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Teachers, Public Education Advocates Rally At Statehouse

By Lauren Chapman, IPB News | Published on in Education, Government, Politics
Teachers and public education advocates from around the state gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Monday to demand action from lawmakers. (Lauren Chapman/IPB News)
Teachers and public education advocates from around the state gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Monday to demand action from lawmakers. (Lauren Chapman/IPB News)

Teachers once again gathered at the Statehouse, following up on their Red for Ed rally in November. The Indiana Coalition for Public Education demanded action from legislators.

Representatives from several public education groups across the state applauded some of the legislative changes made this session – including a hold harmless measure signed by the governor last week, and a push to decouple test scores from evaluations.

But State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick says lawmakers still fall short of educator demands.

“We do not need promises. I do not want to hear any more stories about who is related to an educator,” McCormick says. “I do not want to hear it.”

READ MORE: Red For Ed: How Teacher Action Unfolded At The Statehouse And What Comes Next

Several groups gathered for the rally, including the Indiana Parent-Teacher Association, Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, and the American Federation of Teachers Indiana. President GlenEva Dunham says it is time for educators to use their political power.

“We have union. We have students. We have parents. We have our faith-based supporters. We have administration, government officials. That is our community,” Dunham says.

Whoever wins the 2020 gubernatorial race will appoint the state’s next Superintendent of Public Education.

Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.