Indiana Education Problems

This issue will not go away. Considering the name of this blog, I would not let it. I wrote about this most recently here.

I stand on my position that the problem remains with the Indiana General Assembly, which the Republicans dominate, and the people of this state. Think on this:

Indiana teacher shortage persists ahead of new school year

Tim McRoberts, associate executive director of the Indiana Association of School Principals, said low teacher pay is a main driver for the shortage.

He also pointed to a low “appreciation for teachers,” and a need to address educator workloads.

 Test scores show progress, but Indiana students still behind

Bess called for increased spending on schools in the next state budget, which lawmakers will begin crafting during the 2023 legislative session. Addressing learning losses, he continued, needs to be a “priority.”

Jenner maintained that the state will need to “triple down” on reading recovery programs. She noted that Indiana’s education department is finalizing plans for a “micro-grant” program for parents to access tutoring help for their kids, too.

State ends fiscal year with $6.1 billion in reserves as lawmakers mull taxpayer refund 

Until the people of Indiana decide they want quality education more than a few hundred dollars in their pocket, they and their children will find themselves with a declining quality of life. 

All I can do at this point is to repeat a question I have asked in other posts: what kind of political leadership wants a dumbed down citizenry?   

sch 7/16/22

Update 7/20/22, from $6.1 billion surplus shows an absence of ideas;

Indiana ended the year with $6.1 billion in reserves. 

That news should jolt taxpayers. But it doesn’t. I don’t know why it doesn’t. But I will keep trying to make sense of it until the day Hoosiers clearly understand the terrible news.

The easiest way to understand why it is terrible is to first understand that simply having that money means our government isn’t doing its job. It is not teaching our children to be smarter. It is not making our families healthier. It is not making the streets in Indianapolis smoother. It is not making our fiber or wi-fi networks faster.

It is not making Indiana better. 

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While the Indiana General Assembly’s ideology of surplus budgeting violates basic tax fairness, it indicates an even deeper problem. Our legislature has run out of ideas.

So, here’s where you come in. Give your legislator some ideas. Need a sidewalk? Call them. Need a library. Call them. Need money? Call them, and on that one, don’t ask for the $225 they are offering. Ask for the $1000 they actually owe you. 

 When will the citizens of Indiana realize they are being shortchanged by the Republicans running the General Assembly?

sch