In Case You Missed It – Jan 20, 2020

Here are links to last week's articles receiving the most attention in NEIFPE's social media. Keep up with what's going on, what's being discussed, and what's happening with public education.

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NATIONAL PARENTS UNION: PAID FOR BY PRIVATIZERS

Two Master Bloggers–Peter Greene and Steven Singer–Deconstruct the “National Parents Union”

From Diane Ravitch

In the world of ed reform (ed deform), billionaires must always wear masks, because parents and teachers don’t trust their motives. What are they after? What are they trying to do? What gives them the right to rearrange my local public school? Who elected them? Best to find a front group to carry their water for them. Or their spear.

TRUMP PANDERS TO RELIGIOUS RIGHT

Trump said he will move to ensure students and teachers can pray in school. They already can.

How many ways can you say "pandering?"

From the Answer Sheet

President Trump has promised to ensure that students and teachers can exercise First Amendment rights to pray in school. Actually, they already can, and many do...

students of all faiths are free to pray alone or in groups during the school day, as long as they don’t disrupt the school or interfere with the rights of others. Nobody can compel students to participate in prayer, and courts have ruled that nobody should pray in front of a school assembly. But nobody can stop a student or teacher or custodian or principal or anybody else from praying.

INDIANA GOVERNOR HOLCOMB TELLS TEACHERS TO WAIT

While the Governor provides up to a 6% increase for state workers, the annual inflation rate is hovering around 2%. Indiana teachers are losing economic ground every day.

Indiana governor says again wait a year on teacher pay boost

From WPTA.com

Indiana’s governor has outlined to state legislators how to free up tens of millions of dollars toward boosting teacher pay but he doesn’t want them to act on it until next year

Holcomb offers plan to boost teacher pay

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed a budgetary maneuver in Tuesday's State of the State speech to free up money for teacher pay in 2021 – a down payment of sorts on the next budget cycle as teachers continue to pressure lawmakers to increase their lagging salaries...

But Democrats said Holcomb's proposal can be put into place now for immediate increases.

FUNDING INDIANA'S SCHOOLS

Indiana School Funding Explained

Indiana is:

• 47th in per pupil spending

• 39th in teacher retention

• 51st in teacher salary growth

From ISTA

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