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Aleksandra Appleton

Reporter, Chalkbeat Indiana

Aleksandra Appleton is a Reporter for Chalkbeat Indiana. She previously reported on schools in Las Vegas and Fresno, California, where she grew up. Aleks is a graduate of UC San Diego and the Columbia School of Journalism.

Democrats have tried but failed to tweak the bill, which would make it easier for charter schools to take advantage of the so-called $1 law.
Lawmakers pulled the bill from a committee agenda after protests from groups like the Indianapolis NAACP and the state teachers union.
Under current state law, charters do not receive a portion of the funding that districts can collect from property taxes
Sex ed that covers birth control, pregnancy, and consent isn’t required in schools in Indiana.
The new dashboard underscores questions about the role of the state’s A-F grading system for schools.
Lawmakers made some changes, including allowing schools to host joint career fairs, to meet the bill’s requirements.
Supporters say school choice bill would give parents more power, while critics say it would take funds from public schools.
High schoolers beginning with the Class of 2028 would be required to take the class under an Indiana Senate bill.
The Indiana bills are similar to a Florida law referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Fourth grade math teacher Angela Fowler of Indiana was recently awarded the Milken Educator Award for her work.
Lawmakers don’t seem interested in revisiting last year’s battle over what students should learn about race and racism.
The bill would establish savings accounts for vocational training, and require high schools to hold career fairs.
A free college program and solutions for staffing issues also rank high among education groups’ priorities.
The dashboard could replace Indiana’s current measure of school performance: the A-F grading system.
Teachers who oversee English learners’ language development are critically needed in Indiana.
Republican leaders have said they expect to increase funding for K-12 schools while also expanding school choice.
House Republicans want to reinvent high school to let students receive credit for working.
This election season saw several newcomer candidates challenge incumbents who had supported Indiana’s curriculum restrictions bill.
Indiana reported an 8.5 percentage point drop in reading scores on state tests among third graders learning English.
Teachers don’t have enough time to teach the long list of current standards, proponents have argued, meaning students miss critical knowledge.