Post-Election.....the Beat goes on

An amazing grassroots victory for Glenda Ritz who campaigned almost solely on the idea that Tony Bennett had gone too far, bereated teachers, and ultimately was a tool for larger political forces.  But, remember that many activists would argue that voting is the lowest form of civic engagement.  There is always more to do.   For you consideration.....the battle in Indiana doesn't seem to be over, folks.  Looks like the State Board of Education plans to ignore the will of the people.  This seems like a reasonable request offered in today's Indy Star.  Thoughts?

Wait for Ritz to take helm before moving on

With the elections behind us, leaders of both parties have called for national unity. In his concession speech, Gov. Mitt Romney called for government at all levels to put the people before the politics. I hope that will be the case here in Indiana, where the people have spoken about the pace and direction of education reform.

Perhaps one of the first tests will be the Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability II (REPA II) proposals now before the state Board of Education. This body, chaired by the superintendent of public instruction, is scheduled to meet Dec. 5 under the current administration. Though the agenda has not been announced yet, indications are they’ll consider REPA II.

REPA II changes would lower standards for teacher and school leader preparation in the state. For example, REPA II would make it possible for someone to become licensed to teach just by taking a standardized test. It would also lower academic requirements to become a school principal. REPA II would de-professionalize teaching at a time when our students need great teachers most.
During the required period of public comment on REPA II, more than 99 percent of Hoosiers who submitted testimony spoke against the proposals. The state board should defer action on REPA II until Superintendent-elect Glenda Ritz is inaugurated. Then, under her leadership, it should table REPA II for good.

Approving a policy so overwhelmingly opposed by citizens of Indiana would not be putting people before politics.
Gerardo M. Gonzalez
Dean, School of Education

Tony Bennett's Fiasco

....in case you're local paper won't print it.  Take a look.

Dear Editor,
Tony Bennett’s plan to give letter grades to schools has turned into a fiasco. Last January, all 35 speakers in the only public hearing on his plan opposed it, including representatives of all education groups and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Bennett did not attend the hearing. Nevertheless, he pushed the plan through in February without any of the recommended changes, despite information from his own department that the plan would result in 22% D’s and F’s for Indiana schools. In comparison, Florida last year gave D’s and F’s to 6% of their schools. Indiana schools are not over 3 times worse than Florida schools! This fact is certifiably grounded in data from the National Assessment, which is a test taken in common by all states and is known as “the nation’s report card.” On the National Assessment, Indiana consistently outscores Florida in 4th and 8th grade math and in 8th grade reading, and Indiana consistently scores higher than the national average. Tony Bennett’s A-F system has demeaned the performance of Indiana’s schools compared to Florida. Conveniently, low grades would feed more schools into his pipeline for state intervention which in Indianapolis and Gary has resulted in for-profit corporations taking over schools, accompanied by discord, litigation and fragmented communities.

Mayors have complained that unfairly low school grades damage local economic development efforts to attract new jobs. The calibration of this A-F system is simply wrong. It will hurt our schools and our economy.

This fall implementation has seen major delays, the director of the program took another job in the midst of the roll out, and local school officials say they can’t get answers to their questions about the flawed growth statistics. We need a change. I support Glenda Ritz for State Superintendent who stands for a revised system of grading our schools.

Dr. Vic Smith
Indianapolis, IN

Indiana Citizens for Public Education

Indiana Education Reform: Community Conversation

Calling All Parents, Guardians, Community Stakeholders

“New Indiana Education Laws and our Children”

                             Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Light of the World Christian Church, 4646 N. Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN

Join Us in Discussing How New Laws Affect Our Children’s Education

Special Guest Panelists:  Representative Greg Porter, City County Councilman Leroy Robinson, Washington Township Teacher Glenda Ritz,Ed Power CEO Marcus Robinson, Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Jason Kloth, and Attorney Brenda A. Roper, National Council of Negro Women

Be informed about how several of the following laws impact our children:

-Teacher Evaluation and Performance System

-School Accountability-New Federal Waiver of NCLB

-Growth Model                       -Charter School Expansion

-Discipline                               -Turnaround Schools

-Vouchers                                -Minority Teacher Recruitment

“We can’t ADVOCATE, if we don’t KNOW.”

Co-Sponsored by the Greater Indianapolis National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Indianapolis Alliance of Black School Educators (IABSE), National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and the Indianapolis Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW)

A Timeline of the Battle in Indy

Dear concerned citizen:     Over the past three-plus months, local and state print media have picked up on the value of a dialogue around the future of education in Indianapolis. A slew of commentaries, blogs, and stories from a wide variety of sources including NUVO, the Indianapolis Star and now even the Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette are providing readers a variety of view points to help them make informed decisions about the future of public education.  In particular is the commentary on local education issues from someone outside Marion County by a Ft. Wayne newspaper editor /blogger. Black & Latino Policy Institute/ Parent Power / Education-Community Action Team September 6 “The problem is not parents” Here’s the link to a commentary “The problem is not parents; it's a crisis in democracy” by Councilor Jose Evans published in NUVO’s Perspectives on Education. http://www.nuvo.net/PerspectivesinEducation/archives/2012/09/06/perspectives-in-education-josandeacute-evans#.UFXmYbJlTwt  September 9 “Daring to trust parents” Here’s the link to Indy Star columnist Dan Carpenter on the issues surrounding Local School Council proposal he titled, “Daring to trust parents…” http://www.indystar.com/article/20120907/OPINION05/209090328/Dan-Carpenter-Daring-trust-parents  September 12 “Coming to a school near you…” The Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette editorial writer Karen Francisco published a blog she titled: “Coming to a school near you…” http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120912/BLOGS13/120919830/0/SEARCH  September 13 “Our schools can benefit from self-government” Here’s the link to the Letter to the Editor published in the Star regarding the Local School Council proposal he presented: “Our schools can benefit from self-government” http://blogs.indystar.com/letters/2012/09/13/my-view-our-schools-can-benefit-from-self-government/  August 22 “A grassroots approach to school reform” NUVO article on the Local School Council Plan http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/a-grassroots-approach-to-school-reform/Content?oid=2484953  In mid-June, NUVO began an on-line forum for written commentaries regarding education called “Perspectives in Education. “  June 14 : Here’s the link to the first Perspectives on Education by community activist Wes Bernard, “What is the purpose of education?” where is argues that education is really all about skillfully drawing out of what is inside the student, establishing and fortifying the students' identity and competence and their place in community and society. http://www.nuvo.net/PerspectivesinEducation/archives/2012/06/14/perspectives-in-education-wes-barnard#.UFYUDbJlTws  June 21: Here’s link to comments by educator Jeffery C. White on urban education reforms around the idea that the cluster of incompetent administrators in IPS warrants significant change right now. http://www.nuvo.net/PerspectivesinEducation/archives/2012/06/21/perspectives-in-education-jeffery-c-white#.UFYX8LJlTws June 28: Here’s the link to essay from local writer Doug Martin concerning those who study the corporate school movement realize that "autonomy" is merely a code word for letting charter school leaders do anything they desire to collect a hefty profit. http://www.nuvo.net/PerspectivesinEducation/archives/2012/06/28/perspectives-in-education-doug-martin#.UFYrUbJlTwt July 5: Here’s the link to teacher Annette Magjuka’s essay on the issue of how we provide free public education for all citizens, so even poor children can compete. But unfortunately, all public education is not equal. http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/perspectives-in-education-indys-naacp/Content?oid=2482495#.UFYrbLJlTws July 12: Here’s link to the essay by IPS teacher Mary Noland on how it is terribly frustrating to hear people who are NOT teachers talk about reform, and add to that the term "accountability." http://www.nuvo.net/PerspectivesinEducation/archives/2012/07/13/perspectives-in-education-mary-nolan#.UFYaWLJlTws  August 16: Here’s the link to a commentary from our local NAACP encouraging participation in a new round of talks on education, adhering to the philosophy that "if you are not on the table, you are on the menu." The essay encourages a wide variety of citizens respond to the “What’s possible?” conversations so that solutions to the problems that we did not create should not be left to the politics of power, status, and wealth. http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/perspectives-in-education-indys-naacp/Content?oid=2482495#.UFYrbLJlTws  June 8: Here’s link to NUVO story on “In the Mind Trust we trust? http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/a-grassroots-approach-to-school-reform/Content?oid=2484953#.UFYEALJlTws August 15: Introduction letter to the Local School Council proposal by Jose Evans www.indy.gov/eGov/Council/Documents/Evans.pdf  The Local School Council proposal: www.indy.gov/eGov/Council/Documents/Local%20School%20Councils%20in%20IPS.pdf

Election 2012!  Glenda Ritz for Superintendent of Public Instruction



On Thursday Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg endorsed Glenda Ritz for Indiana Superintendent for Public Instruction. Speaking at the State Capitol, Gregg introduced Ritz, saying that she "has been at the forefront of the fight here in Indiana to protect public education."
Ritz has been an educator for 33 years, serving as an elementary school teacher, as a library media specialist, on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and numerous other positions.

Gregg said that "the best ideas don't come from Washington, DC or Indianapolis, and as an educator for 33 years Glenda understands that. This is a women who has understood from day one that the key to Indiana's future is public education."
Ritz said, "When our students go out into the world, whether it be to technical schools, or universities, or to the workplace, they need to know how to think in ways that support them in the changing world that we live know. That kind of thinking cannot be learned by just passing a test."

From KokomoPerspective

Comments?

Who's Really Behind Education Reform?

Julie Underwood on ALEC & Education
Julie Underwood, the Dean of the UW-Madison School of Education, discusses ALEC's school privatization agenda.

Privatizing Public Education, Higher Ed Policy, and Teachers from ALEC Exposed

• Indiana Rep. Cindy J. Noe (R-87)^[17], ALEC Education Task Force Member, spoke on "Enacting a Comprehensive K-12 Education Reform Agenda" at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting on August 3, 2011
• Featured speakers have included: Milton Friedman, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, George Allen, Jessie Helms, Pete Coors, Governor Mitch Daniels

I-READ Petition

Indiana Legislators: Tell the IDOE to Scrap IREAD-3
www.change.org

http://www.change.org/petitions/indiana-legislators-tell-the-idoe-to-scrap-iread-3

Why This Is Important

IREAD-3 is a forty-question test that will determine whether public school students in Indiana may advance to fourth grade. It channels education dollars toward redundant assessment, not instruction, and favors retention over remediation; it is therefore a misuse of public funds.

No major decision about a child's future should be made on the basis of a single test score. Retaining students has been shown to increase the risk that they drop out of school and to have a null or negative effect on their academic achievement in the long run.

Like other high-stakes standardized tests, IREAD-3 will disproportionately punish low-income children and families. Indiana students' reading skills are already assessed continually by their teachers as well as through ISTEP+ and NWEA or Acuity. Money allocated for this test directly reduces funds available for remediation. Our tax dollars should go to local schools for literacy programs and teachers rather than to assessment overhead and testing companies.