Under the current administration, there’s been a less-than-harmonious relationship between the offices of governor and superintendent of public instruction. Incumbent Superintendent Glenda Ritz and Gov. Mike Pence’s disagreements over school choice, funding, standardized testing and other issues have been well documented. The chasm created by those disagreements has led many to wonder if there is any hope of repairing the breach that currently exists.
Ritz, a Democrat who was elected to the post in 2012, said she intends to advocate on the behalf of students and leave the politics aside.
“I have spent quite a bit of time at the department (of education) forming outreach efforts for school improvement, and I want to continue expanding those efforts throughout the state,” she said, adding that she’s held more than 180 meetings (many with Republicans) about her plans. “When you’re working toward policy, you have to work with everyone. I will continue to be a constant advocate for children in the state.”
Ritz’s Republican opponent Jennifer McCormick, a longtime educator from Yorktown, said a change is needed. “The superintendent has had four years to prove herself; we’ve had issues … we have limited tools, resource and guidance,” McCormick said. “For me, it’s about providing the guidance needed.”
One of Ritz’s recent moves, leading a bipartisan charge to get rid of the state’s embattled ISTEP+ test, has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as several school superintendents have voiced their disapproval for the fact that a committee of legislators has yet to review her plan and find a replacement for the statewide exam. Ritz has proposed an individualized test delivered digitally that would self-adjust the difficulty of questions based on students’ answers.
McCormick shared that she is in support of implementing a “meaningful and manageable” statewide assessment, but she voiced no strong preference on whether the test should be administered manually or digitally. “It would be really nice to look at proven reliable assessments that are valid and things that provide results in a timely manner,” she said. “We need something that’s already proven and less costly so that funding can go back to instruction. Regardless of where we go, the past three years show that we struggle with doing something developed by us.”
While both candidates agree that pre-K is a necessity, they differ on how it should be rolled out. Ritz has been a longtime proponent of universal pre-K and plans to have it available to all 4-year-olds across the state by 2020. McCormick suggests a more prolonged approach that requires analyzing the sustainability factors.
“When Gov. Pence decided to turn down federal money for pre-K initially, it was very problematic,” McCormick said. “I am totally in support, but as a state, we need to have a sustainability plan. We need to serve those most at risk. Let’s target those children and roll it out as a quality option.”
Platform summary
Glenda Ritz
• Make pre-K available in every school corporation in the state
• End A-F grading for school performance
• Achieve a 91-percent graduation rate for all students
• Increase participation in post-secondary training
• More equitable funding for public schools
• Increase opportunities for professional development for teachers
Source: glendaritz.com
Jennifer McCormick
• Work with stakeholders to review school funding-related issues
• Establish a statewide assessment and accountability system
• Increase Indiana’s broadband and network capacity
• Address teacher retention
• Close kindergarten readiness gap
Source: jennifermccormick.org
