ISTEP
Lawmakers, educators and teachers’ unions agree that the credibility of Indiana’s standardized ISTEP student was damaged in 2015 when students performed poorly on a revamped version of the test that was plagued by glitches.
Lawmakers are looking to replace the exam by 2017, and a measure advancing in the Legislature would create a committee tasked with studying what should come next.
Republican Governor Mike Pence and fellow GOP lawmakers say now is the time to rethink how the state goes about testing students.
Democratic state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz and her teachers’ union allies say they are glad the GOP has come around to their way of thinking, but expressed worry about what Republicans may propose next.
TEACHER PAY
A legislative committee is set to take up a contentious proposal that would give school districts authority to negotiate higher pay with individual teachers.
The House Education committee on Monday is scheduled to debate the bill, which is opposed by teachers unions and school administrators who say benefits should be negotiated through collective bargaining, not individually.
Supporters of the measure say it would help struggling school districts recruit talented teachers.
A similar bill was already passed by the House, only to be killed in the Senate last week amid fierce backlash from unions.
But lawmakers could still advance a bill to Governor Mike Pence for a signature. That’s because the bill still alive in the House was already approved by the Senate.