The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is calling for the state legislature to move up the timeline for making Indiana’s chief education official appointed instead of elected.

During the 2017 session, Hoosier lawmakers passed a bill to change the Superintendent of Public Instruction position to an appointed one beginning in 2025.

Since then, current elected Superintendent Republican Jennifer McCormick has announced she’s not seeking re-election to a second term.  Now, Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar says moving up the timeline for appointment would help streamline key policy decisions.

“People view the governor as really the chief education officer of our state, certainly from a policy perspective, and we just think there would be better alignment,” he says. “That’s been our long-standing position.”

Leaders at the chamber’s preview say it’s likely going to be an easy change to garner support for among members of the General Assembly.

The chamber is also prioritizing workforce development and STEM education as part of its 2019 legislative agenda.

The chamber wants a boost in funding for workforce development initiatives, and willl also push for a new STEM-focused course requirement for high schoolers, starting with the class of 2023.

Brinegar says that could get more students interested in high-demand STEM fields.

“We think that having kids have exposure to these courses, whether it’s computer science or technology courses will help spur interest,” he says.