State Superintendent of Instruction Glenda Ritz is suing because the state board of education, appointed by Governors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence, took a vote to strip her of any role on reviewing the A-F grading system when she was not present. She is the chair of the board, by law. The decision was made in secret, without an open meeting.
Indiana Lesley Weidenbrener says the suit raises important questions:
“if a judge decides what the board did is legal, it could set a dangerous precedent for other public groups and may call for legislators to rethink the Open Door Law.
“After all, what would stop city council members from simply circulating a letter to approve a contract for snow removal? Or why couldn’t the Indiana Gaming Commission vote to discipline a blackjack dealer who broke the rules by just emailing the proposed punishment around to members?
“For that matter, why would a board ever really need to meet again at all if the members could take care of business through email?
“Sound extreme? Of course it does. And the action taken by 10 members of the State Board of Education was nothing like approving a contract, spending money or issuing a penalty.
“The members requested that the legislative branch get involved in a Department of Education function. They didn’t even have the authority to demand that lawmakers get involved.
“Still, there’s a reason these types of actions are supposed to take place in public.
“In a democracy, constituents and the media are responsible for holding their elected officials — and often appointed officials — accountable for their actions. That’s tough to do if the public can’t see the actions taking place.
“In addition, most government bodies let the public weigh in before they take action. That won’t happen when the decision is made through an email exchange.
“So this case is one to watch — not just because of the impact it could have on education and state politics. It’s also about the public’s right to know and it could affect every layer of government in Indiana.”
The bottom line is that Governor Mike Pence will go to any extreme–including breaking the law–to strip Ritz of the powers of the office to which she was elected by the people of Indiana.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Why are they in such a hurry to get the ratings out? The reason for the ratings and their validity has been completely trumped by the political urgency of making it appear as if they’re valid and reliable.
Is anyone even asking parents if they’re using these ratings to shop for schools?
Ohio changed their system, again, to the current reform fad of A thru F and and I don’t know one more thing about my local public school than I knew before.
God knows how much it cost and how many consultants were paid.
As the (supposed) “beneficiary” of all these “reforms”, did public school parents ask for this? Were people clamoring for an A thru F rating system? I wasn’t. I already had the last gimmick rating system, and I didn’t ask for that one either.
Who is this FOR?
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All A-F ratings are a farce.
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It just never ends. You know what we could use in our school? An art teacher and a new truck for band equipment. I know this because everyone who lives here knows it.
“Starting with state report cards for the 2012-13 school year, Ohio will grade schools on an A-F scale. The grading system applies to school districts, traditional public schools and charter schools.
The A-F system replaces Ohio’s previous school rating system that gave school labels like “Excellent” and “Continuous Improvement.”
The A-F system will be phased in over time.
For the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, each school and district can receive up to nine separate A-F grades, one for each area graded. Those areas include:
The percentage of students passing state tests;
How well students score on state tests;
A calculation showing how much progress students in grades 4-8 made in a particular school year;
High school graduation rates; and
How much progress students in certain subgroups make towards state goals for passing rates on reading and math tests and for
graduation rates. This measure applies to each racial/ethnic subgroup and to students from low-income families, students with disabilities and students learning English. (This measure replaces the federal, No Child Left Behind measure called Adequate Yearly Progress.)
Instead of what we need we got this new rating system. I hope all the consultants got paid, is all I can say.
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Yes, in one of our local papers a Democratic lawmaker supported Glenda Ritz and posted a well reasoned defense of her. We have suffered enough under Bennett and he was voted dramatically out of office. Ritz had the widest margin of victory of anyone running for state office but – sorry Republicans – but Republicans are bound and determined to keep Bennett’s policies in place.
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I am a plugged-in parent and strong public education advocate in Fort Wayne (home of FWCS – the largest district in Indiana) – and the only thing I disagree with in Diane’s comment is the last sentence:
“The bottom line is that Governor Mike Pence will go to any extreme–including breaking the law–to strip Ritz of the powers of the office to which she was elected by the people of Indiana.”
So far, our Bobby Knight look-alike governor has shown himself to be too afraid to go right at the duly elected Superintendent of Public Education. Her office was created by the Indiana legislature (and not the state Constitution) and so – with the Republigoon headlock control of the legislature, they could simply eliminate her office altogether….if they were “man-enough” to spit on the Indiana electorate that way.
But no. They work to undermine her and insult her and chuck tomatoes and spitballs her way, and I fully expect they’ll try and start a scandalous whispering campaign against her, at some point.
Anything but simply governing the state of Indiana, with a view toward what’s best for hoosiers.
By way of saying – big principles are at stake, but this is still small-ball stuff and cheap-shot tactics by Pence and company.
Hooray for Superintendent Ritz, for not only NOT acquiescing, but indeed for playing hardball right back at them. I think if she could run for governor right about now, our Bobby Knight look-alike empty suit would be sent packing.
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Some of our most prominent education leaders wheel and deal in the privacy of back rooms. The following is a video of Arne Duncan defying the Illinois Open Meetings Act –and silently looking like a deer in the headlights when caught. It occurred at a crucial time, when Duncan and the Chicago school board wanted to shut down a high school and turn it into a charter –and parents were vehemently opposed to it. Duncan was meeting in the back room of a restaurant with the then president of the Chicago school board (who has since committed suicide) and elected officials who presided over the area where the school was located: http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=995 Duncan et al should have been sued.
Good for Glenda for taking on those who seek to deny the will of the voters and defy the IN Open Door law, while demanding transparency and accountability for teachers!
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Thank you, Diane, for your support of our State
Superintendent. SBOE is completely out of touch.
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Totally agree with Mary. Diane your support of Glenda means a great deal to all of us here in Indiana that have to butt heads with these false reformers. ^o^
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Here’s an update, early Monday AM:
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ritz-suit-has-nothing-to-do-with-politics-only-procedure/article_167b8a16-e932-5a8d-9cff-7a8b629729c6.html
some excerpts:
“Under Bennett, the board adopted Common Core as Indiana’s standards. Top Republicans, including Gov. Mike Pence, have since “paused” implementation of those standards while they look at whether the state should quit Common Core and create its own college- and career-ready standards.
At least six board members appear ready to work with Ritz on those issues. In letters sent Friday to the superintendent, Troy Albert, David Freitas, Gordon Hendry, Andrea Neal, Sarah O’Brien and Walker promise to move beyond politics and past squabbles for the sake of Hoosier children.”
“The Center for Education and Career Innovation, a new state agency created by Pence to give the education board a staff independent of Ritz, also appears to still be gunning for the superintendent.
Moments after Ritz finished her Thursday news conference, CECI staff fired off 10 Twitter messages accusing Ritz of lying no fewer than four times.”
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Here are quotes from the NW Indiana paper “The Times”:
“Multiple board members confirmed to The Times that they did not hold an in-person meeting. Instead, a draft letter was circulated via email among the board prior to being sent to House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and Senate president David Long, R-Fort Wayne.
The letter, printed on board letter head and signed by each member of the board, asks that the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency calculate school grades because Ritz is dragging her feet. Bosma and Long agreed to the request…
“The fact that we all signed on to a letter does not constitute a decision of the board because there’s no effective action on policy or procedures by way of that letter, Walker [a Gary attorney and NW Indiana’s state school board member] said. -“there’s not a hint of a violation”- and he called Ritz’s lawsuit a ‘political ploy’…
House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, pointed out that school grades were delayed by vendor-caused ISTEP + test glitches that postponed until Nov. 5 the release of final test scores.”
Ritz is a teacher. She know the harm that is being done to Indiana public school teachers and children. She is working against mountains of resistance. The Good Ole Boy’s network is in full gear. Ritz was elected as Superintendent of Education for Indiana but the rest of the GOP Congress, and our Tea Party Governor, still support former Superintendent Tony Bennett’s policies. He had to resign his job in Florida after manipulating charter school grades in a school owned by a campaign contributor. HIs policies instituted teacher evaluations and salaries largely based on test scores, grading schools on A-F, vouchers to parents to send children to charter schools [most of the charter schools have religious connections], expansion of charter schools, no bargaining for better working conditions and doing away with tenure. The state already doesn’t allow teachers to strike.
I’m really glad to know that Diane Ravitch is on to the horrible things happening in Indiana and is informing the rest of the U.S. How much longer can good teachers working in poverty level schools take this politically created stress? When will teachers begin to get the credit and recognition that they deserve?
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