As union interests in Wisconsin are creating a spectacle for nation to watch, a smaller version of those events is taking place in Indiana.  Two weeks ago union members rallied against the expansion of Charter schools.  Union members are said to be planning to rally at the Statehouse this week as well. 

So what are they arguing about?  Keeping power in the hands of union members instead of non-union taxpayers and parents.

Governor Mitch Daniels and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett are working this legislative session to ensure that the interests of students are placed above the interest of adults when it comes to education.  An analysis of a contract from the North Daviess Community School System reveals examples in which the interests of adults are placed ahead of students.  Here are some examples of such contract provisions:

• North Daviess Community Schools (NDCS) paid all but one dollar of the single plan premium and 94 percent of the family plan premium for those covered by the collective bargaining agreement with the North Daviess Classroom Teachers Association in the 2009-10 school year.
• Between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, NDCS’ payroll increased $33,024 due to automatic annual step increases (related to a teacher’s education and numbers of years teaching) that have no concrete correlation to student achievement.
• The board assumes each teacher’s mandatory three percent contribution to their Indiana State Teacher’s Retirement Fund account.
• Transfers and changes in teaching assignments will be on a voluntary basis whenever possible. In making involuntary transfers, when no one wishes to transfer, the teacher who is the least senior shall be the first to be involuntarily transferred.
• Faculty meetings shall be scheduled as needed. Whenever possible, the principal will give one day advance notification of meetings. Such meetings shall not exceed thirty minutes in length, and shall not extend more than thirty minutes beyond the teacher day.

Not bad, eh.  Near free health, automatic raises, staff meetings limited to 3o minutes. 

Teachers work hard.  They, like everyone else, deserve to compensated fairly for their work.  In fact some even argue that those teachers who perform particularly well should be compensated BETTER than those who just do an adequate job. 

But some of the other provisions are just unique to union contracting.  Has your boss ever called a spontaneous meeting at the end of the day that lasted an hour?  While inconvenient, that is just part of life.  Well, it is if you are not part of a union.

Governor Daniels bold, transformational education proposal seeks to do several things;

• Pay our best teachers more
• Provide the most local control by freeing up principals to do what they need to do to improve student outcomes
• Give parents power and options when it comes to their children’s education
• Continue to allow unions to negotiate wages and benefits, but eliminate their influence on operations
• Allow students who choose to and can to graduate early and give them scholarships to take steps toward higher education

The Union’s timid, fearful education proposal seeks to do several things;

• Preserve a system that watches 25,000 children dropout of school every year
• Continue to defend a system that treats all teachers the same, regardless of their effectiveness in the classroom
• Fight against making student performance even a factor in teacher evaluation
• Ask for more money even though the state spends $10 billion dollars, half of the state budget, on education, and spends billions more now than it did just a few years ago
• Maintain a hostile position towards parents who would like to be empowered to choose a school that best suits their children’s needs, insisting instead that a child should be forced to attend a school solely based on their zip code

These are big differences. Governor Daniels vision is an optimistic, forward-looking view of the world that empowers parents and out state’s finest teachers.  The Union’s is a frightened struggle to hold onto power. 

So the question is where do you stand?  What are you willing to fight for?  What can you do to make sure your legislators can cast courageous votes on behalf of Indiana’s children?

If you support Governor Daniels and his ambitious approach to improving education in Indiana, call your legislators and tell them you support the Governors Education Agenda and you want them to support it as well. 

 You can call your legislator at 317-232-9600 or find their contact information and more information about the Governor’s education agenda at http://www.aiminghigherindiana.com/.

Today the Indiana House continues to take big steps towards the transformation of K-12 education.  House Bill 1003 will be heard in the education committee.  The bill would provide scholarships to low and middle-income parents to choose a school – public or private – that best fits the educational needs of their children. 

The idea is that children learn in different ways and that while one child may thrive in their assigned public school, another child might do better in a different setting.  

However, the Teachers’ Union is opposed to any kind of change in the education system, and will relentlessly try to pressure your legislator into maintaining the status quo. 

Governor Daniels needs you to get involved on the side of change. If we are going to change and improve our K-12 education system, you need to call your legislator today at 317 232-9600 and tell them you support the Governors’ education proposals and you want to support them as well.

Don’t know who your legislator is?  Or need contact info?  Go to this link to find out http://www.in.gov/legislative/2345.htm.

Facts about HB 1003

• The legislation would create a “voucher” program for lower-income students to attend the public or private school of their choice. Thousands of Indiana students, for the first time, could choose their own schools and have per-pupil funding follow them. For families with the lowest annual incomes, this voucher would be $5,000 or more.
• Eligible students: Students between the ages of 5 and 22 and who were enrolled in a public school the previous year or who received a choice scholarship the previous year.
• Qualifying families: Family incomes below 250% of free or reduced lunch federal income guidelines.
• Scholarship value: The amount of the voucher would vary by family income. For families with incomes below the free or reduced lunch levels, the voucher would equal 90% of state support from their local school district. Using state averages, it would be over $5,000 a year. For those at the high-end of income eligibility, the maximum voucher would be 25% or about $1,500.
• Savings from the program will go back to the state, ensuring that the program does not “drain” money from education.
• H.B. 1003 also expands the state’s existing state Scholarship Tax Credit Program.  This program provides a tax credit for private donations to non-profit scholarship organizations that provide scholarships to low and middle income families to attend the K-12 public or private school of their choice.

Together, these plans empower parents to make real educational choices for their children. It increases competition to encourage improvement in all schools. What really matters is that these kids get access to a quality education, whether from a public school, public charter school, or a private school down the street.

Below is a guest post by Jim Banks, Indiana State Senator, District 17.

Hard-working high school students may soon be able to earn their diplomas one year early and receive scholarship money toward a higher education degree, if Senate Bill 497 becomes law.
 
This legislation, which I’ve co-authored, would give the state an opportunity to reward students who work diligently and complete their high school requirements one year early. The money comes from dollars the state would have otherwise spent on their 12th grade year.
 
This proposal would give $3,500 scholarships taken from per-student funding to students who complete their high school diploma requirements early. Qualifying students would be Indiana residents and enrolled full-time at a public school for at least the last two semesters before the individual completes required work.
 
A student would be required to attend an approved postsecondary education institution within two years of graduating from high school – excluding any time served on active duty in the armed forces.
 
Early graduation scholarship money could be applied to tuition or other necessary fees. A student would also have to attend a program that would lead to a two or four-year degree.
 
On average, Indiana spends $5,864 per student per year, according to the Indiana Department of Education.
 
As a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, my hope is that rewarding students with scholarship money will serve as a strong incentive for students to pursue a higher education degree. A $3,500 scholarship might be just the motivator some students need to consider seeking higher education. Recent statistics showed Indiana ranked 42nd in the number of residents with college degrees. We live in a competitive, global economy and our students deserve opportunities to get a jump-start on their education and career track.

 The debate around school choice is full of myths pushed by those who oppose giving parents a say in where their children go to school.  One of the biggest and boldest falsehoods is that school choice is about giving rich people money to send their kids to private schools.

It’s not true.  In fact, the proposal in the House is geared toward low and middle income families, families like the ones highlighted below.