DFER Indiana
From Our Blog
REPUBLICAN FY 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL
March 29, 2012
REPUBLICAN FY 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL
DRAMATIC AND RECKLESS CUTS TO EDUCATION SPENDING
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives began debate on its budget proposal for FY 2013, the upcoming fiscal year that begins October 1st. The debate resumes on the House floor today.
In Indiana:
• Almost 4,000 children will be eliminated from the Head Start program;
• Nearly 42,000 students with disabilities' costs will shift to states and
districts as part of cuts to IDEA; and,
• Approximately 54,000 students from historically disadvantaged groups will have reduced or eliminated services due to Title I cuts.
Read more here.
Every Kid is Capable and Qualified
February 15, 2012
College or Die is the motto of The Charles A. Tindley Accelerated Charter School in Indianapolis where 60% of it's kids qualify for free/reduced lunch. The phrase seems to have permeated the hearts and minds of its students. (80% of those on free/reduced lunch have passed the ELA test and 84% passed the math test in 2010.)
Watch this video to see how this school is changing lives. (Yes, we realize it's 9 minutes long and most people have a 30 second attention span for videos, but trust us - it will make you smile.)
College or Die: The Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School from Well Done Marketing on Vimeo.
The Plan is on Paper, Not Doing it is on People
February 9, 2012
By Larry Grau, DFER Indiana State Director
The Mind Trust recently presented a plan to dramatically reform the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Indiana's largest and lowest performing school system. That plan, "Creating Opportunity Schools: A Bold Plan to Transform Indianapolis Public Schools" provides a road map for taking a huge step forward in achieving the goal of insuring every Indianapolis child's right to a quality education. At a minimum, the plan should serve as a foundation for a much needed and overdue discussion on how to rescue a school system serving our largest city in Indiana. However, in less time than it would take for any human to possibly read, let alone comprehend the nearly 200 page plan, the criticisms were flying, and the attempts to defend the status quo were flowing in full force.
For the record, the most significant recommendations in the plan call for:
• Dramatically shrinking and restructuring the central administration;
• Using efficiency measures to send about $200 million more a year to schools without raising taxes;
• Providing universal prekindergarten to all 4‐year‐olds;
• Giving teachers and principals more autonomy in exchange for more accountability;
• Providing parents with more quality school choices;
• Changing the governance of the district, by placing the schools under mayoral control.
The responses to the plan have ranged from enthusiastic support from our organization and several others, to the typical chorus of why this or that aspect of the plan cannot or should not be done. It is difficult to have a discussion when thoughtful questions and sincere concerns are drowned out by the can't and won't crowd. The initial response to the plan, while not unexpected or surprising, has caused me to be concerned people are not grasping what's at stake here, not just in IPS but for the state and nation. It is perplexing everyone cannot see and agree there are some things occurring - or maybe I should say not occurring - in our current systems that anyone with a pulse should find inexcusable.
My View: Mind Trust plan promises the change IPS needs
December 30, 2011
By Larry Grau
(From Indianapolis Star, December 30th, 2011)
The Indiana Democrats for Education Reform applauds The Mind Trust plan to transform Indianapolis Public Schools. It provides a road map for us to follow in taking a huge step forward in achieving the goal of insuring every child's right to a quality education. We hope the document will prompt the type of serious, meaningful and productive community discussion that needs to occur about the direction we take in our education systems in Indianapolis and the state.
We do not need rhetoric, exaggerated claims, or scare tactics claiming this plan will end all schools in IPS as we know them, result in the privatization of public schools, or any of the other conspiracy theories that get thrown around whenever changes in our education system are proposed. If The Mind Trust plan were enacted in its entirety, most students would remain in the schools they are in now, unless they chose to seek a different educational option; and nearly all teachers and other school staff would report to work at the same places they do today.
It is worth emphasizing under the plan we would need our most effective teachers and education leaders to step-up more than ever. The difference would be -- those dedicated educators would finally be paid what they deserve, and at salary levels suggesting we value what they do for our children. They also would be treated as professionals and given the autonomy to truly lead their schools.
Eliminating the elected board has been criticized as undemocratic and an infringement on local control. We beg to differ. IPS School Board members are elected by less than 10 percent of the eligible voters, and most folks can't name their elected board representative. Because of low voter turnout, money provided by special interest groups can be more of a factor in who gets elected than where a person stands on policy issues. We contend The Mind Trust plan provides more local control by giving autonomy to individual schools and control of the district to the mayor and City-County Council, who will appoint the School Board. We recommend those appointments be residents of the IPS districts they will represent, which will allow citizens to actually know who to hold accountable.
Gifts of Education Reform in Indiana
December 28, 2011
By Larry Grau, DFER Indiana State Director
It has been an interesting and exciting year for education reform in Indiana. The holiday season lends itself to reflecting on our experiences and memorable events in the past year and resolving to make improvements for the New Year. As we engage in that exercise of reflection and resolution in Indiana, it is clear education has been front and center in 2011. This year kicked off with the formal start of Democrats for Education Reform in Indiana (DFER-IN), followed by a legislative session in which some of the most expansive education reform policies in the country were introduced and eventually enacted, such as greater school choice and charter school options; and, big changes in teacher evaluation, compensation, and retention, including putting an end to last-in, first-out (LIFO) practices. Now, as the final days on the calendar peel away, education reform continues to be in the spotlight.
And, what better time of year to give thanks for what we received by penning a holiday wish list for what we hope to gain in 2012? So, please allow me to present our list, which is a combination of "gifts" we received in 2011 and what we hope to gain in 2012.
The Gift of a Plan
The holiday season begins with a gift from Santa - okay actually from The Mind Trust. It comes in the form of a nearly 200-page plan for dramatically changing how Indiana's largest and arguably most maligned school district functions. (See the press release here and the report here.) This report will set the tone for discussing the direction the city and state must take in improving a school system long overdue for corrective actions. DFER-IN looks forward to actively participating in that discussion and in helping to ensure all our kids have the quality educational opportunities they deserve.
Resolution
Let's resolve to no longer acquiesce to individuals and groups who have opposed change in IPS, the state, and nationally to derail or hijack discussions on how to approach school improvement. More specifically, all ed reformers need to vow to avoid getting caught in the weeds defending our actions, but instead lead the way in transforming the Indianapolis and Indiana education systems. This isn't about an academic argument over whether we need to end poverty before we can truly provide every student with an excellent education, or some kind of conspiratorial corporate takeover of our schools. This is about elevating the quality of educational opportunities for all and taking steps toward reform, such as enacting policies to grant educators and schools greater autonomy while holding everyone inside and outside the system accountable.
The Gift of Committed Courageous Leaders
On the policy and political front, DFER-IN has had the privilege of working with a growing number of education reform champions in the state. In our initial foray into putting resources behind a campaign we backed four Democratic candidates for At-Large City-County Council seats in Indianapolis. Those candidates: John Barth, Zach Adamson, Pam Hickman, and Leroy Robinson, all emerged victorious in November. They registered some of the highest vote totals in the election and returned the majority to Democrats. In addition, we have had the opportunity to work closely with John Gregg as he advances education reform policies, such as major improvements in teacher preparation that draw heavily on DFER's "Ticket to Teach" proposal (see here) as a priority in his bid to become Indiana's next governor. We also worked with Joe Donnelly, who is running for the U.S. Senate and supported federal legislation to strengthen charter schools.
More from Our Blog
