Indiana announces Education Jobs Fund allocations

The Monroe County Community School Corp. will get almost $2 million in federal funds from the Education Jobs Fund program approved by Congress this month. According to information posted by the Indiana Department of Education, the MCCSC’s allocation is $1,965,296. Richland-Bean Blossom Community Schools will get $508,224. The Bloomington Project School, a public charter school, [...]

PDK poll, teacher effectiveness, Friedman on ‘what works’

Results of Bloomington-based Phi Delta Kappa’s annual Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools were released this week, and they were, as usual, interesting. Much of the news coverage focused on the fact that only 34 percent of the public gave President Obama a grade of A or B for his education policies, [...]

‘State of education’ speech – what would Martin think?

The high-minded idealism in Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett’s “state of education” speech was almost enough to make a person shout amen. But you have to wonder what Martin Luther King Jr., whose words Bennett invoked, would have thought of the superintendent’s assertion that school funding doesn’t matter. Or his argument that schools [...]

Federal money for more charter schools

The U.S. Department of Education last week awarded $10.8 million to Indiana to help fund the planning and implementation of more charter schools. Indiana was one of 12 states to receive the Charter Schools Program funding, which totaled $136 million. The purpose of the program, according to a DOE news release, is “to increase financial [...]

National updates: Ed Jobs deadline, ‘turnaround’ money chase

Mitch Daniels and other governors have until Sept. 9 to apply for their states’ share of $10 billion from the Education Jobs Fund created last week by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The House voted 247-161 on Aug. 10 for the funding to save teachers’ jobs, which had already been approved by [...]

Indiana updates: Bennett’s 90-25-90

At a stop on his “Season Opener” tour of Indiana communities last week, Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Bennett told assembled educators at Jasper High School that he wants to see a 90-25-90 compliance rate statewide in three crucial areas by 2012: 90 percent of students passing ISTEP+; 25 percent of high school graduates earning [...]

Pierce circulates school funding analysis

Indiana Rep. Matt Pierce’s four-page glossy briefing on education funding dropped into Monroe County mailboxes recently. For those who may have missed it, here’s an online version of the Democrat’s analysis of state school funding. Pierce’s letter to constituents notes, “It’s a sad commentary on the state’s priorities when schools must resort to special referendums [...]

‘Last hired, first fired’ strikes again

A story in Saturday’s Bloomington Herald-Times (subscription required) provides an example of the kind of thing that gives teachers’ unions and public schools a bad name. It’s about Scott Wallace, a science teacher in the Monroe County Community School Corp. who was selected as 2010 Indiana Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association [...]

‘Edujobs’ update – food stamp increase on the chopping block?

The U.S. Senate breathed new life last week into “Edujobs,” passing legislation that would give the states $10 billion to help prevent teacher layoffs along with another $16 billion to help support Medicaid programs. The House is being called back from recess this week to take up the measure. But to pay for the education [...]

Indiana updates: You think your child’s summer break was short?

The Warren Township school district on the east side of Indianapolis wins the prize for the earliest start to the 2010-11 school year. Their students returned to class on Monday (Aug. 2). Peggy Hinckley, the Warren superintendent, cites a recent Time magazine article in explaining the rationale for the short summer break. She says summer [...]