RUSHVILLE —
Declaring “no more room for excuses,” Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett has called on educators to stop clamoring for money and devote their energy to providing better service for their “customers.” In his first “State of Education” address delivered Monday at a middle school in Indianapolis, Bennett dismissed complaints about a recent $300 million budget cut for local schools. He said increased spending on education won’t deliver reforms needed to raise test scores and graduation rates of students in Indiana’s K-12 schools. “(A)s we confront an uncertain and rapidly changing American economy, we must accept that more money is not the answer to the problems that challenge Indiana’s schools,” Bennett said. The answer instead, he said, was for local schools to change the way they do business by redirecting more of their resources directly into classroom instruction and to reward teachers for performance, not tenure. “If we’re going to hold teachers accountable for teaching our kids — if we’re going to hold leaders accountable for school success — we have to make student learning the primary consideration for teacher promotion and recognition,” Bennett said. Bennett, who was elected in 2007 to head the state’s education department, has come under criticism by some educators for pushing reforms that could mean the end to teacher tenure and force more accountability on schools that fail to raise test scores. The push for reform has come at a time when schools across the state have laid off teachers in response to budget cuts imposed by Gov. Mitch Daniels and forced by declining state revenues. But the criticism hasn’t swayed Bennett, who vowed to push for more education reform in the coming legislative session, which begins in January. Among the reforms he promoted Monday were additional changes in teacher licensing, including what he called “rigorous teacher education standards” that would compel teachers to master the subjects they teach. In his speech, he also chastised some school administrators for failing to conduct “rigorous annual evaluations” to identify and remove bad teachers. Bennett also rolled out a number of changes he’ll be unveiling in coming months, including “Indiana’s Growth Model” that will allow parents access to detailed teacher and student performance data. A full text and video of Bennett’s speech is posted on the Indiana Department of Education’s website at www.doe.in.gov. Maureen Hayden is Statehouse bureau chief for CNHI’s Indiana newspapers. She can be reached at maureen.hayden@indianamediagroup.comNews
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RCCF Education Fund Grants awarded
The Rush County Education Fund Grants Committee recently met to review grant applications for the 2012 grant cycle and to make their recommendations to the Rush County Community Foundation's Board of Directors.
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Commissioners hear of feasibility study
The Rush County Commissioners met earlier this week and heard a report regarding a feasibility study currently underway regarding the city possibly running an ambulance service out of the Rushville Fire Department.
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Pool open
Waggener Community Pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed Monday and Tuesday and then open again Wednesday as was originally scheduled. Information: 932-7100.
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Farmers Market
The Rush County Farmers and Artisans Market kicks off the 2012 season at 9 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Third Street in downtown Rushville!
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Good Samaritan recognized for heroic efforts
The lives of three complete strangers became intertwined the morning of Oct. 25, 2011.
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Lion Project showing community pride
If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that new concrete lions are showing up all over town.
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Waggener Pool opening Saturday and Sunday
In an update to this story, the City announced plans today to open Waggener Community Pool earlier than originally planned due to expected high temperatures over Memorial Weekend. Mayor Mike Pavey has asked that the pool be open this coming Saturday and Sunday. Hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day and Tuesday, and open again Wednesday, May 30, as was originally scheduled.
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Why do young white women risk cancer to be tan?
A CDC report out this month found that nearly one in three white women aged 18 to 25 had used a tanning booth in the previous year. White women aged 18 to 21 went the most often, averaging 27.6 sessions per year—that’s over two sessions per month—while nearly 70 percent said they had gone at least 10 times in the last year.
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Collision lands driver in Indy trauma center
A Milroy woman sustained serious injuries in a single vehicle accident on SR 244 west of Milroy that was reported shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
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Todd resigns
Bill Todd (center) is pictured during a recent meeting of the Rush County Commissioners at which he formally announced that he had turned in his resignation as the Rush County Area Plan Director. Todd has served in the capacity of APC director since 1998.
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