Media Statement: Gov. Pence's State of the State Address Teresa Meredith, ISTA President
01/13/2015
Last week Gov. Pence released what he called a “thrifty” state budget proposal that’s projected to maintain a nearly $2 billion state reserve. Tonight he reiterated his support for expanding the private school voucher program and increasing the number of charter schools at the expense of community-based public schools.
His proposals ask lawmakers to raise the school voucher program’s limit on per-student funding and to give $1,500 more per student to charter schools. ISTA asks policymakers to look at the data. Charter schools have been operating in Indiana since 2001 and today nearly 60 percent of them are graded as D or F.
ISTA would like to see those funds go toward our traditional community-based public schools. Pence’s $31 billion two-year budget increases school funding by 2 percent in the first year and 1 percent in the second year. Indiana has the fourth highest number of enrolled students per teacher and the fourth lowest expenditures per student in the country. ISTA recommends lawmakers increase funding to public schools by 3 percent in each of the next two years.
ISTA’s program continues to focus on improving student learning and improving the practice of teaching. ISTA’s recommendations include more one-on-one instruction and funding for teachers who seek National Board Certification.
Students are at the center of everything we do. For more information on ISTA’s 2015 legislative agenda visit: