Dear Friends, Update on House Bill 1641 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! 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.” Thanks for contacting legislators on these two issues! Stop Voucher Expansion: Oppose Senate Bill 55 Creating Partial Vouchers 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! 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. 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 The provisions of the law were rescinded when the second count date for all schools was dropped.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: 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. 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. 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. Send Messages Today (Feb. 12) or Early Tomorrow (Feb 13) Before the Committee Vote! 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. Please send your messages to Senators on the Senate Education Committee right away: Republicans: Senators Raatz (chair), Buchanan, Crane, Freeman (bill sponsor), Kruse, Leising, Rogers, and Spartz Democrats: Senators Melton, Mrvan, Stoops You can cut and paste this list of Senate Education Committee members into the "to" field of your email: 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 Good luck in your efforts! Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana! Best wishes, Vic Smith vic790@aol.com “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! ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools. 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. Our lobbyist Joel Hand continues to represent ICPE in the 2019 budget session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! We need your help! Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:
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. Dear Friends, Public school advocates need to contact members of the House Education Committee along with your own House member to oppose damaging provisions of House Bill 1641. This bill, to be voted on in a rare 8:30 am Monday morning meeting on February 11th, would:
Forcing Taxpayers to Subsidize Private and Religious School Buildings HB 1641 is the first effort to get taxpayers to subsidize facilities for private and religious schools. 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. 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. Forcing Public School Districts to Share Referendum Revenue with Charter Schools Here’s how much public school districts would lose to charter schools from referendum revenues based on the provisions of HB 1641:
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. Let your voice be heard by Monday, February 11, 2019! 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! Let legislators know that you strongly oppose House Bill 1641:
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. Contact the members of the House Education Committee who will vote on an amended bill next Monday, February 11, 2019 at 8:30 am. You can find the contact info here. Then share your concerns with your own House Representative. Thank you for your active support of public education in Indiana! Best wishes, Vic Smith vic790@aol.com “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! ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools. 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. Our lobbyist Joel Hand continues to represent ICPE in the 2019 budget session. We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations. We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education! Please pass the word! We need your help! Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools. Thanks for asking! Here is a brief bio:
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. House Education Committee
February 6, 8:30 a.m., House Chamber View the agenda here. Watch the meeting live here. **YOUR ACTION NEEDED** Call the House Education Committee at (800)-382-9841 to demand a NO vote Wednesday on HB 1641. Or email committee members. HB 1404 • Rep. Anthony Cook Work-based learning to count for Core 40 diploma, also new standards for measuring school performance HB 1484 (Amend and vote) • Rep. Edward Clere Center for deaf and hard of hearing education HB 1627 • Rep. Robert Behning Members of coalition of continuous improvement school districts may replace high school courses on the curriculum with other courses and may issue licenses to teachers. HB 1628 • Rep. Robert Behning Expands prekindergarten and establishes fund and tax credits. HB 1640 (Amend and vote) • Rep. Robert Behning Changes to school accreditation. Possibility to petition state board to waive statutes. HB 1641 (Amend and vote) • Rep. Robert Behning Would send referendum money to charter schools within district boundaries. Would require turnover of public school buildings to happen faster. Would also change number of people on state board and voting rules. You can find and contact legislators here. You can make your voice heard by writing a letter to your editor or reaching out to the press here. Members of the 2019 House Education Committee (h91@in.gov, h32@in.gov, h58@in.gov, h72@in.gov, h5@in.gov, h29@in.gov, h17@in.gov, h69@in.gov, h28@in.gov, h14@in.gov, h86@in.gov, h27@in.gov, h43@in.gov) Chair: Rep. Robert Behning - h91@in.gov Vice Chair: Rep. Anthony Cook - h32@in.gov Rep. Woody Burton - h58@in.gov Rep. Edward Clere - h72@in.gov Rep. Dale DeVon - h5@in.gov Rep. Chuck Goodrich - h29@in.gov Rep. Jack Jordan - h17@in.gov Rep. Jim Lucas - h69@in.gov Rep. Jeffrey Thompson - h28@in.gov Rep. Vernon Smith - h14@in.gov Rep. Edward DeLaney - h27@in.gov Rep. Sheila Klinker - h27@in.gov Rep. Tonya Pfaff - h43@in.gov Senate Education and Career Development Committee
February 6, 1:30 p.m. View the agenda here. Watch the meeting live (and click on bills to view their details) here. SB 29 • Sen. Bohacek, Sen. Raatz - School materials for juvenile detainees. Requires the school corporation, upon the facility's request, to deliver the school materials at least once every seven calendar days of a child that is locate in a juvenile detention facility within the school district. Provides that, except for the assessment of rental fees for curricular materials, the school corporation is responsible for the costs associated with preparing and delivering the school materials. Amend and vote only. SB 55 • Sen. Freeman - State tuition support. Establishes a spring count date (in addition to a fall count date) to determine a school corporation's average daily membership (ADM). (Current law establishes a spring count date for ADM that is for informational purposes only.) Provides that the spring count date will be used (in addition to the fall count date) to determine pupil enrollment for purposes of the career and technical grant. Testimony only. SB 93 • Sen. Ruckelshaus, Sen. Spartz, Sen. J.D. Ford - Let Indiana Work for You program. Requires the commission for higher education (commission) to establish, in coordination with the department of workforce development (department) and the Indiana economic development corporation, the Let Indiana Work for You program (program). The Let Indiana Work for You is an effort to keep college graduates to stay in state after they graduate instead of leaving the state for work. Testimony only. SB 266 • Sen. Crider, Sen. Head - School security grants and advances. Establishes mental health services and related personnel as legitimate uses of secured school grant money. No longer a matching grant, just a grant. Before a school district would have to match the funds. Amend and vote only. SB 282 • Sen Houchin, Sen. Raatz - Value added growth and projection analytics. Requires the department of education (department) to: (1) adopt a value added growth and projection analytics system; and (2) incorporate the system into the department's reporting requirements under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Testimony only. SB 507 • Sen. Raatz - Education matters. (aka Less Local Control) 1. Requires the state board of education (state board) to: (a) adopt an early warning system that provides actionable data on students as early as elementary school; and (b) adopt and provide to schools a graduation pathways tracking and reporting system that provides actionable data on students. 2. Provides that teacher evaluations must be conducted by a certified evaluator. Establishes requirements for a teacher evaluation model. Requires the state board, working in conjunction with the commission, to analyze the data annually and publish findings and recommendations to inform the teacher preparation programs in Indiana. Allows the state board to establish criteria for renewal and initial teacher preparation program approvals based on the state board's findings. Testimony only. SB 567 • Sen. Raatz - Virtual education. Provides that the SBOE may adopt rules regarding virtual education programs of school corporations ranging from establishing methods of onboarding kids and parents to establishing 90% of tuition support funding of students who receive at least 15% of instruction in a virtual environment (Public school “revenue” is estimated to decrease by $2.9 million due to this). Requires a school corporation that issued a charter before July 1, 2015, to register with the state board for charter authority. Limits the amount an authorizer can charge to 1.25%. Ball State will lose 550k, for example. Forces a corporation if it reaches a certain limit of kids receiving at least 50% of education virtually to establish a separate virtual school. Testimony only. SB 606 • Sen. Raatz, Sen. Kruse - Teacher salaries. Removes a provision that provides that a combination of certain factors may account for not more than 33.33% of the calculation used to determine an increase or increment in teacher salaries. Amend and vote only. SB 607 • Sen. Raatz, Sen. Zay – Workforce diploma reimbursement program. Provide payments to eligible program providers to provide adult education via a workability skill or a high school diploma. Cost $2.5 million Amend and vote only. You can find and contact legislators here. You can make your voice heard by writing a letter to your editor or reaching out to the press here. |
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