are concerned about teacher pay.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Two Things You Can Do</b><br />
<blockquote>1) Communicate with your legislators to let them know you think teachers need a bonus in pay now, not next year. Too many schools are having real problems with teacher shortages and teacher turnover when teachers go for higher paying positions in other states or in other careers.<br />
<br />
2) Come to the “Rally for Public Education” sponsored by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education to speak up for better K-12 funding for teacher pay and for other needs:<br />
<br />
When? Monday, February 17, 2020, 2 p.m.<br />
<br />
Where? The North Atrium of the Indiana Statehouse<br />
<br />
Bring friends! Bring posters! Bring your voices! Wear RED for PUBLIC ED!<br />
<br />
Check out rally details on the ICPE website: <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a></blockquote><br />
<b>Thank you for your strong support for public education!</b><br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2020 short session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="https://www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org/">www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-85402703801812358202019-11-15T17:10:00.001-05:002019-11-15T17:10:13.493-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #340 – November 14, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
News reports say 8000 teachers and public school advocates have registered for the education rally on November 19th in the Statehouse.<br />
<br />
That is truly an impressive number.<br />
<br />
I have been watching the General Assembly as a public education advocate for 23 years, and 8000 would make this the largest public education rally the Statehouse has ever seen during all those years.<br />
<br />
I offer below a reprint of my education budget analysis issued last May. I thought it would be helpful to all interested in the rally to review the details of the education budget passed last April. The following analysis was issued on May 1, 2019 in “Vic’s Statehouse Notes #337,” which provided:<br />
<ul><li>a summary of changes in the 2019-2021 budget</li>
</ul><ul><li>a comparison of the new tuition support budget with the six previous budgets</li>
</ul><ul><li>a listing of three chunks of new money totaling $763 million over two years</li>
</ul><ul><li>an analysis of the 70% voucher for private schools costing $19 over two years</li>
</ul><ul><li>an analysis of the $31.5 million going to School Scholarships for private school tuition</li>
</ul>Informed discussions with legislators about needed additional funding must start with detailed awareness of the current budget. So, here again is the May analysis, putting the current budget in a context of the last 14 years of education spending. I offer it again below for those who are ready to dig into the details to answer the question of why a 2-year education package of $763 million is insufficient for the needs of public schools in Indiana and diverts far too much money to private schools:<br />
<br />
Insufficient and Diverting Money to Private Schools: An Analysis of the Current Education Budget – reprinted from Notes #337 dated May 1, 2019<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.neifpe.org/2019/05/vics-statehouse-notes-337-may-1-2019.html" target="_blank">Click here to read Vic's Statehouse Notes #337.</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-21612069445058891432019-08-21T16:33:00.002-04:002019-08-21T16:33:23.296-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #339 – August 19, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
“Traditional public education is nothing less than the cornerstone of democracy.” <i>Unraveling Reform Rhetoric</i>, p. 81<br />
<br />
<b>Two of the three authors of an important new book will lead off the annual ICPE membership meeting in Indianapolis this coming Saturday, August 24th. Don’t miss it!</b><br />
<br />
If you support public schools and want to keep them public, we need you!<br />
<br />
<b>When</b>: Saturday, August 24, 2019, 2 – 4 p.m.<br />
<br />
<b>Where</b>: H. Dean Evans Community Center, MSD of Washington Township<br />
86th & Woodfield Crossing Blvd, Indianapolis<br />
<br />
<b>What</b>: Annual Indianapolis meeting of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education<br />
<br />
Open to all ICPE members and to all who support public education.<br />
<br />
<b>Speakers are</b>: Dr. Michael Shaffer (Ball State University) and Dr. Jeff Swensson (Ball State retired, former superintendent in Carmel) will speak. They have authored (along with Dr. John Ellis, former executive director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents after serving as superintendent in Noblesville and Jennings County) a new book entitled <i>Unraveling Reform Rhetoric: What Educators Need to Know and Understand</i>, which raises questions about recent education reforms. They will share their concerns described in the book about the differences between traditional public education and free-market schooling.<br />
<br />
The three authors address fundamental questions about the current battle to maintain traditional public schools:<br />
<br />
“If free market theory disconnects individuals from their responsibilities and obligations to create and maintain the public good, what happens to U.S. democracy? If what is known about the potential of traditional public education is lost, can the primacy of self-interest suffice for the good of the nation?” (<i>Unraveling Reform Rhetoric</i>, p. 79)<br />
<br />
The book’s analysis is based on a premise familiar to public school advocates: “The future of U.S. students and the future of democracy depend on an inclusive, academically rigorous, and socially just traditional public education.” (p. 8)<br />
<br />
Come and hear more from the authors!<br />
<br />
<b>PLUS Joel Hand will speak</b>, our outstanding ICPE lobbyist for all nine General Assembly sessions since ICPE was founded in 2011. He will overview the 2019 session, especially ICPE’s efforts to improve the budget, and then share what he expects to emerge in the 2020 session.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>9th Annual Fall Membership Meeting in Indianapolis</u></b><br />
<br />
For the ninth fall, the Indiana Coalition for Public Education is inviting all ICPE members as well as all who support public education to come to the Washington Township Community and Education Center. The future of public education in Indiana hangs in the balance.<br />
<br />
Come for information and great networking with other public school advocates. Come in support of public education!<br />
<br />
Please join us on August 24 at 2 p.m.!<br />
<br />
Bring a public education friend with you! RSVPs aren’t required, but feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:icpe2011@icpe2011.com">icpe2011@icpe2011.com</a> to let us know you’re coming.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com" target="_blank">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<br />
<b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools</b>. We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2019 budget session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!<br />
<br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-68537659957450315442019-07-05T12:04:00.000-04:002019-07-05T12:04:35.831-04:00NEA Hosts Candidates July 5NEA will host Democratic candidates in a forum today, July 5, at 3 PM Eastern Time.<br />
<br />
The event will be live streamed. Click here to watch: <a href="https://ra.nea.org/livestream/">ra.nea.org/livestream/</a><br />
<blockquote>
<i>America’s largest labor union, the National Education Association, will host 2020 presidential candidates at its annual Representative Assembly in Houston. Educators are poised to play a major role in choosing the president of the United States. And now we are taking this energy to the 2020 campaign where we will lead a conversation about the schools our students deserve.</i></blockquote>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-81283182807404682742019-05-02T10:45:00.003-04:002019-05-02T10:45:42.860-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #337 – May 1, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
The 2019 budget deal was announced on April 23rd and passed on April 24th to close the budget session.<br />
<br />
Messages you sent to give K-12 schools better funding in the final version were successful! Thank you for your efforts!<br />
<br />
The final funding for K-12 was higher than any previous proposal. This is true despite the latest revenue forecast that said Indiana would have $100 million less to spend. The grassroots pressure to raise K-12 funding was as high as I’ve seen it in the 23 sessions of the General Assembly that I have attended.<br />
<br />
Despite the improvement in K-12 funding, the budget results present a mixed picture for public education in Indiana:<br />
<ul><li>K-12 tuition support got a 2.5% increase each year, a bit higher than the 2015 increases but not as much as the 2007 budget increases. See the chart below to put these increases into historical context for the past seven budgets.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Giving more and more public money to private schools continued. Voucher expansion in the form of the new 70% voucher was included in the budget at a two-year new cost estimated by LSA to be $19 million. Tax credits for private school scholarships were expanded at a two-year new cost of $3.5 million. Charter school grants, given in addition to funding provided in the funding formula for charter schools, were raised by 50% at a two-year extra cost of $15 million. These three new benefits for private and charter schools total $37.5 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The funding formula estimates vouchers (Choice Scholarships) to cost $175 million in the first year of the new budget and $185 million in the second year. That money comes out of the K-12 tuition support fund cited above.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The funding formula estimates that in the first year voucher students will increase by 4.3% but voucher funding will increase by 9.3%. In the second year of the budget, voucher students will increase by 3.5% but voucher funding will increase by 5.6%.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The funding formula estimates that new charter schools will get $12 million in the first year of the new budget and $26 million in the second year of the budget. Budgets for all charter schools, except for the charter school grants mentioned above, come out of the line item for K-12 tuition support.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Some 60 of the 289 public school districts will get less money in the funding formula due to stable or declining student enrollments. These districts will be hard pressed to raise teacher pay or simply to maintain current programs.</li>
</ul><ul><li>On average, community public school districts saw funding gains in the range of 2% while voucher increases cited above are far higher.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Pension payments owed by school districts were reduced by 2% using the budget surplus, giving school districts an estimated savings of $70 million each year, equivalent to another 1% increase in K-12 tuition support. The problem is that this money is not distributed evenly and some small districts will get very little help from this program. The Indianapolis Star found that districts could receive a range from $1100 per teacher to $600 per teacher and that small districts might count only a few teachers in this pension plan providing minimal help to boost teacher pay.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Teacher Appreciation Grant was raised from $30 million to $37.5 million each year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Funding for English Language Learner programs rose from $17.5 million to $22.5 million each year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Funding to pay for curriculum materials (textbooks) for low-income students remained stuck at $39 million each year, where it has been for over a decade. Low funding in this program means the state pays only a portion of the textbook costs, usually around 75%. Districts with high percentages of low-income students must pay for those textbooks out of scarce local funds.</li>
</ul>The good news in this list is tempered by the ease that voucher-supporting groups were once again able to expand vouchers and tax credits for private school scholarships. The heavy lifting required to get more money for public school teacher pay compared to the ease by which voucher programs were expanded raises questions about the future of public education in Indiana.<br />
<br />
Does the supermajority General Assembly leadership really want public school teachers to feel supported and respected in Indiana? If public schools falter because teachers leave the state or the teaching profession, then parents will choose private schools and private schools will win the competition that the General Assembly began in 2011. Keeping good teachers is essential to the success of public education.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Compare This Budget with Six Previous Budgets</b></u><br />
<br />
Claims about the new budget can be weighed by comparing it to the previous six budgets. Study the table below to see how the new 2019 budget matches up with recent budgets going back to 2007. <br />
__________________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
INDIANA SCHOOL FUNDING INCREASES FOR THE PAST SEVEN BUDGETS<br />
Source: The summary cover page from the General Assembly’s School Formulas for each budget<br />
Prepared by Dr. Vic Smith, 4-26-19<br />
<br />
When the school funding formulas are passed every two years by the General Assembly, legislators see the bottom line percentage increases on a summary page. Figures that have appeared on this summary are listed below for the last seven budgets that I have personally observed as they were approved by the legislature.<br />
<br />
Tuition support and dollar increases have been rounded to the nearest 10 million dollars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cxHmCCANPyE/XMr6LxMJh5I/AAAAAAAACo0/7KRyYri-bHA4xlgns_HJq4lGzfSBKor9wCLcBGAs/s1600/190501Vic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1366" height="439" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cxHmCCANPyE/XMr6LxMJh5I/AAAAAAAACo0/7KRyYri-bHA4xlgns_HJq4lGzfSBKor9wCLcBGAs/s640/190501Vic.png" width="576" /></a></div><br />
Total funding and percentage increases were taken directly from the School Funding Formula summary page. Sometimes in the first year of two budget years, the previous budget amount was not fully spent and the adjusted lowered base was used by the General Assembly to calculate the percentage increase.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Here is How Republican Leaders Added Up New Money for K-12 Education to Equal $763 Million</b></u><br />
<br />
Keep in mind that when counting new money, the new money for the first year must be repeated in the second year as the base for an additional increase. Thus, the new money in the 2019 budget is 178 million for a 2.5% increase in the first year plus 178 million to match that increase for the second year plus 183 million to raise the second year by 2.5%.<br />
<br />
That totals to $539 million.<br />
<br />
Then the Governor’s plan to reduce pension payments by $150 million over two years was enacted.<br />
Adding $150 million raises the total to $689 million.<br />
<br />
Then categorical funding for specific programs like the Teacher Appreciation Fund received $74 million in new money.<br />
<br />
Adding $74 million raises the total to the number you have heard: $763 million. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What is a 70% Voucher?</b></u><br />
<br />
Most taxpayers have never heard of a 70% voucher. It appeared suddenly in the House budget without discussion or debate. Senator Mishler and Senator Bassler did not include it in the Senate budget approved by the Appropriations Committee, but on the floor of the Senate, the 70% voucher was put back in the budget by the Republican caucus on a second reading amendment using a voice vote. No roll call record is available of who supported this move toward more privatization of education in Indiana.<br />
<br />
Here are the details:<br />
<ul><li>The historic legislative fight in 2011 over the original voucher bill established a 90% voucher for families of four currently making $46,000 or less. This means that 90% of the per student support for a public school student goes to the parent to pay for private school tuition.</li>
</ul><ul><li>A 50% voucher was established for families of four currently making $69,000.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Now, for the first time in the eight year history of vouchers, $19 million more money will go to a new concept: a 70% voucher to families of four making between $46,000 and $57,500, while families between $57,500 and $69,000 would still receive a 50% voucher from Indiana taxpayers.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This would probably not add many students to the voucher count but would give significantly more money to the parents making between $46,000 and $57,500 who already have students in the voucher program.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the newly proposed 70% voucher would cost an extra $7.7 million in the first year of the budget.</li>
</ul><ul><li>It would cost $11.3 million in the second year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Adding these two years together, this 70% voucher would cost taxpayers $19 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The 70% voucher was not debated in any bill but just appeared in the budget. The secrecy of how this concept appeared is stunning. In eight years, it has never before been proposed.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Giving more money to voucher parents was not the General Assembly’s stated priority. No case was made that this 70% voucher solves any problem. It received no debate or public review. It was a total surprise when it showed up in the budget. This program has undercut the priority on more money for teacher pay.</li>
</ul>Let legislators know that you strongly oppose the passage of the 70% voucher and that you think it undermines the effort to make more money available for teacher raises.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What are School Scholarships?</b></u><br />
<br />
School Scholarships, not to be confused with Choice Scholarships, are scholarships for students to attend private schools given out by Scholarship Granting Organizations that collect donations for these scholarships, donations which give donors a 50% tax credit when taxes are filed.<br />
<ul><li>In the first year, the budget for tax credits was raised by $1 million to total $15 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In the second year, the budget for tax credits went up another $1.5 million to $16.5 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The two-year budget total for private school scholarships in $31.5 million. That is $3.5 million higher than in the 2017 budget.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In this little known program, the Scholarship Granting Organizations can now raise $30 million next year for private school scholarships and $15 million (50%) will be returned to donors at tax time.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Here is the amazing part: There is no limit on the size of the donation. Wealthy donors who want to direct all of their tax obligation to private schools can do that and get 50% back as a tax credit. Donors to Indiana colleges are limited to a $200 tax credit for individuals, but there is no individual limit for School Scholarship donations. It is the most generous tax credit available in Indiana.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The School Scholarship law says that Scholarship Granting Organizations can keep 10% of their donations for administrative overhead. If donations total $30 million and use up the $15 million in tax credits, the SGO’s can keep $3 million, which is 10% of the total. It’s a lucrative business.</li>
</ul><ul><li>School Scholarships have raised the number of students receiving Choice Scholarships (vouchers). The voucher law was changed in 2013 under Governor Pence to say that if a student gets a School Scholarship one year, they can get a Choice Scholarship (voucher) the next year. This has been the mechanism for why so many voucher students (now 58%) have never even tried out a public school. They receive a voucher but they have been in a private school all along.</li>
</ul>Your messages to legislators during this budget session clearly made a difference. Let your legislators know how you feel about the various provisions of the final budget.<br />
<br />
Grassroots support of public schools makes all the difference. Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-42852109715959617112019-04-13T07:36:00.002-04:002019-04-13T07:36:48.189-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #336 – April 12, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
<b>Attention all who support public education! </b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>You are invited to a rally in support of better funding for K-12 education. We need you!</b><br />
<blockquote><b>When: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 3:00 pm</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Where: Indiana Statehouse South Atrium</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Coordinated by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education </b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Event partners: AFT Indiana, Concerned Clergy, Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA), Indiana Parent Teacher Association (PTA)</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Everyone is encouraged to join us!</b></blockquote>Stand up for public education! Let legislators know you care about K-12 funding in the two-year budget.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Raise the Priority in Support of K-12 Funding </b></u><br />
<br />
We need your presence to put top priority on better funding for our K-12 students in the new budget. <br />
<br />
Here’s the picture:<br />
<ul><li>In January, the Governor recommended K-12 increases of 2% in the first year ($143 million) and 2% in the second year ($146 million).</li>
</ul><ul><li>In February, the House recommended K-12 increases of 2.1% in the first year ($154 million) and 2.2% in the second year ($160 million).</li>
</ul><ul><li>Yesterday, April 12, the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Mishler, recommended K-12 increases of 2.7% in the first year ($192 million) and 2.2% in the second year ($162 million).</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Indiana Coalition for Public Education and other public education advocates have recommended K-12 increases of 3% in the first year ($210 million) and 3% in the second year ($230 million).</li>
</ul><ul><li>Indiana K-12 students and teachers deserve more financial support to maintain strong student programs and to keep strong teachers from leaving the state or changing careers.</li>
</ul><u><b>There is no guarantee that the final budget will include the better numbers from the Senate.</b></u><br />
<ul><li>The House and Senate now have to negotiate their differences in a conference committee.</li>
</ul><ul><li>If they simply split the difference, our K-12 students could lose support.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Senate budget deleted the 70% voucher which cost $19 million, but the House will likely try to put it back in.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Senate budget deleted the $47 million expansion of charter school grants, but the House will likely want to revive it.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Senate expanded tax credits for private school scholarships by $3 million over 2 years, while the House expanded them by $5 million. We don’t need any expansion of tax credits for private schools! They are already funded at $14 million each year. </li>
</ul>We need you on April 16th to help send a message: Our K-12 students and teachers need even more support than the Senate version!<br />
<br />
The members of the General Assembly need to hear from you the parents, the taxpayers and the educators of Indiana about supporting better K-12 funding.<br />
<br />
Will you join us? Will you bring friends and family? Will you wear red for public ed?<br />
<br />
The rally will feature a welcome by Dr. Jennifer McCormick, our last elected State Superintendent of Public Education. Key speakers representing our partner groups will follow. The moderator will be Joel Hand, the Indiana Coalition for Public Education attorney and lobbyist. <br />
<br />
Make plans now to join us next Tuesday April 16th to support our K-12 students.<br />
<br />
A printable flyer for you to share with friends, family and colleagues is available at the ICPE website:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Thank you for actively supporting public education in Indiana!</b><br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-54748099337958053162019-04-01T15:49:00.000-04:002019-04-01T15:49:06.073-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #335 – April 1, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Make plans now to come to a Statehouse rally for better K-12 funding on Tuesday, April 16th at 3:00pm!<br />
<br />
Mark your calendars!<br />
<br />
Look for details and a printable flier about the rally on the Indiana Coalition for Public Education website: www.icpe2011.com.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">_______________</div><br />
As we await the Senate budget, the crucial question remains: Will the Senate provide additional K-12 funding?<br />
<br />
<u><b>Where Could the Senate Find $70 Million More Money for K-12 Funding?</b></u><br />
<br />
The teacher pay crisis is a fight to retain our strong teachers. During this crisis, Indiana does not need to expand vouchers or privatization programs.<br />
<br />
The House budget used $70 million over two years to expand three voucher and charter school programs. <br />
<br />
Contact your Senators to tell them that this $70 million should all be transferred to the tuition support budget to focus on the General Assembly’s stated priority: funding better pay for all teachers.<br />
<br />
The goal is to improve the House budget to put more money into K-12 tuition support, the budget line that funds teacher salaries and all general expenses. The House budget raised tuition support by 2.1% in the first year of the budget and by 2.2% in the second year. ICPE and other groups have called for at least a 3% increase each year.<br />
<br />
Transferring this $70 million to tuition support would help reach that goal.<br />
<br />
Let Senators know that these three programs can be abandoned in favor of helping teachers get more pay in Indiana:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Program 1: The new 70% voucher expansion costs an extra $19 million.</b></u><br />
<ul><li>The historic legislative fight in 2011 over the original voucher bill established a 90% voucher for families of four currently making $46,000 or less. This means that 90% of the per student support for a public school student goes to the parent to pay for private school tuition.</li>
</ul><ul><li>A 50% voucher was established for families of four currently making $69,000.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Now, for the first time in the eight year history of vouchers, the House wants to give $19 million more money for a new concept: a 70% voucher to families of four making between $46,000 and $57,500, while families between $57,500 and $69,000 would still receive a 50% voucher from Indiana taxpayers.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This would probably not add many students to the voucher count but would give significantly more money to the parents making between $46,000 and $57,000 who already have students in the voucher program.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the newly proposed 70% voucher would cost an extra $7.7 million in the first year of the budget.</li>
</ul><ul><li>It would cost $11.3 million in the second year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Adding these two years together, this newly proposed 70% voucher would cost $19 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The 70% voucher was not debated in any bill but just appeared in the budget. The secrecy of how this concept appeared is stunning. In eight years, it has never before been proposed.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Giving more money to voucher parents is not the General Assembly’s stated priority. No case was made that this 70% voucher solves any problem. It received no debate or public review. It was a total surprise when it showed up in the budget. This program would undercut the priority on more money for teacher pay. </li>
</ul><u><b>Program 2: The expansion of private school scholarships raised by Scholarship Granting Organizations costs an extra $4 million.</b></u><br />
<ul><li>In 2009, the General Assembly budgeted $2.5 million of taxpayer funds to pay 50% back to donors giving to private school scholarships through a tax credit. It was the first state money ever given to pay tuition to private K-12 schools.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This year the House budget raises the tax credit funding by $1 million in the first year, from $14 million to $15 million.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In the second year, the House budget raises funding to $16 million or by 120% of what the scholarship granting organizations (SGO’s) actually raise, whichever is more. Applying the 120% figure to $15 million means that in the second year of the budget, taxpayers could pay out $18 million for private school scholarships. $18 million would match what has been budgeted for summer school for all of Indiana for many years.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This automatic escalator has been proposed twice before by the House and must be defeated.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The school scholarship tax credit is the most generous tax credit to donors in Indiana. It gives 50% back to donors when they file their taxes with no individual limit. The 2013 voucher expansion law said that any student getting a tax credit scholarship one year could get a state voucher scholarship the next year (Choice Scholarship). This has been the mechanism for allowing students who have never been in public schools to get a voucher, a figure that has risen to 58% of all voucher students.</li>
</ul><u><b>Program 3: The expansion of the Charter School Grants program costs $47 million.</b></u><br />
<ul><li>Again, the stated priority of the General Assembly is to provide funds to improve teacher pay, not to give more money to charter schools. Charter schools are funded by the tuition support line item that needs to get bigger for all schools.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the expansion of charter school grants would cost an extra $21 million in the first year of the budget.</li>
</ul><ul><li>It would cost an extra $26 million in the second year.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Adding these two years together, the proposed expansion of charter school grants would cost $47 million.</li>
</ul>Three non-crisis programs costing $70 million!<br />
<br />
Senators need to hear from you on these three programs. They undermine the stated goal of funding better teacher salaries and benefits to keep talented teachers from going to other states or other careers for better pay.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Senate School Funding Subcommittee Hearing </b></u><br />
<br />
A long public hearing was held on Thursday, March 14 allowing citizens to speak about the K-12 budget. An impressive number of teachers from all over Indiana showed up to speak about the low funding they have seen in their school district and how that has impacted their teaching and how it has hurt colleagues who have had to leave the profession due to financial hardships. The totality of the hearing for the Senators who were listening was that the teacher shortage in Indiana will only get worse until significant dollars are invested in the K-12 tuition support formula.<br />
<br />
A similar loud message was delivered on March 9th in an impressive Statehouse rally organized by the Indiana State Teachers Association. The call for better funding has been effectively delivered, but the response by the Senate is still unknown.<br />
<br />
The tuition support funding issue has followed this sequence in the expectations dance:<br />
<ul><li>In November, Speaker Bosma predicted that a tight budget would mean at most a 0.7% funding increase for K-12.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In January, Governor Holcomb recommended a 2.0% increase each year of the budget. In addition, he called for pension payments to be taken from the surplus to give school districts about $70 million each of the next two years to be available for teacher pay increases.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In February, the House budget gave a 2.1% increase for the first year and a 2.2% increase in the second year, along with the pension money payments worth. they say now, $150 over two years.</li>
</ul><ul><li>On March 9, an impressive teacher rally attracting about 2000 on a rainy day gave notice that the House budget was insufficient to correct the teacher pay problems.</li>
</ul><ul><li>On March 14, the public hearing of the School Funding Subcommittee attracted not only public education organizations, such as the Indiana Coalition for Public Education (ICPE) asking for a 3.0% increase each year, but an impressive number of individual teachers and parents from Gibson County to Steuben County independently asking for better K-12 funding, a dimension that has not been seen in previous budget years.</li>
</ul>I hope you will get involved in asking Senators for a 3% increase in K-12 funding.<br />
<br />
Then later, members of the House need to get the same message to put a 3% increase in the budget for K-12 funding. <br />
<br />
Good luck in your efforts! Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a> <br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-17018788113206163372019-02-19T07:39:00.002-05:002019-02-19T07:39:57.043-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #333 – February 18, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Will the Indiana General Assembly find enough money to allow K-12 public schools to pay teachers more and to provide stable programs?<br />
<br />
That is the overriding question as the new two-year budget takes shape. The outcome is not clear.<br />
<br />
The K-12 budget increases listed below for the past twelve years have not provided enough to pay teachers properly. Thus, there is urgency in finding more K-12 money in this budget cycle.<br />
<br />
The proposed budget from the House Ways and Means Committee will be unveiled tomorrow, Feb. 19th.<br />
<br />
The budget proposed by the Senate is expected around the beginning of April.<br />
<br />
The compromise budget putting the Senate and House versions together is expected near the end of April.<br />
<br />
I hope you will be involved at each step in asking legislators for a 3% increase in K-12 funding.<br />
<br />
<u><b>How Big Will the K-12 Increase Be?</b></u><br />
<br />
On Wednesday February 6th, the public hearing was held on requests for the new budget in the House Ways and Means Committee. Joel Hand, representing the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, testified about the importance of increasing K-12 tuition support by 3% in the budget. State Superintendent McCormick had asked for a 3% increase back in October.<br />
<br />
Governor Holcomb, in his budget plan released on January 10th, called for a 2% increase in K-12 tuition support, totaling $143 million in the first year and an additional $146 million in the second year. In addition, he recommended that money from the surplus be used to pay 2% of school district pension payments, out of 7.5% owed by school districts, which he said would free up $70 million in each year of the budget for districts to use to give raises to teachers.<br />
<br />
This was a far better proposal than Speaker Bosma was talking about in November when he said at most there would be only a 0.7% increase in K-12 for next year. <br />
<br />
Study the table below to see the history of funding increases in the past six budgets and the prospects for next year’s funding:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">________</div><br />
INDIANA SCHOOL FUNDING INCREASES FOR THE PAST SIX BUDGETS<br />
<br />
Source: The summary cover page from the General Assembly’s School Formulas for each budget<br />
<br />
Prepared by Dr. Vic Smith, 12-2-18<br />
<br />
When the school funding formulas are passed every two years by the General Assembly, legislators see the bottom line percentage increases on a summary page. Figures that have appeared on this summary are listed below for the last six budgets that I have personally observed as they were approved by the legislature.<br />
<br />
Tuition support and dollar increases have been rounded to the nearest 10 million dollars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2qa31uN9IE/XGvxe7rQUGI/AAAAAAAACio/MmwqGRFIZTsPz2PJMOvgXQQzwmmIyDWRQCLcBGAs/s1600/Vic1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1230" height="374" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2qa31uN9IE/XGvxe7rQUGI/AAAAAAAACio/MmwqGRFIZTsPz2PJMOvgXQQzwmmIyDWRQCLcBGAs/s640/Vic1.png" width="576" /></a></div><br />
Total funding and percentage increases were taken directly from the School Funding Formula summary page. Sometimes in the first year of two budget years, the previous budget amount was not fully spent and the adjusted lowered base was used by the General Assembly to calculate the percentage increase.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">________</div><br />
Three Projections for K-12 tuition support as the next line in the table:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ_kHE9jUTk/XGvyBp0PB5I/AAAAAAAACiw/ggl_glPcq8k7kS8AjUi5eR9C2XCExA7FgCLcBGAs/s1600/Vic2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ_kHE9jUTk/XGvyBp0PB5I/AAAAAAAACiw/ggl_glPcq8k7kS8AjUi5eR9C2XCExA7FgCLcBGAs/s640/Vic2.png" width="576" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">________</div><br />
Contact Legislators This Week to Ask for a 3% Increase for K-12<br />
<br />
A consensus has formed in the Statehouse that Indiana teachers are underpaid and need pay raises. The best approach to that goal is to raise K-12 funding by 3%. Two other methods suggested will not raise the base pay that teachers need to solidify their future earnings:<br />
<blockquote>1) The Governor’s plan to free up pension money will provide potential bonuses for teachers on top of their base pay. Since it is one-time money, $70 million each year, there is no guarantee it can be continued in the next biennium because it is not in the ongoing budget or the line item for K-12 tuition support.<br />
<br />
2) House Bill 1003 proposes to flag superintendents and school boards that spend too much on “operations” and too little on classroom spending that can be used for teacher pay. The penalties involve being called before the State Board of Education for public shaming. The problem is that “operations” is defined to include spending on school safety, bus safety and public information for parents in our competitive school marketplace established by the General Assembly when the school choice voucher law passed in 2011. No superintendent or school board should be given incentives to cut back on school safety, bus safety or parent information. It’s a bad idea that has passed the House but is absolutely tone deaf to the intense calls for improving school safety, bus safety and parent information. HB 1003 should be killed in the Senate with your help.</blockquote>With this background, you are ready to ask House members this week and Senators later to put at least a 3% increase in the budget for K-12 funding.<br />
<br />
Good luck in your efforts! Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-11888343678821523832019-02-12T13:20:00.001-05:002019-02-12T13:20:13.295-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #332 – February 12, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
<u><b>Update on House Bill 1641</b></u><br />
<br />
Your opposition to egregious parts of HB 1641 has helped immensely. Amendment 18 adopted yesterday, Feb. 11, by the House Education Committee drops all language requiring public school boards to share general referendum funding with charter schools in the district. Your objections were heard!<br />
<br />
In addition, language to sell a vacant building for 50% market value has been removed. The amendment now says that if a charter school or a neighboring school corporation does not want the building, “the school corporation must sell a vacant school building to a nonpublic school, a postsecondary educational institution, or a nonprofit organization that sends a letter of intent to the school corporation to purchase the vacant or unused school building for an amount not more than the fair market value.”<br />
<br />
Thanks for contacting legislators on these two issues!<br />
<br />
<u><b>Stop Voucher Expansion: Oppose Senate Bill 55 Creating Partial Vouchers</b></u><br />
<br />
We need your help today and tomorrow! Public education advocates should contact Senators in opposition to Senate Bill 55, which expands the voucher program by creating a second-semester partial voucher. We do not need a voucher expansion!<br />
<br />
SB 55 will be amended and then voted on in the Senate Education Committee meeting tomorrow, Wednesday afternoon Feb. 13th starting at 1:30pm. Please contact the Senators on the committee listed below to urge them to abandon this proposal.<br />
<br />
SB 55 would resurrect House Bill 1005 passed in a partisan vote in a controversial battle in the short session of 2016. The provisions of the law were rescinded when the second count date for all schools was dropped. The Indiana Coalition for Public Education strongly opposed the concept of partial vouchers in 2016, and the reasons for opposing this major voucher expansion have not changed:<br />
<ul><li>The bill establishes a second window of applications, September 2 to January 15. IDOE requested in testimony that this window be amended to say November 1 to January 15. Thus the bill creates for the first time a partial-year voucher, but this partial voucher is not defined in the bill. Is the amount exactly half? Does the spring semester student wait until spring semester to enroll? Or can the student transfer to a voucher school at any time, even before spring semester? Is the voucher prorated by day? The bill does not define the partial-year voucher to answer these basic questions. </li>
</ul><ul><li>This bill has a significant fiscal cost at a time when budget makers are searching for ways to provide more money for teacher pay. LSA has said that “in FY 2018, 1378 students exited the choice scholarship program within the school year.” Under current law, the remainder of the choice scholarship reverts to the state coffers, and in FY 2018 according to LSA, this reversion was “just under $500,000 from choice schools due to students leaving before the end of the school year.” SB 55 would spend that money to let the student transfer to another voucher school, something the original 2011 voucher bill specifically prevented, sending the message at the time that students could not jump around to different schools on the taxpayer dime. Removing this provision is moving backward on accountability to the taxpayer. If families make a bad choice, the result would be extra costs falling on the taxpayers.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In addition to the $.5 million fiscal costs for students to transfer, this bill sets up a second semester voucher for students who have not had a voucher before. That will mean increased fiscal costs. The fiscal costs projected by LSA for the 2016 bill were $2.1 million for a second semester voucher program. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Is SB 55 the first program that gives taxpayer money for expelled students during the school year for which they are expelled? Expulsions are for serious problems, including bringing guns or drugs to school or threatening the school. A state law says that expelled students as part of their penalty cannot be enrolled in another public school for the balance of the school year in which they were expelled. SB 55 bill does not rule out helping expelled students go to a private school with a tax payer voucher. Is this undermining the meaning of expulsion? Will students expelled for the most serious offenses including gun violations or serious threats to the school be allowed to simply transfer to a private school with a voucher in the second semester? Are there major expulsion offenses for which taxpayer money should not be used when students are expelled for the most serious reasons?</li>
</ul><ul><li>The current window for private school voucher applications is March 1 to September 1. SB 55 would establish a new enrollment window from extending to January 15. This extension would mean that the marketing and recruitment competition between private schools and public schools would go on for 10.5 months instead of the current 6 months.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Private schools have always had to have a marketing program to gain enrollment, but marketing and recruiting is new to public schools since Indiana was transformed into a school choice marketplace in 2011. Now just like private schools, if public schools don’t recruit students, they won’t survive. A superb public school with superb teachers must still be marketed well to parents or it may falter in the competition for enrollment. SB 55 proposes to extend the intense competition by four and a half months. Meanwhile, House Bill 1003 passed yesterday in the House sets up incentives to keep public schools from spending money on marketing, a move by the General Assembly that makes no sense given that they set up the competitive school marketplace in 2011. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Legislators should say no to ever-increasing voucher expansion. The teacher shortage and the teacher pay crisis deserve the full attention of our General Assembly and our school personnel, and not another battle over voucher expansion.</li>
</ul><ul><li>We don’t need a sweeping expansion of spring semester vouchers that will extend the advertising wars all year long that are currently confined to the summer recruiting period.</li>
</ul><br />
<b><u>Send Messages Today (Feb. 12) or Early Tomorrow (Feb 13) Before the Committee Vote!</u></b><br />
<br />
Just let Senators know that you oppose SB 55 and that you oppose any expansion of private school vouchers. The length of your message is not as important as the number of messages to Senators. <br />
<br />
Please send your messages to Senators on the Senate Education Committee right away:<br />
<br />
Republicans: Senators Raatz (chair), Buchanan, Crane, Freeman (bill sponsor), Kruse, Leising, Rogers, and Spartz<br />
<br />
Democrats: Senators Melton, Mrvan, Stoops<br />
<br />
You can cut and paste this list of Senate Education Committee members into the "to" field of your email:<br />
<br />
S27@iga.in.gov; S7@iga.in.gov; S24@iga.in.gov; S32@iga.in.gov; S14@iga.in.gov; S42@iga.in.gov; S11@iga.in.gov; S20@iga.in.gov; S3@iga.in.gov; S1@iga.in.gov; S40@iga.in.gov<br />
<br />
<br />
Good luck in your efforts! Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-63742950188251459502019-02-08T08:29:00.000-05:002019-02-08T08:29:06.475-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #331 – February 7, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Public school advocates need to contact members of the House Education Committee along with your own House member <u>to oppose damaging provisions of House Bill 1641</u>. This bill, to be voted on in a rare <u>8:30 am Monday morning meeting on February 11th</u>, would:<br />
<ul><li>for the first time, force a public school district that closes a school to sell it at 50% market value to any private or religious school that wants to buy it.</li>
</ul><ul><li>for the first time, take portions of the property tax money raised when a public school district passes a local referendum and give that money to charter schools sitting within the boundaries of the school district.</li>
</ul><ul><li>give that money to charter schools for a general revenue referendum.</li>
</ul><ul><li>give that money to charter schools when the public school board has done all the work to pass the referendum.</li>
</ul><ul><li>give that money to charter schools even though charter school boards are unelected and unaccountable to taxpayers who may have opposed the referendum and would like to vote someone out of office in the next election.</li>
</ul><ul><li>give a huge incentive to public school boards to avoid seeking needed funds through a referendum when they know that a major chunk of the property tax money raised will pass right on to charter schools that have not done any of the difficult work required to pass the referendum.</li>
</ul><u><b>Forcing Taxpayers to Subsidize Private and Religious School Buildings </b></u><br />
<br />
HB 1641 is the first effort to get taxpayers to subsidize facilities for private and religious schools. <br />
<br />
This is another step beyond having taxpayers subsidize tuition for private and religious schools, a still-controversial step taken in 2011 pushed by groups working to erode support for public schools and working to fund unaccountable and sometimes discriminatory private schools with tax money.<br />
<br />
This line should not be crossed. HB 1641 should not force public school districts to sell buildings to private or religious schools at a 50% discount which dissipates the investment that taxpayers have made in that building.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Forcing Public School Districts to Share Referendum Revenue with Charter Schools </b></u><br />
<br />
Here’s how much public school districts would lose to charter schools from referendum revenues based on the provisions of HB 1641: <br />
<ul><li>Gary Community Schools: 53.4%</li>
</ul><ul><li>Indianapolis Public Schools: 25%</li>
</ul><ul><li>Muncie Community Schools: 18.5%</li>
</ul>This bill is a bad idea. It has been held over for two meetings of the House Education Committee. It will be voted on at the 8:30 meeting of the House Education Committee on Monday, February 11, 2019.<br />
<br />
Let your voice be heard by then!<br />
<br />
Press reports have hinted that sharing referendum revenue with charter schools may be taken out of the bill by Representative Behning, the sponsor, but no action on that has yet been taken, so let your concerns be heard! <br />
<br />
Let legislators know that you strongly oppose House Bill 1641:<br />
<ul><li>This bill would funnel public tax benefits to private and religious schools.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This bill would deeply cut the property tax revenues that local districts could gain from local referendums. </li>
</ul><ul><li>This bill would erode local funding for public schools. </li>
</ul>If local districts lose property tax money needed for transportation or building repairs, they must shore up their budget in these areas with general fund money that could be used to raise teacher salaries. This poorly timed bill would thus have the effect of reducing the money available for lifting teacher pay, a priority goal of this session in the agendas of the Governor and of both parties.<br />
<br />
<u>Contact the members of the House Education Committee who will vote on an amended bill next Monday, February 11, 2019 at 8:30 am:</u><br />
<br />
Republicans: Representatives Behning (bill sponsor), Cook, Burton, Clere, DeVon, Goodrich, Jordan, Lucas, and Thompson<br />
<br />
Democrats: Representatives Smith, DeLaney, Klinker, Pfaff<br />
<br />
Then share your concerns with your own House Representative.<br />
<br />
Links to House Education Committee members can be found here:<br />
<blockquote><a href="https://www.neifpe.org/p/indiana-legislative-education-committees.html">www.neifpe.org/p/indiana-legislative-education-committees.html</a></blockquote>Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a><br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-65477878977155704582019-01-25T08:59:00.002-05:002019-01-25T08:59:50.980-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #330 – January 24, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Mandates to teach K-12 students about democracy would end 18 months from now unless a summer study committee decides to keep them, according to a bill discussed yesterday in the House Education Committee.<br />
<br />
Will you speak up to keep mandates in place saying K-12 students will be taught about citizenship and democracy?<br />
<br />
Yesterday in House Bill 1400, the mandate to teach our K-12 students about citizenship in our democracy was proposed to expire on July 1, 2020, unless the General Assembly takes action to save it in a summer study committee. Many other mandates are given the same treatment. Your voice is needed this week to get this set of civic mandates removed from the long list of programs to be ended if House Bill 1400 is passed.<br />
<br />
At a time when our democracy is under attack from several directions, legislators need to hear that we don’t need to review whether our students should study the Constitution of the United States or take a course in American History. This is a set of civic mandates (IC 20-30-5) that we should all support.<br />
<br />
House Bill 1400 is a massive bill. It proposes a review of nearly all mandates in our K-12 schools. It has great support because many mandates are unpopular. In testimony yesterday, our long-standing civic mandates in Indiana Code 20-30-5 were barely mentioned. They are one of forty-one sections of Indiana law that this bill would sunset effective July 1, 2020 unless a summer study committee in 2019 recommends otherwise.<br />
<br />
Forty-one sections of law for one interim study committee to review!<br />
<br />
Tell legislators that you are sure they can remove IC 20-30-5 from this review, the section that mandates that our students learn about citizenship, displaying the flag, and the pledge of allegiance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Take Action This Week</b></u><br />
<br />
The good news here is that the sponsors of the bill, Representative Cook and Representative Behning, did not take a vote on the bill and announced they would amend the bill before taking a vote on it next week. They acknowledged that there are many changes to be made. <br />
<br />
Contact them to say they should delete the citizenship mandates in IC 20-30-5 (page 11, line 3) from this bill.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>An Aggressive Approach to Ending Mandates </b></u><br />
<br />
House Bill 1400 puts nearly every mandate in Indiana schools on the chopping block. <br />
<br />
It has a lot of support because many mandates have intruded on the time of our teachers. The Indiana Department of Education last summer produced a list of 18 laws that mandate that teachers be trained in areas such as CPR and bullying every year. This bill is an effort to reduce the demands lawmakers have placed on teachers.<br />
<br />
Yet the attorney for IDOE giving testimony yesterday on HB 1400 had “grave concerns” about several provisions, saying that Section 7 threatens receiving $271 million in federal funds and that Section 14 is “counter to our Constitution.”<br />
<br />
The Senate Education Committee yesterday took a more moderate approach to the “18 trainings” memo. They had a hearing on SB 508, which changes “annual” training in five areas (e.g. bullying and human trafficking) to training every five years. SB 508 received strong support in testimony and will be voted on next Wednesday by the committee.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>What are the Mandates to Teach Students about Citizenship and Democracy in IC 20-30-5? </b></u><br />
<br />
Since the 1950’s, mandates have guided our public schools in teaching students about being good citizens in our democracy. These mandates include:<br />
<ul><li>the pledge of allegiance and the display of the flag (20-30-5-0.5)</li>
</ul><ul><li>the study of the Indiana Constitution and the US Constitution (20-30-5-1)</li>
</ul><ul><li>the non-partisan study of general elections (20-30-5-4)</li>
</ul><ul><li>a required two-semester course in American History (20-30-5-4)</li>
</ul><ul><li>morals instruction (20-30-5-5)</li>
</ul><ul><li>good citizenship instruction (20-30-5-6)</li>
</ul>Ending these mandates on July 1, 2020 unless an interim study committee saves them would put our democracy at risk.<br />
<br />
It would be comparable to a plan to sunset the Bill of Rights unless the US Congress votes to reinstate them. That would be a huge risk to the structure of our democracy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Ask Legislators to Delete 20-30-5 From the List of Mandates Scheduled for Expiration on July 1, 2020 </b></u><br />
<br />
Contact the members of the House Education Committee who will vote on an amended bill next week:<br />
<br />
Republicans: Representatives Behning (bill sponsor), Cook (bill sponsor), Burton, Clere, DeVon, Goodrich, Jordan, Lucas, and Thompson<br />
<br />
Democrats: Representatives Smith, DeLaney, Klinker, Pfaff<br />
<br />
Then share your concern with your own Representative and your own Senator.<br />
<br />
You may want to look up the forty other laws listed to expire on pages 9-11 of HB 1400, listed under “School Deregulation”. You may object to other parts of this plan. Current language of the bill includes ending on July 1, 2020 mandates for high ability education (IC 20-36), bullying prevention training (IC 20-26-5-34.2), CPR training (IC 20-28-5-3) and many others that may be near and dear to you.<br />
<br />
It’s breathtaking. <br />
<br />
<b>Good luck in your efforts! Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!</b><br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a> <br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-92096020902395565382019-01-08T14:49:00.002-05:002019-01-08T14:49:32.730-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #329 – January 7, 2019Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
The Governor wants to speed up a law that would allow him to replace the State Superintendent of Public Instruction with an appointee who is not required to have experience as a K-12 teacher or a K-12 administrator.<br />
<br />
Democracy took a hit in the 2017 session. The Indiana General Assembly passed a flawed law taking away the power of voters to choose the K-12 leader and leaving a loophole to allow appointment of someone without K-12 experience.<br />
<br />
In the historic final vote on April 18, 2017, the power of voters to elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction was ended after 166 years. The power taken away from voters was given to the Governor starting in 2025.<br />
<br />
Now the Governor and legislative leaders want to take power away from voters sooner, starting in 2021. Identical bills to do this have been filed in the House (HB 1005) and the Senate (SB 275).<br />
<br />
This is a bad idea for two reasons:<br />
<blockquote>1) It ends even earlier the power given to voters in the Indiana Constitution. In our democracy, Indiana voters should retain the power to elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.<br />
<br />
2) The language of the law removing this power from voters is badly flawed. Loopholes and deceptive wording make it possible for the Governor to appoint someone with no experience in K-12 teaching or K-12 administration.</blockquote>Contact your legislators to oppose moving this date up and to oppose allowing anyone without K-12 experience to lead our K-12 school system. Tell them that you oppose HB 1005 and SB 275.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Law Removing a Constitutional Pillar in 2025 Has Flawed Language and Should Not Be Accelerated</u></b><br />
<br />
Since 1851, voters have been able to elect a State Superintendent who had an independent mandate from the electorate as the education leader in Indiana. Now, more power has been handed to the Governor. <br />
<br />
With this vote, democracy in Indiana was diminished. <br />
<br />
Voters who want to influence education policy in Indiana had better focus on the race for Governor. If the privatization of public education in Indiana is to be reversed, voters will need to find a candidate for Governor who will be a champion for public education. Voters will no longer be able send a message to change the direction of education in Indiana by voting for a State Superintendent as they did in 2012. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Illusory Language in the 2017 Law Means K-12 Experience is Not Required for the Governor’s Appointee</b></u><br />
<br />
Under the current law passed in 2017, the Governor will appoint a Secretary of Education starting in 2025. The illusory language of the law detailed below leaves the impression that K-12 experience is required but when the words are examined closely, K-12 is not mentioned. Track the details below:<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>The 2017 Law to End the Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction (House Bill 1005): Resurrected from a Decisive Defeat </b></u><br />
<br />
House Bill 1005, rising controversially from a decisive defeat to be passed and signed, took a nearly unprecedented path to reach the final vote in 2017:<br />
<ul><li>House Bill 1005 passed the House 68-29.</li>
</ul><ul><li>SB 179, identical to HB 1005, failed in the Senate 23-26. Many thought defeating the bill would end the proposal for this session.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Senate rules say that when a bill is defeated “that exact language or substantially similar language shall be considered decisively defeated and shall not be considered again during the session.”</li>
</ul><ul><li>In a Senate Rules Committee meeting in which Democrats pointedly argued that the rules say “shall not be considered again during the session,” the Republican leadership claimed that they were making the bill “substantially different.” Republicans had the votes to win the argument.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The “substantial differences” were found in three changes:</li>
</ul><blockquote><blockquote>1) The date of the first appointment by the Governor was changed from 2021 to 2025. <br />
<br />
2) A requirement of two years residency in Indiana was reinstated.<br />
<br />
3) Qualifications were stated which give the illusion that experience in K-12 education is required to be appointed. In fact, K-12 experience is not mandated, a conclusion confirmed in a statement on the floor of the Senate by the bill’s sponsor Senator Buck while speaking against Senator Breaux’s proposed amendment which would have mandated K-12 experience: “While we are trying to consider the availability to the Governor of somebody that would be the administrator of our department of ed, I hope we realize that someone with the depth of experience of executive leadership and in higher ed such as former Governor Mitch Daniels would be excluded from that category . I think it gives the Governor a great deal of latitude in looking to somebody that has executive experience in the field of education.” (Senator Buck during second reading amendments, March 30, 2017)</blockquote></blockquote><ul><li>Read carefully the new slippery language on qualifications:</li>
</ul><blockquote><i>“(2) has demonstrated personal and professional leadership success, preferably in the administration of public education;” </i><br />
<i>“(3) possesses an earned advanced degree , preferably in education or educational administration, awarded from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university; and”</i><br />
<i>“(4) either:</i></blockquote><blockquote>(A) at the time of taking office is licensed or otherwise employed as a teacher, principal, or superintendent;<br />
(B) has held a license as a teacher, superintendent, or principal, or any combination of these licenses, for at least five (5) years at any time before taking office; or<br />
(C) has a total of at least five (5) years of work experience as any of the following, or any combination of the following, before taking office:<br />
<blockquote>(i) Teacher.<br />
(ii) Superintendent.<br />
(iii) Principal.<br />
(iv) Executive in the field of education.</blockquote></blockquote><ul><li>The word “preferably” has no meaning under the law. It can obviously be ignored. It is surprising that such a word is used in the bill. Using “preferably” means that it is not necessary to appoint a public education administrator to be State Superintendent. Similarly it is not necessary to appoint someone with a degree in education or educational administration.</li>
</ul><ul><li>This “preferably” language and the phrase “Executive in the field of education” open the door to appointing a business leader with executive experience in an education field such as testing or technology. Superintendents in Indiana are no longer required to have a superintendent’s license.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Another concern is whether it was written for a higher education official to be appointed. No reference to K-12 experience or degrees is included. It is not clear that those who wrote this legislation wanted a leader with K-12 experience.</li>
</ul><ul><li>After the Senate Rules Committee added these amendments, the full Senate passed the historic bill 28-20.</li>
</ul><ul><li>At this point, Speaker Bosma as bill sponsor had a choice. He could take the bill to a conference committee to restore the House’s bill language or he could ask the House to concur with the Senate language. After several days, he decided to opt for a concurrence vote in the House which passed 66-31 on April 18th.</li>
</ul><br />
<u><b>Bi-Partisan Opposition and Partisan Support</b></u><br />
<br />
Despite discussion of past Democratic leaders wanting this change, the final votes in both the House (66-31)and the Senate (28-20) on HB 1005 showed bi-partisan opposition and, except for one vote, partisan support.<br />
<ul><li>In the House, the yes votes were cast by 65 Republicans and one Democrat, Representative Goodin.</li>
<li>In the House, the no votes were cast by 28 Democrats and 3 Republicans, Representatives Judy, Nisly and Pressel.</li>
<li>In the Senate, all 28 yes votes were cast by Republicans.</li>
<li>In the Senate, the no votes were cast by all 9 Democrats and 11 Republicans, Senators Becker, Bohacek, Crane, Glick, Grooms, Head, Kenley, Koch, Kruse, Leising and Tomes.</li>
</ul><br />
<u><b>Contact Your Legislators</b></u><br />
<br />
If you are concerned about who leads our K-12 school system in this unprecedented makeover of K-12 school leadership in Indiana, contact your legislators to say you oppose HB 1005 and SB 275. Tell them two things:<br />
<ul><li>The case is clear: Appointing Indiana’s K-12 leader has undermined democracy and the damage should not be accelerated. The Governor and the Republican leadership have suppressed future disagreement between the Governor and the State Superintendent by ending the independent mandate from voters held by the State Superintendent since 1851. Since Governors are elected on many issues and education is a minor issue in gubernatorial campaigns, voters have lost their direct power to correct the course of education when they are motivated to do so, as they were in the 2012 election. Removing public dissent on education in this manner aligns with Milton Friedman’s plan to gradually deconstruct public education and fund a marketplace of private schools with public tax dollars. This puts us on a slippery slope to a weaker and weaker democracy where the power of the ballot box is diminished.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The language of the law must be changed to require K-12 experience before anyone is appointed to lead Indiana’s K-12 school system. The loophole language “Executive in the field of education” allowing leaders with only higher education experience or business experience related to education must be replaced with clear language requiring experience in K-12 teaching or K-12 administration.</li>
</ul>Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a> <br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-89850683150222085622018-12-15T08:03:00.000-05:002018-12-15T08:03:40.816-05:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #328 – December 14, 2018Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
<b>Speaker Bosma has signaled that state funding for our K-12 students could be a disaster this year, the lowest since the Great Recession.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Public school advocates need to start talking to legislators now to prevent a budget debacle.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Speaker Bosma dashed prospects for an improved state budget for our K-12 students when, as the Indianapolis Star reported on 11-21-18 (p.2A): “Bosma said lawmakers may have as little as $50 million left in new money to distribute.”</b><br />
<br />
<b>He said the Department of Child Services “will require a $270 million a year increase from their current budgeted line” out of the “$350 million in new revenues” the state is anticipating.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Speaker Bosma is not even saying the $50 million available will all go for K-12 funding, but let’s assume it does. Where does that put funding for our K-12 public school students?</b><br />
<ul><li><b>$50 million would be the <u>lowest K-12 increase since the Great Recession budgets of 2009 and 2011.</u> Study the table below showing increases in each budget according to state documents. The table shows how truly low a $50 million increase is in the recent history of K-12 funding in Indiana.</b></li>
</ul><ul><li><b>$50 million would be a 0.7% increase, an extremely low effort. Inflation is currently running at 2.2% (latest Consumer Price Index announced 12-12-18 for the year ending November 2018).</b></li>
</ul><ul><li><b>$50 million would be way less than the $160 million needed to make up for inflation running at 2.2%.</b></li>
</ul><ul><li><b>$50 million would be way less than the $210 million (3%) increase in K-12 funding endorsed by State Superintendent McCormick in October. </b><b>Public school advocates should ask lawmakers: Why is Indiana’s good economy not producing resources to educate our K-12 students?</b></li>
</ul><b>One way to dismantle public education is to fail to fund it.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Study the table below to see the history of funding increases in the past six budgets:</b><br />
<br />
<b>INDIANA SCHOOL FUNDING INCREASES FOR THE PAST SIX BUDGETS<br />
<br />
Source: The summary cover page from the General Assembly’s School Formulas for each budget<br />
<br />
Prepared by Dr. Vic Smith, 12-2-18<br />
<br />
When the school funding formulas are passed every two years by the General Assembly, legislators see the bottom line percentage increases on a summary page. Figures that have appeared on this summary are listed below for the last six budgets that I have personally observed as they were approved by the legislature.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-20Qrmy51LBY/XBRLJu27jVI/AAAAAAAACcU/avVv2rs3Fe8mXrMPuAHHJHuj9kqqQaXJwCLcBGAs/s1600/Vic1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1275" height="345" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-20Qrmy51LBY/XBRLJu27jVI/AAAAAAAACcU/avVv2rs3Fe8mXrMPuAHHJHuj9kqqQaXJwCLcBGAs/s640/Vic1.png" width="608" /></a></div><br />
<b>Total funding and percentage increases were taken directly from the School Funding Formula summary page. Sometimes in the first year of two budget years, the previous budget amount was not fully spent and the adjusted lowered base was used by the General Assembly to calculate the percentage increase.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Three Projections for K-12 tuition support as the next line in the table:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jexpQEJrJt8/XBRLTzRrlzI/AAAAAAAACcY/36NmtJarE_AuHi8B43ybw32GnShz_0zVwCLcBGAs/s1600/Vic2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1554" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jexpQEJrJt8/XBRLTzRrlzI/AAAAAAAACcY/36NmtJarE_AuHi8B43ybw32GnShz_0zVwCLcBGAs/s640/Vic2.png" width="576" /></a></div><br />
<b>Public school advocates need to go to work to speak up for a better budget than Speaker Bosma wants.<br />
<br />
These figures show the crisis at hand if Speaker Bosma’s plan goes through to max out K-12 funding increases at $50 million. <br />
<br />
Surely in the best economy we have had in over a decade, the parents of over 1 million K-12 students would be angry if the education of their children is shortchanged by an outrageously low budget.<br />
<br />
Talk to or send messages to your legislators in the House or Senate now before they return to begin the long session on January 3, 2019. Everyone’s help is needed to restore a high priority to funding for our K-12 students.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!</b><br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a> <br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7262386521066760215.post-58195570087626038722018-08-17T16:31:00.002-04:002018-08-17T16:31:30.757-04:00Vic’s Statehouse Notes #326 – August 17, 2018Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
<b>If you support public education in Indiana, please join us on August 25th!</b><br />
<br />
Plans are in place for the 8th Annual ICPE Fall Membership Meeting in Indianapolis on <u>Saturday, August 25, 2018, 2:00 to 3:30pm</u> at the <u>H. Dean Evans Center, MSD of Washington Township, 86th & Woodfield Crossing Blvd, Indianapolis</u>.<br />
<ul><li>We invited U.S. Senate candidates Joe Donnelly and Mike Braun to speak that day, in line with our bipartisan approach to supporting public education.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Joe Donnelly has accepted our invitation and will be introduced by Glenda Ritz as the meeting begins.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Mike Braun declined our invitation due to prior commitments.</li>
</ul><ul><li>State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick has accepted our invitation to speak and will be introduced by Suellen Reed.</li>
</ul><ul><li>A panel of leaders will discuss how to build bipartisan support for public education in the Indiana Statehouse.</li>
</ul><ul><li>We will present and then release the 2018 ICPE Legislator Report Card. Once again, ICPE has given letter grades to legislators based on their votes on keys bills in the 2017 and 2018 sessions which show their support or lack of support for public education.</li>
</ul>Those present will hear the explanations of the Legislator A-F Report Card which will then be released to the media.<br />
<br />
<u><b>8th Annual Fall Membership Meeting in Indianapolis</b></u><br />
<br />
For the 8th year since ICPE was founded in 2011, members and friends of public education will gather in the Dean Evans Center. <br />
<br />
<u>This meeting is open to all ICPE members and to all who support public education.</u><br />
<br />
Please note the date and make plans now to join us on August 25th. Not only is an outstanding program planned, but it will also be a superb chance to network with other public education advocates. <br />
<br />
Bring a public school friend and come!<br />
<br />
Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana!<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:vic790@aol.com">Vic Smith</a> <br />
<br />
<b>“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries. The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis. Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.</b> We need your membership to help support the ICPE lobbying efforts. As of July 1st, the start of our new membership year, it is time for all ICPE members to renew their membership.<br />
<br />
Our lobbyist Joel Hand represented ICPE extremely well during the 2018 session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. <b>We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! </b><br />
<br />
<b>Go to <a href="http://www.icpe2011.com/">www.icpe2011.com</a> for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!</b><br />
<br />
Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:<br />
<br />
I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969. I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor. I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009. I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998. In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana. In April, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0