Debate heats up over revamped teacher license rule
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.
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.
Indiana wants to apply for controversial funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to seek federal education grants.
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.
Indiana’s students outscored the national average in mathematics on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress,
but the results show little improvement over previous years.
Indiana schools are finding creative ways to squeeze in parent-teacher conferences after the state ruled that the sessions
could no longer count toward instructional time.
The state Department of Education has scheduled three public hearings on a contentious proposal to revamp Indiana’s teacher
licensing requirements. State schools Superintendent Tony Bennett wants to eliminate some requirements, saying teachers spend
too much time learning teaching methods and not enough on subject matter.
Proposed changes to teacher licensing rules are a threat in the eyes of most deans of Indiana’s colleges of education—both
to the quality
of
teacher training and to the budgets of the colleges.
Having a uniform starting date for schools in late August or early September would save schools money and give families
and kids more prime vacation time, several parents told an interim legislative committee Wednesday.
State lawmakers are preparing to tackle the question of when the school year should begin in Indiana. The Interim Study Commission
on Education will take up the issue at its Wednesday meeting.
The George Washington Community High School football team played its season opener at a newly renovated field and stadium,
thanks to a joint effort of the National Football League, the Indianapolis Colts and Local Initiatives Support Corp.
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett plans to meet a state mandate to offer financial instruction by
incorporating the topic in the classroom via real-world example.
Comcast Corp. is making videos seen on the Discovery Education channel available on demand to its Indianapolis-area digital
subscribers, the cable television company announced today.
State schools chief Tony Bennett said he wants a renewed commitment from parents, students and schools to improve test scores
after results released today showed that about 70 percent of Indiana students passed their spring exams.
The mathematical version of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is coming to Indianapolis in 2010, according to the director
of the organization that hosts the event.
A state board has given preliminary approval to a proposal that would revamp Indiana’s teacher licensing requirements.
Indiana’s top education official, Tony Bennett, ruffled feathers last month when he proposed increasing teacher expertise
in math, science and other subjects, and stripping red tape from teacher certification and hiring of administrators.
A fellowship program is looking for people with science, technology, engineering or mathematics backgrounds who are interested
in becoming Indiana teachers.
Average SAT scores dipped slightly for Indiana’s high school class of 2009, mirroring a trend seen nationwide.