Dear Friends,
House Bill 1002 would lower the standards for the Indiana Secretary of Education. It would remove all requirements now in law and let the Governor appoint non-educators and recruit persons who don't live in Indiana to the post!
HB 1002 deserves your attention to let members of the House know you strongly oppose it.
But there is far more on HB 1002.
HB 1002 is the high priority House bill the Republican leadership calls the “school deregulation bill.” Who isn’t in favor of deregulation?
Among the 130+ pages of HB 1002 are several provisions that ICPE lobbyist Joel Hand has recommended should be amended or dropped from the bill, including these three zingers that I hope will prompt you to contact House members to share your opposition:
- HB 1002 removes all prerequisites for a person to be appointed to be Indiana Secretary of Education, paving the way for the Governor to appoint a non-educator, non-resident. (Engrossed HB 1002, Section 13, pages 37- 38)
In the 2019 law that ended the election of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I and others worked hard to secure the current requirements: 1) residing in Indiana at least 2 years before the appointment; 2) holding an earned advanced degree; 3) having at least 5 years of experience in education. Jettisoning these prerequisites would clearly lower the standards for Indiana’s education leader.
One must ask: Why are Republican leaders removing the standards for the highest education official in Indiana?
● Do they think experience living in Indiana is irrelevant?
● Do they think advanced graduate degrees are irrelevant?
● Do they think experience in the field of education is irrelevant?
Removing this language points to diminished standards for the Secretary of Education. Let House members know you are offended by this move and urge them to vote NO on HB 1002.
- HB 1002 removes a requirement in current law that requires the “governing body must provide a non-charter school that students of the same age or grade can attend”. (Engrossed HB 1002, Section 54, p.54)
This would allow a public school district to be completely “charterized” as proposed in House Bill 1136, which would dissolve IPS and other districts and turn all of their schools into charters. This is a really bad idea.
- HB 1002 removes liability for charter schools. (Engrossed HB 1002, P. 100 LINES 8-9, (IC 20-31-4.1-3). Removes responsibility for the authorizer to ensure that a charter school is in compliance with applicable legal standards as determined by the SBOE. Is this being removed to try to limit liability by the authorizer to third parties? There is currently a student sexual abuse case against a charter school that also names Trine as a defendant. Parents and communities as well as the state rely on authorizers to oversee charter chools. Liability is part of that responsibility.
HB 1002 went through 2nd reading amendments on January 30th and is now eligible for 3rd reading vote on the full House floor on Monday, February 3rd at 1:30pm. Call (preferred) or email your representatives before noon on Monday and ask them to vote NO on HB 1002!
House Republicans (800) 382-9841
House Democrats (800) 382-9842
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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. We need all ICPE members to renew their membership.
Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2025 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!
Go to www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education. Thanks!
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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.
