Teachers union official: Indiana hostile to teachers
The head of a national teachers union said Indiana’s Department of Education is among the three most hostile to teachers in
the country.
The head of a national teachers union said Indiana’s Department of Education is among the three most hostile to teachers in
the country.
About two dozen states are going back to Washington for another shot at billions in education grants under the “Race to the
Top” program, but at least nine others including Indiana are opting out of trying a second time.
Three Hoosier universities—Notre Dame, Marian and Indiana—are moving to launch programs that seek to apply MBA-style training to the unique demands of schools.
State will bow out of the $4.35 billion federal competition after a highly public feud between public schools chief Tony Bennett
and the state’s teachers unions.
Indiana is among the nation’s five most underfunded teacher pension programs, but low ranking is misleading.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett invites heads of teachers unions to meeting to publicly share reform ideas instead of “bureaucratic rhetoric and no
specifics.”
State superintendent of public instruction says teacher union support imperative to win federal grant.
Two problems come with prevalent use of adjunct instructors: a perception that adjuncts reduce the quality of instruction
and the adjuncts’ frustration with low levels of pay, security and benefits, and appreciation.
Daniels signed the new rules Tuesday, three months after a state panel approved them amid criticism from college educators.
Indiana State Teachers Association forecasts up to 5,000 teachers may lose their jobs. That’s about 8 percent of public school
teachers statewide.
A central Indiana school district could see 20 percent of its jobs cut for next school year as it works to close a multimillion-dollar
budget deficit.
Instead of focusing on standardized tests, the Indiana Growth Model will monitor individual students’ academic growth to measure
their progress and identify effective teaching methods, state public education officials say.
Inconceivable as it might sound, will the increasing focus on academic performance in public schools give private schools
a run for their money? It wouldn’t be the first time statistics upset an apple cart.
Gov. Mitch Daniels wants legislators to revive a merger of the Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund and the Indiana
State Teachers Retirement Fund. He says the move could save up to $50 million a year in fees.
A securities-fraud case Secretary of State Todd Rokita brought against the union last month could make matters worse for the
already hobbled ISTA, blunting its ability to help elect Democrats in November.
State teachers union’s recommended approach differs sharply from spending cuts and salary freezes recommended by the Indiana
Board of Education.
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.
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.
Teachers appear to have benefited most from the effort to save jobs with the $787 billion recovery package, which sent billions
of dollars to states that were on the verge of ordering heavy layoffs in education.