Contact Interim Study Committee regarding School Funding Formula
 

INDIANA UPDATE

The Indiana State legislators have been directed by legislation to find bipartisan consensus with a new set of goals for what the Indiana Education funding formula should ultimately look like and accomplish.

Chair of this committee, Rep. Goodin asked members of the public to e-mail him with suggested goals. Rep Goodin also asked that the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) provide goals for the committee to consider. One of CEEP's proposed goals is that Indiana's Education funding per-pupil follow each student.

CEEP will also be working with the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents Association (IAPSS) to identify "How much money is enough!" The IAPSS-CEEP study will also include a table of how other states weight funding to account for different learning needs, in effect comparing Indiana's Complexity Index to those around the country.

We strongly support this goal and encourage you to write a short note and/or call members of this interim study committee (click here for contact info) to share that we support that education money follow the child but must include virtual schools as one of the public options for those dollars! To further support this request, read the national article referenced below entitled, "School Choice - Even Obama Supports."

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President Lynette Quinn is quoted in a recent article written by the Heartland Institute. The article entitled, "Indiana Embraces Online Education" can be found here.

NATIONAL UPDATE

School Choice Even Obama Supports - http://spectator.org/archives/2009/10/09/school-choice-even-obama-suppo (The American Spectator, 10/9/09)

iNACOL Releases First K-12 National Standards for Quality Online Programs - go to iNACOL Releases First K-12 National Standards for Quality Online Programs for details.

Strong communication key to online learning: New report sheds light on what works for successful virtual schools from coast to coast - go to http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=61071 for more info.

U.S. Department of Education blog site 10/1/2009: Gingrich, Sharpton, Duncan Launch Education Tour in Philadelphia

Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton joined Secretary Arne Duncan tour several cities around the country this week we support their combined interest "best education" and encourage our location, state and national politicians, educators and bureaucrats to include virtual learning as an innovation needed for our global economy. They issued a joint statement, saying:

"In the global economy of the new century, the jobs of the future will go to the best educated. Today, however, American education is at a crossroads. One path leads to reform and progress, a better-trained workforce and a well-informed citizenry. Another path leads to the status quo: only 70 percent of students graduating; about 40 percent of 25 to 34 year-olds with a two-year or four-year college degree; double-digit achievement gaps among whites, Hispanics and African-Americans; stagnating performance on international tests. Our hope is that these school visits and conversations will inspire the full array of stakeholders to set aside partisanship and ideology and join together in support of a common education reform agenda that addresses our core challenges and provides every child in every school the very best education possible."

CONTACT US AT info@indianavirtualfamilies.org to let us know how your interim commitee contacts go.  We will keep you informed!