Hamilton Southeastern will see its per-pupil spending of $5,000 drop about $100 in 2010 despite a projected 900-student increase,
the lawsuit says. Indianapolis Public Schools, which has lost more than 1,000 students a year for the last five years, will
receive $7,500 per student in 2010.
Hamilton Southeastern, Franklin Township and Middlebury Community Schools of Elkhart County say the school-funding formula
unfairly penalizes districts with growing enrollments.
Indiana Senate Education Committee votes 8-3 to advance the bill, which now moves to the Senate Appropriation Committee.
Indiana application for competitive grants includes aggressive proposals that could force out inefficient teachers and convert
struggling schools to charter schools.
State teachers union’s recommended approach differs sharply from spending cuts and salary freezes recommended by the Indiana
Board of Education.
A change in rules for school administrators opens the door to people outside the traditional education establishment.
According to data released Friday by the Indiana Department of Education, 81.2 percent of Hoosier high school students scheduled
to graduate in 2009 did.
The new rules are expected spur future teachers to spend more time learning subject matter and less time taking education
classes.
Programs similar to the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship will begin this year in Ohio and Michigan and up to two
other states.
Schools will lose about 3.5 percent of current state funding in 2010, starting with their January payment.
The Indiana Board of Education plans to give school districts a list of options on how they can collectively cut at least
$300 million from state spending.
The state has altered some education rules to get in line with the federal Department of Education’s $4 billion “Race to the
Top” grant program.
At a time when we are desperate for science and math teachers, and when several big firms are laying off scientists, we should
be jumping at the chance to get them into the classroom.
Indiana’s school chief warned school superintendents Thursday that declining state revenues could force cuts in public education
spending, education officials said.
Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett on Tuesday dismissed criticism of his plan to revamp the state’s teacher licensing standards,
saying some in higher education oppose it because they fear how they eventually could be affected.
A proposed revamping of Indiana’s teacher licensing standards that would reduce the amount of required courses on how to teach
drew sharp criticism from educators Monday, with one teacher at the last of three public hearings on the plan calling it a
“slap in the face.”
The proposal has sparked fierce opposition and created a turf battle that could come to a head Monday when the state holds its final public hearing on the issue in Indianapolis.
Indiana schools are making huge strides in teaching students math required for careers in science, engineering and information technology jobs. But education experts point to stagnant test scores on national math exams as confirmation that many students still are not excelling, or are not even proficient, in the subject.
A legislative study committee declined Monday to endorse the idea of a uniform, later start date for Indiana schools, voting
instead to send the issue back to fellow lawmakers for more debate and study.
One proposal would prohibit schools from starting earlier than the fourth Monday in August, and the other would require school
to start after Labor Day.
