John Krull commentary: Behning, education and evasion
One of the most disheartening things about the education war in Indiana is that so little of the fighting is about learning. You know, the thing education is supposed to be about. Most of the jousting, in fact, now is about either control or finding someone else to blame. And most of the finger-pointing comes from the crowd that’s called the shots in Indiana schools for at least 15 years and, once upon a time, used the word “accountability” almost as if it were a form of punctuation, something that could be spread as promiscuously through conversation and writing as…
‘Divisive concepts’ House Bill 1134 misses 2nd reading deadline, dies in Senate
Indiana teachers unexpectedly got what they have been advocating for during the General Assembly’s 2022 session—the death of House Bill 1134. After hours of Senate Republicans meeting in caucus and the bill being moved to the end of the Senate calendar twice, Senate sponsor Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, passed on the bill during the second reading deadline. This means the bill—which would have created a curriculum advisory committee, required schools to maintain learning management systems and prohibited teaching of certain “divisive concepts”—is officially dead. But Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said legislators may incorporate the concepts in other…
‘Harmful material for minors’ bill passes despite one question: Harmful according to whom?
The Indiana Senate Tuesday passed a controversial bill regarding “harmful material for minors.” Sen. James Tomes, R-Wadesville, author of SB17, holds up a book while talking about the vulgar material he says it holds. His bill seeks to change the law around such "harmful material" and its accessibility to minors. Sen. James Tomes (above), R-Wadesville, authored Senate Bill 17, which “removes schools and certain public libraries from the list of entities eligible for a specified defense to criminal prosecutions.’’ “The bill is only removing one word in our statute … education; someone who violates this law cannot claim it is…
House passes bill limiting classroom topics, requiring parental review of school curriculum
An Indiana House bill adding transparency for parents and restricting classroom topics in public schools is moving to the Senate, where its future is more uncertain. House Bill 1134, the controversial education bill attempting to limit “divisive” topics in the classroom while also increasing parent knowledge and input on materials used by teachers, was passed nearly along party lines Wednesday. The bill is a sister bill to Senate Bill 167, which died two weeks ago after it made national news for a comment by Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, about teachers remaining impartial on Nazism. President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said there was…
Bill making school board elections partisan has died in committee
UPDATE: A bill that would have put an end to Indiana's nonpartisan school board elections has died in a House committee. After drawing sharp criticism and no public support in testimony during a hearing earlier this month, House Bill 1182 was not return to the House Elections and Apportionment Committee agenda for a vote before Tuesday's deadline for committee action. The bill was one of several this session that would have required or at least provided the option of placing party identifiers on school board election ballots. None of the other bills have advanced beyond committee, but the provisions still…
Education bill that drew ridicule for author’s remarks on Nazism is killed, Senate president says
UPDATE: Indiana Senate President Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, announced Friday that Senate Bill 167, which would have prohibited the teaching of certain topics in Indiana classrooms among other provisions, will not be considered further. In a statement released by the Senate Republican Caucus, Bray said, "Members of the Senate continued to work on Senate Bill 167, but have determined there is no path forward for it and will not be considered.'' The bill and its author, Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, drew national attention after Baldwin suggested the provisions would require that teachers remain impartial even in their teaching about Nazism: "I…