Community members met with Representative Heim and Senator Heinold last Saturday morning. We learned the following:
I. The state has a serious financial crisis.
II. The budget bill has passed the house and now moves on to the Senate where it will undergo changes.
III. The next budget agency financial projection will not take place until April 15.
IV. None of us, legislators, educators, patrons, parents, board members, etc. will be happy with the final budget.
V. Our legislators heard that education is a high priority in our community.
VI. Legislators stated that education was a high priority for them.
VII. While our legislators act as “the super school board” in the state of Indiana setting policy and budget limitations for local schools, they had no advice for program cuts when they become necessary as a result of their actions.
VIII. The budget bill, touted as a no tax increase bill, requires boards to raise property taxes for all school districts in Marshall County (Culver general fund property taxes will increase 8.9% and 9% over the next two years).
IX. Our representative did not contact local school officials to check the accuracy of budget projections and their impact on local schools prior to voting for the budget.
X. Legislation to change ISTEP from the fall to the spring was not based on scientific research. This is the standard the federal government requires educators to use under NCLB.
XI. Representative Heim will not vote for daylight savings time.
XII. The Plymouth community was represented by teachers, patrons, administrators, and parents. Thank you for your presence and comments .
XIII. Our work is not done. We must have continuous contact with our legislators until this session is completed.
1 comment:
Representative Heim said he used common sense when he wrote the bill to move ISTEP to the Spring. When pressed he didn't understand that amount of data that would be lost, the whole purpose of ISTEP, the need to renorm the test if moved to the Spring. Basically, Representative understood nothing about ISTEP. It seems that ISTEP was a good hook to hang his hat on in the election. Instead of forgetting about it once elected, he has written a bill about something he admittedly knows very little about.
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