Go With Glenda On Common Core

AN OPEN LETTER -

To the Legislators who seek to “color outside the lines” on Indiana Curriculum State Standards,


Glenda is right: the best course of action on SB193 is to slow down and have a conversation - haste makes waste! The Hoosier Mom asks the members of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development to table this bill where it stands now – in committee. Senator Kruse – your continued hearings on this Bill reflect against the State Superintendent and her capacity to lead a decision-making process typically handled by the IDOE. This is not a course of action you admittedly wish to take: well, at least not according to your statement last week.

The State Board of Education under the leadership of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction traditionally devises the state curriculum standards. Furthermore, this is the way state curriculum standards have been derived in Indiana for years. This process for development of state curriculum standards provides quality education outcomes for the children of Indiana by the people elected and appointed specifically to do that job. The financial and educational ramifications of this bill are numerous, even more so if state standards are routinely changed nilly-willy by well-intended yet misguided legislators who “color outside the lines”.

Senate members, please feel free to work with the State Superintendent and the SBOE on the development of appropriate state standards to achieve desired educational outcomes, but I ask you not to “color outside the lines” with this bill by over-legislation of education decisions best arrived at by the IDOE. Indiana’s education leadership has the expertise to consider the financial and educational ramifications of our state standards. I ask you to leave Common Core in place, have this discussion with Superintendent Ritz, and maintain the state standard adoption process through the IDOE.

Go with Glenda on Common Core!



Sincerely,

The Hoosier Mom On Politics