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Senate budget would disband the Indiana Education Roundtable
04/12/2015

 

Roundtable.jpgWhen the Senate released its proposed budget last week, much focus was on its model for school funding. However, something a bit unexpected was also in the Senate’s budget.  The Senate included language that would disband the Indiana Education Roundtable and shift some of its K-12 responsibilities to the State Board of Education.

 

The Roundtable began in 1998 as an informal group of education policy advisors under Gov. Frank O’Bannon. Seeing its value in bringing a diverse group of stakeholders together, the legislature codified the Roundtable a year later.

 

Made up of members from the education and business communities, civic leaders, as well as members of the legislature, the Roundtable is co-chaired by the governor and superintendent of public instruction. ISTA’s president has always been a member of the Roundtable—currently filled by Teresa Meredith. The Roundtable is primarily tasked with recommending the state’s academic standards. The Roundtable most recently met to approve new state standards after Indiana dropped using federal Common Core standards. 

 

We’ve yet to see any public statements from the Senate explaining its motivation behind disbanding the Roundtable, but some members including Amos Brown (radio host/producer and community activist) and Linda Day (Tippecanoe School Board member) have publicly expressed concerns.